Death and the Penguin

Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781860468353.

Viktor is lonely, having only Misha, his penguin, for company. He is also desperate, trying to earn a living as a writer. Until one day he gets his long-awaited break: the editor-in-chief of a major newspaper commissions Viktor to write obituaries of Kievs VIPs - to be kept on file. The job pays well and Viktors luck seems complete when the editor-in-chief sends along a friend who needs Viktor to compose an obituary of one of his associates. This friend, also called Misha, turns out to be a Mafia operative with a big heart. Viktor confides to Misha-non-penguin that he longs to see his work published, even if under a pseudonym, but the subjects of his obituaries cling to life. A few days later he opens the newspaper to find his work in print for the first time. His pride swiftly turns to terror as he and his penguin are drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.