Russian Pulp: The Detektiv and the Russian Way of Crime

Olcott (Russian, Colgate U.) explores the cultural and political aspects of the Russian murder mystery (the detektiv ), focusing on how Russians understand crime and lawbreaking, discussing why solving a crime is always a social activity in Russia, and demonstrating how Russians see all participants in the crime world, from police officer to criminal to victim, as part of a single continuum of human imperfection. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)