A KILLING WINTER by Tom Callaghan - SIGNED FIRST EDITION BOOK

See all titles by Tom Callaghan.

In this stylish neo-noir set in the mountainous Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan, hard-bitten inspector Akyl Borubaev mourns the recent death of his beloved wife—the only humanizing force in his otherwise bleak life as a homicide dective in Bishkek.

As he struggles to face his personal pain, Borubaev is assigned to investigate the murder of a young woman whose horribly mutilated body is found dumped in a public park. When Borubaev discovers the woman is the only daughter of Mikhail Tynaliev, the powerful and ruthless Minister of State Security, he realizes the case will probably destroy him, regardless of where the evidence leads.

Borubaev begins making enemies everywhere he turns, even as he is aided by a motley assortment of dangerous cutthroats: his wife's uncle Kursan, whose cross-border smuggling is the stuff of local legend; the explosive police chief, who wants the case solved as soon as possible; Saltanat, a beautiful and deadly agent of the Uzbek Security Service; an entire police force of bent cops; and members of the Kyrgyz mafia.

All of which would just be another day in the life of Akyl Borubaev—if the investigation didn't turn up a blood-chilling connection to multiple homicides across Kyrgyzstan—including one on a Russian military base.

A KILLING WINTER by Tom Callaghan

Not since Arkady Renko investigated the three corpses found in Gorky Park has a story of life in the former Soviet Union captivated me as much as A KILLING WINTER by Tom Callaghan.

Inspector Akyl Borubaev, a seasoned cop who is a member of the murder squad, Kyrgyzstan’s homicide division, investigates the ritualistic murder of a young woman whose mutilated body is found lying in the freshly fallen snow. Borubaev soon discovers that the body is the daughter of the Minister of State Security, who pressures Borubaev to solve the case quickly, by any means possible, and to deliver the offender to him.

Kyrgyzstan, a former part of the Soviet Union until their independence in 1991, is revealed as a culture filled with abject poverty, cheap drugs, and political corruption, with most people living on the dark fringes of society. Kyrgyzstan is a largely unknown location, and A KILLING WINTER follows in the tradition of those thrillers set in Russia by Martin Cruz Smith and Tom Rob Smith. Much of the story takes place in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. Callaghan skillfully creates an image of the city that is dark, cold and depressing, adding context and depth to this incredible debut novel.

With the help of his late wife’s uncle, who has ties to the underworld, Borubaev’s investigation leads him across the frozen landscape, in search of a serial killer whose violence grows with each new victim.

Tom Callaghan delivers an often disturbing view of life in Kyrgyzstan, and a story filled with compelling intrigue and fascinating suspense. The story is graphic at times, with visual detail that will transport you to the scene of the crime.

I highly recommend A KILLING WINTER by Tom Callaghan, and patiently await the announced sequel, A SPRING BETRAYAL, scheduled for release later this year.

“As the ice melts, winters crimes are laid bare.”

Good reading,

John