Sister Pelagia is asked to solve yet another strange murder. She leaves the monastery where she is a teacher intending to find the murderer of a man named Manuila, a charismatic Russian preacher. Is the murdered individual the preacher who established a sect of Russians whose goal is to live like Jews and travel to the Holy Land or is he not? When she discovers that the murdered man is a member of the group disguised as Manuila, she is determined to find the real Manuila. Obviously, his life is in peril. In addition, Matvei Bentsionovich Berdichevsky, a public prosecutor who is enthralled by Sister Pelagia, is following her tracks in an effort to protect her from harm. However, he finds himself embroiled in the political chaos of the time. While the ending is strange and somewhat unbelievable , I liked this read. Nevertheless, my head is still spinning as I muse about the story and the intent of Sister Pelagia's travels. As usual, the author has created a complex mystery that keeps the reader struggling to figure out what is happening. This is one of the reasons that I love his mysteries. Yes, once again there is political intrigue, humor, mystery, Russian history and more in the novel.

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