Irony, paradox and phantasmagoria distinguish the stories of Vladimir Batsalev from the usual works of the crime genre. Mastering them in the usual technique of reader consumption is not so easy. Would-be detectives and would-be criminals collide in the most incredible situations, dictated by a delusional reality in which there is almost no room left for a normal life.

“Valley of the Kings” is the name of a funeral home, one of the owners of which is one day discovered dead. The main character of the story, a journalist, is hired to investigate this mysterious murder.