Rostnikov uncovers a crime spree with roots in a long-lost Tsarist treasure.
Porfiry Rostnikov was just a boy when he lobbed a grenade at the Nazi tank, destroying the evil machine and his left leg with it. And after five decades' dragging his lame leg behind him, the police inspector decides to have the useless limb amputated. The Cold War is over, and as Russia learns to walk again, its finest policeman must do the same.
Meanwhile, a knife-wielding rapist known as the Silent One terrorizes the women of Moscow, and a bloodthirsty gunman begins a campaign to exterminate the city's Jews. And while investigating this hate-fueled crime wave, Rostnikov uncovers a mystery concerning a murdered baroness and a priceless wolf statue that has been missing since 1862. Moscow is on the verge of a bright new future, but the horrors of this ancient city's past may mean a return to the dark ages.