About the book: 1996 / The detective can play the violin like Holmes, smoke a pipe like Maigret, or knit stockings like Miss Marple. But none of them have yet had the opportunity to perform in the arena. The red-haired clown Artem knows: investigating the most mysterious crimes is by no means a performance, although participation in it requires impeccable mastery of the role. After all, a real detective must not only shoot accurately and understand poisons, but also possess the skill of an illusionist and the fearlessness of a tightrope walker.