Looking out of the window at the autumnal weather – a crisp chill and the hint of mist in the air, a flare of low sunlight – reminded me that A Razor Wrapped in Silk is set in autumn, making it an ideal read for this time of the year.
It was summer when I visited St Petersburg for research – the season during which Crime and Punishment is set, and also A Vengeful Longing, the second of my Porfiry Petrovich novels. So for inspiration on what a St Petersburg autumn might be like, I turned to Andrei Bely’s novel Petersburg, an amazing book, which I would definitely recommend.
To get you in the seasonal mood, here’s an autumnal reading from A Razor Wrapped in Silk. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin…