The Lost Soldiers, by Andrey Kurkov

Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov returns with a new Kyiv mystery.

Kyiv, 1919. It’s a time of great political instability. Only a year ago the entire Russian royal family had been shot. The Red Army is in control, but the White Army and anarchists are lurking in the background. Everything is in flux and anyone could be swept into power at any moment. Against this tumultuous background, humble police investigator Samson Kolechko works to solve the mysterious case of twenty-eight Red Army soldiers who have gone missing at the Halystka bathhouse, their clothing left behind. It’’s a surreal case, with many strange characters and bizarre twists. While Samson works in earnest to solve the mystery, he must also negotiate a maze-like underworld filled with corruption and nepotism. There is also the dreaded Cheka - secret police - who are keeping an eye on Samson’s activities.

The Lost Soldiers is the third installment of celebrated Ukrainian author Andrey Kurkov’s Kyiv Mysteries. The novel has wonderfully earthy descriptions of people, streetlife and Slavic food, bringing the Kyiv of a hundred years ago vibrantly to life. Kurkov mixes these gritty aspects with many humorous, almost absurdist elements, giving the story a bittersweet feel. We know Samson walks a perilous tightrope, with danger always nearby, yet the comic tone lightens this emotional burden. Deeply satisfying literary fiction.

The Lost Soldiers, by Andrey Kurkov. Published by MacLehose Press. $34.99

JUNE 2026