Inspector Pekkala

Inspector Pekkala is the protagonist of Sam Eastland's historical thriller series set in Soviet Russia, a former investigator for Tsar Nicholas II forced to serve Stalin.

Inspector Pekkala is the central character in Sam Eastland’s series of historical thrillers set in the Soviet Union. Once the most trusted investigator of Tsar Nicholas II, Pekkala earned the title “the Emerald Eye” and wielded extraordinary authority in Imperial Russia. After the Revolution, he lost everything and spent years in a Siberian labor camp.

Stalin, recognizing that some cases require Pekkala’s unique combination of skills and knowledge, pulls him from the gulag and puts him to work as a detective for the Soviet state. Pekkala operates in a world where he is valued for his abilities but distrusted for his loyalties, navigating the paranoia and brutality of Stalinist Russia while solving crimes that range from military secrets to wartime espionage.

Reading Order

See the complete Inspector Pekkala reading order for all books in the series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Inspector Pekkala?

Inspector Pekkala is a Finnish-born detective who served as the personal investigator of Tsar Nicholas II, known as the Emerald Eye for his badge of office. After the Russian Revolution, he is imprisoned in a Siberian gulag before Stalin recruits him to solve crimes for the Soviet state.

What order should I read the Inspector Pekkala books?

Read in publication order starting with Eye of the Red Tsar (2010). The seven books follow Pekkala chronologically through the 1930s and 1940s in Soviet Russia.

Is Inspector Pekkala based on a real person?

Pekkala is fictional, but the series draws heavily on real Soviet history, including the execution of the Romanov family, Stalin’s purges, and the Eastern Front of World War II.

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