The events unfold in the Russian Empire. The talented investigator Fandorin receives an extremely important assignment: he must protect Adjutant General Khrapov. Nothing goes according to plan. Khrapov is killed on the way to the capital, and Erast himself is suspected of involvement in what happened. Soon, the hero discovers that the murder was carried out by the mysterious Combat Group, a gathering of revolutionary terrorists. Realizing that only high-ranking officials in St. Petersburg and Moscow knew about his assignment, the hero guesses that there is a traitor among his own people. Fandorin will have to work hard to expose the criminals and restore his reputation.
