Lviv, a beautiful Ukrainian city, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the war. The story follows two characters. Firstly Alik and his group of hippie friends who are Jimi Hendrix fans joined by an ex-KGB officer who used to follow them during the Soviet Union. Secondly Taras who makes a living driving mainly Polish men around the cobbled streets of Lviv until their kidney stones pop out. Taras collects these kidney stones and meets Darka at the bureau de change when he is changing euros. Both notice a strange anomoly in the air of Lviv. There is the smell of the sea and cries of gulls. There are so many things to enjoy here. The Polish kidney stone sufferers. The 5th step that always creaks on the stairs to Taras' flat and his discussions with his hairdressing neighbour about avoiding this step when he comes home in the early morning. Taras' friend in her friendly car who has a strange visit from a gull and occasionally helps at the local homeless charity. The ex-KGB captain and his doves. The experts who try and figure out what is happening in Lviv. The story meanders around the streets of Lviv, often in the dark, bringing them and the people who live there alive on the pages. There is lots of humour but for me, the shadows of the forthcoming war lurk in the dark corners. ( )

I have just finished Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv by Andrey Kurkov and translated by Reuben Woolley.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes.

To whom would I recommend it?
Any one who likes a well paced mystery with interesting characters, portrayal of a former Soviet country through the eyes of people looking back thirty something years at the old regime, and a touch of apparently supernatural elements that stirr people out of their comfort zones.

This book is full of humour, clever turns of phrase that stop you in your tracks and think, "Oh yeah! I get that."

I could not help thinking about this book in the way I thought about A Gentleman in Moscow; I did not want it to end.

It has taken me seventeen days to read this book but that was due to real life issues interfering with the process. I think under normal circumstances I would have read this book in about four days. ( )