Title: The Rasputin Stain
Author: W.H. Mefford
Publisher: 2020 Literary Group LLC
ISBN: 978-1-96268-14-3
Pages: 338
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Reviewer: Candace L. Barr

Read Book Review

Author W.H. Mefford’s, The Rasputin Stain, is an exciting, well-crafted novel which follows a formerly sidelined detective’s investigation into the murders of a set of siblings descended from Rasputin. Ilya Podipenko of the Moscow militia, an officer, has had a boring life.  After arresting his superior’s nephew, he’s been tasked with pickpocketing incidents and other low-stakes cases. Despite the lack of meaty cases, Ilya is content with his life until he and his partner investigate an ostensible suicide.

Ilya quickly notes that the victim’s wound could not be self-inflicted. With the help of information from the victim’s eager and smitten neighbor, he learns more about the man’s background and the goings-on in his apartment. This brings him to the youngest of the victim’s siblings, a beautiful, well-connected translator, who is set to leave with her American tycoon fiancé for New York in just a few days. Ilya must solve the murders to ensure no one else dies. Of course, that’s hard to do with other officers also sniffing around the case.

The mystery here is less about the ‘who’ then it is about the ‘why.’ The murderer is obvious, and it’s clear who’s aiding the coverup. Despite that, the plot is engaging because the characters leave plenty to explore. The secret the five descendants have been holding on to for their entire lives is the key to solving the case and possibly saving those who remain. The siblings lead completely separate lives from each other, owing to their separation as children after their mother’s death. Each has their own piece of a puzzle worth killing for, but with a rapidly shrinking timeline and pool of victims, Ilya has to work quickly to put it all together while his superiors try to thwart his investigation. Luckily for Ilya, a higher authority is paying attention and wants this case solved.

Mefford has crafted an engaging crime drama with a hefty dose of historical and cultural background. The references don’t feel heavy-handed, though some characters are surprised that a simple man like Ilya would be so well-versed in Russian literature. This dimensionality is one of the charms of the novel. Additionally, Mefford uses his words to paint vivid pictures of both the characters and the settings, from the drabness of Ilya’s office to the opulence of the hotel where he first meets the prime suspect. It creates a sense of immersion which helps make the book unputdownable.