The State Counsellor

On the Petersburg–Moscow line, a high-security visitor is shielded in a train car under the guise of state councilor Erast Fandorin. The guards sense a familiar portrait of the legendary detective and grant him entry, setting a tense tone for what follows. This opening moment establishes the blend of intrigue and disguise that drives the story.

Shortly after the impersonator's entry, chaos erupts when the Moscow governor-general is found dead in his compartment, a bloody blade in his hand bearing the mark of the BG group. The murder instantly transforms the visitor into a suspect whose true identity must be unmasked. The capital trembles as the core mystery takes hold.

The impostor escapes to Moscow with three accomplices — Rahmet, Emelya, and Snegir — and is aided by a local revolutionary known as Needle. They begin to extend the BG’s reach within the capital, turning the city into a chessboard of loyalties and betrayals. The new threat anchors the investigators’ urgent search for who is really behind the crime.

Investigators realize that the impersonator’s knowledge of security details implies a leak from a tightly knit circle close to the general’s security. The suspicion shifts inward as insiders become the prime suspects. The case narrows as the team probes who could have leaked sensitive information.

The real Erast Fandorin is forced to untangle a web woven by people who once stood closest to the scene. He navigates shifting loyalties, carefully separating plausible truths from orchestrated deceptions. The investigation becomes as much about inner politics as about a single murder.

The first clues come directly from the terrorists: they knew who held security responsibility and provided a detailed description of the man who would arrive. This self-exposure confirms a leak and deepens the puzzle for the investigators. The implication is that the conspiracy runs through the highest circles near the governor-general.

The team detains Rahmet, and General Pozharsky arrives from Petersburg to oversee the case, bringing a formidable presence into the Moscow garrison. His arrival intensifies the power dynamics as different factions maneuver for control. The investigation escalates into a political crossfire.

BG strikes again, this time attacking the treasury car and breaking security across the capital. The audacious theft exposes systemic weaknesses and tests the resolve of all investigators. Public confidence wavers as the state’s defense apparatus appears compromised.

To locate the leak, Fandorin feeds each suspect different pieces of information and watches their reactions. The tactic yields a startling result: the leak originates with Prince Pozharsky himself, reframing the entire investigation. The revelation shifts loyalties and alliances in a single, crushing turn.

Pozharsky orchestrates a calculated operation intended to produce what would look like a fatal accident for Fandorin. The plan succeeds only partially: Fandorin survives while Snegir and Emelya die, and Green remains at large with Needle’s reluctant help. The attack reveals a ruthless calculus at the heart of power.

In a private conversation, Pozharsky concedes that Green’s initial ascent was enabled by the general’s own manipulations, using terrorists to remove rivals and present himself as indispensable. The confession reframes the conspiracy as a struggle over who controls the state’s narrative. The moment redefines loyalties within the investigation.

Julie Lenard is exposed as a pawn in a larger scheme, forced by Green to arrange a meeting with Pozharsky. Her appointment appears part of a broader plot to mislead and manipulate the investigation. The truth about the betrayal surfaces in a quiet, decisive moment.

Pozharsky makes a last bid to consolidate power by eliminating Green and Julie, but pays a steep price as he dies alongside Needle. Needle’s sabotage and brutal honesty leave the political landscape reshaped by the confrontation. The fall of key players alters Moscow’s power balance.

Following the fallout, the new governor-general offers Fandorin the post of chief policeman. He initially refuses, but after the urging of the governor-general’s old servant, he returns to Simeon’s office and accepts the responsibility. The moment marks a transition into a turbulent new chapter of duty and loyalty.