White Ash — Illarion Pavliuk

This is a noir thriller that turns Gogol’s ’Viy’ into a complex detective story. Plot in brief: Detective Taras Bilyi arrives at a remote farmstead to investigate the death of a young lady. The locals whisper about an evil force and blame a seminarian, but Taras believes only in logic. However, the further he goes, the harder it becomes to distinguish reality from mystical horror. Why it’s great: Puzzle: You don’t know until the end whether the killer is human or a monster. Cool atmosphere: Gloomy, foggy and very tense. Cinematic: The book is written as if you are watching a high-quality psychological thriller. Verdict: The best choice for those who love to seek the rational in the supernatural and appreciate unexpected endings.