Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander

Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander ISBN-13: 9781250058287 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Released: Oct. 10, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
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?


My Review:
Death in St. Petersburg is a mystery set in 1900 in St. Petersburg. It's the twelfth in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and this book didn't spoil previous whodunits.

The author wove nice detail about the lives of ballet dancers and the political unrest in Russia into the story. The story switched between Emily investigating the death of a dancer in 1900 and events that happened to two dancers and their close friends in 1889 until the present time. Emily asked questions, followed up clues, and considered possible scenarios until she figured out what was going on and whodunit. She was intelligent, competent, and likable. The other characters were also interesting.

There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


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