Colin Hargreaves is in Russia, courtesy of Her Majesty's
Secret Service; his wife Lady Emily usually stays behind in
England, but this time her friend Cécile du Lac has invited
her to visit with Princess Mariya for the season. Emily had
even learned Russian in case such an occasion happened, and
she is thrilled. Emily's elation at a glorious performance
of Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre comes to a brutal end
when, upon exiting the theatre, Emily witnesses a
distressing sight: prima ballerina Irina Nemetseva has been
brutally murdered.
Tasha Alexander paints such a dazzling portrait of St.
Petersburg and ballet at the turn of the twentieth century,
that I would not even have dared ask for more, and yet the
mystery is as brilliant as the vibrant images she presents.
More astonishing still was when I noticed that it is the
twelfth instalment in the Lady
Emily series! While I had an inkling there had been
other books before, I never felt I had missed anything, but
I sure will do something about it as soon as I can. Simply
put, DEATH IN ST. PETERSBURG is flawless.
The structure of the novel is one that seldom works for me,
and yet in DEATH IN ST. PETERSBURG it does; chapters
alternate between Ekaterina Petrovna's story, told in the
third person - Ekaterina was Irina's best friend - and
chapters told in the first person from Emily's point of
view, as she herself addresses her readers. This is
particularly well done: Ekaterina's chapters start in 1890
leading to the death of Irina; they move the story forward
without unnecessary chitchat, and most important, the flow
between the chapters is seamless.
Ms. Alexander's knowledge of Imperial Russia, its culture
and history, and ballet is beyond compare, down to the most
minute but significant details, such as a perfect mastery of
patronymics and diminutives used as terms of endearment,
particular to Russian. I doubt having ever read a novel in
which historical accuracy was so delightfully part of a
strong murder mystery, especially in this type of situation.
Several secondary characters are real historical figures and
their inclusion in the narrative is impeccable. The
fictional secondary characters are just as enchanting,
namely a charismatic and eccentric sort-of Robin Hood. Tasha
Alexander's gorgeous prose does the magnificent setting
justice; her dialogues are as exquisite as Fabergé eggs;
Colin and Emily are lovely and I loved the sexual tension
that is delectably hinted at. From the glittery Winter
Palace to the simmering discontent of the working class and
the ever fascinating world of ballet, DEATH IN ST.
PETERSBURG is a splendor to behold.
After the final curtain of Swan Lake, an animated crowd
exits the Mariinsky theatre brimming with excitement from
the night’s performance. But outside the scene is somber. A
ballerina’s body lies face down in the snow, blood
splattered like rose petals over the costume of the Swan
Queen. The crowd is silenced by a single cry— “Nemetseva is
dead!”
Amongst the theatergoers is Lady Emily, accompanying her
dashing husband Colin in Russia on assignment from the
Crown. But it soon becomes clear that Colin isn’t the only
one with work to do. When the dead ballerina’s aristocratic
lover comes begging for justice, Emily must apply her own
set of skills to discover the rising star’s murderer. Her
investigation takes her on a dance across the stage of
Tsarist Russia, from the opulence of the Winter Palace, to
the modest flats of ex-ballerinas and the locked attics of
political radicals. A mysterious dancer in white follows
closely behind, making waves through St. Petersburg with her
surprise performances and trail of red scarves. Is it the
sweet Katenka, Nemetseva’s childhood friend and favorite
rival? The ghost of the murdered étoile herself? Or,
something even more sinister?
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