Swedish financier Tom Blixen has fled his home country after a family tragedy, and now works in Moscow for leading Russian investment bank Pioneer Capital. A huge opportunity opens up for the firm as Russia’s biggest oil company, RusOil, is about to acquire one of its competitors and Tom is appointed to bring the deal to a successful close.
Tom’s old friend Fredrik Kastrup, who is also working in Moscow, is harboring an awful secret from his time in Saint Petersburg a few years back. As the secret surfaces, Fredrik’s family is put in danger. When Tom realizes his friend is one of the pieces on the chessboard in the oil affair, he seeks help from Russian prosecutor Sergej Skurov. Together, the unlikely pair is dragged into a spiral of violence and corruption where their own lives are at stake.
The Conductor from Saint Petersburg is a captivating thriller that leaves you wanting more. Rich in milieus, this is a unique portrayal of Russia in the dramatic beginning of the 21st century. Grebe & Leander Engström skillfully weave the intricate plotlines to give the reader an insider view of the violence, corruption, and criminality at the heart of Russian business life.
Author
Reviews
“The novel’s strength is the credible description of the setting and the sense that the authors really have been part of its private sphere. Through an enthralling thriller intrigue, the authors are able to analyze a society of unrestrained capitalism, drunk with vodka and steroids. Moscow Noir is for readers of Swedish crime fiction who want to look further than Fjällbacka.”
Arbetarbladet (SE)
“An excellent thriller that portrays how the filthy rich become even richer, through the most filthy of means.”
Borås Tidning (SE)
“A great opening to a coming trilogy and I look forward to the next book. It is interesting to read a story set in Russia, a society so very different from our own.”
Litteraturmagazinet (SE)
“It’s well-written, it’s exciting, it’s politically refined.”
Gomorron Sverige, SVT (SE)
“The Conductor from Saint Petersburg grabs you firmly and does not let go. […] The writing style quietly builds an underlying tension, similar to that of other Scandinavian thriller writers such as Stieg Larsson. Leander-Engström and Grebe are a good team.”
Hebban (NL)