 The English translation by Andrew Bromfield was published in 2005 as third of Fandorin novels, after "Murder on the Leviathan" which follows it in the internal chronology.The novel is subtitled "шпионский детектив" ("espionage mystery").It takes place in Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) with Fandorin investigating the doings of a Turkish agent thwarting Russian advance.