Today we want to introduce you to a fascinating new literary crime author. A Molotkov is a Russian emigré who came to the US in 1990. After the move, his poetry and prose transitioned into English, while back in Russia, the USSR transitioned from one form of totalitarianism to another. What he’s witnessed in the US in recent years is another transition – one he never imagined. This provides the background and inspiration for A Bag Full of Stones, A’s first crime novel, which has just been released.

The novel is steeped in A’s experiences as an immigrant and most of its key characters have come to the United States from other countries. The key players include an Iranian immigrant called Azar, a Russian immigrant who is one of the detectives investigating Azar’s kidnapping, and the American detective Brenda Smith. The setting is Portland, Oregon.

Following A Bag Full of Stones, also watch for A’s memoire, A Broken Russia Inside Me, out next year. But for now, let’s find out more about his first foray into crime fiction and the thinking behind it.

What are crime fiction lovers going to love about A Bag Full of Stones?
Hopefully, they will love the thoughtful characters, who all have their own realities and agendas, and were rendered with careful attention and extensive research. The battle of good and evil between the perpetrator and the intended victims will not leave one unaffected.

What drew you to the crime genre?
As an author, I want to tell different stories in different formats. Tense psychological narratives draw me in. A crime story was an interesting challenge that fit this format. After all, Crime and Punishment is also a crime story, and so is Hamlet. In particular, the 2019 political situation in the United States supported the notion of a right-wing hate crime novel, as this topic seems to be lacking in domestic literature so far. 

Tell us more about Azar Bayat. Who is she and how did you develop this character?
Azar is one of the chief protagonists. A student from Iran, she is opinionated, passionate and driven by her belief in human rights, which are denied to so many in her homeland. I used an Iranian American source who was born in that country and whose life generally matches Azar’s to verify cultural details and psychological realities. I chose a character from Iran because, coming from a totalitarian regime myself, I have a deep empathy for victims of oppressive systems. Iran, today, is among the places where political and religious freedom is impossible, and it breaks my heart. 

Who or what is Azar up against?
An individual who calls himself The Corrector is the antagonist who has embarked on a spree of violence against immigrants, in particular Muslims. When Azar – who is actually against the enforced religion in her homeland – is kidnapped and held at The Corrector’s house, her goal is to outwit the kidnapper and survive. 

Tell us a little more about some of the other characters we’ll meet, such as the two detectives?
Detective Dmitry Volkov is a Soviet immigrant, like me, who has been living in the United States for a long time and has managed to get into financial trouble of his own. Detective Brenda Smith is in the middle of a new relationship with Mary while processing the death of her estranged father. 

The characters who become The Corrector’s victims contribute to the range of voices, confounding his conclusions and insisting on multifaceted realities of their own. Naseem Nazari is a Yemeni engineer, while Sania Jamison is an emergency room nurse. 

In what ways did you want to explore the immigrant or outsider experience via a crime novel?
Despite the narratives unscrupulous politicians create due to their bigotry or misperceptions, immigrants are often recognised as a driving force of progress. Many have gone through substantial life challenges and have developed unique emotional and intellectual skills. They deal with multiple storylines and often seem to harbour seductive mysteries. In this book, I wanted to confront the simplistic right-wing narratives regarding immigrants, which turn into crimes in the current political landscape. 

What are some of the other big themes you wanted to tackle and why?
Bigotry, the desire to control what others think or do, is the propensity to blame someone else, as contrasted with the care for others and the attention to the common good that generate positive results in the world.

One of the reactions I have to A Bag Full of Stones now that it’s finished is the feeling of fragility. We are fragile to the immoral and misguided ideas of others, small-time criminals and presidents. The way notions of hatred and division propagate is, in itself, terrifying. Our vulnerability and our responsibility for one another are some of the threads I wanted to emphasise in this book. 

Tell us more about the setting and the atmosphere you wanted to create?
A rainy fall in the politically edgy Portland, where many views collide, contributes to the dreary feel of the story in which someone is so misled as to attempt to take the lives of others. 

What crime books and/or authors have influenced you as a writer? Are there any Russian crime authors you admire?
I read without regard for the genre, focusing on moving stories. Some of my essential loves in fiction are Elisabeth Strout, Toni Morrison, Milan Kundera, Han Kang and Richard Wright. Wright’s work, in particular, is full of crime stories, including his phenomenal Native Son. Amid the recent books that deal with crime, I loved Danya Kukafka’s Notes on an Execution. 

Unfortunately, in Russia, few good writers remain; anyone with a conscience left before or after the start of the war in Ukraine. 

What’s next for you and the characters you’ve created in A Bag Full of Stones?
Characters are never released from my brain, so their stories may very well be ongoing. Brenda Smith, in particular, appears in an episodic role in my novel, A Slight Curve, forthcoming in October 2025. A Slight Curve is a political thriller that examines the fate of another immigrant, this time a woman from East Germany. 

Brenda next appears in my recently completed novel, The Distant Self, a near-future tale of an individual seeking meaning in his life. I will begin looking for a publisher for this book next year. As you see, anything is possible.

A Bag Full of Stones was released in print and ebook on 29 May 2025. Grab a copy using the buttons below.