Stray Dog Winte*r is David Francis’s second novel; his first being the equestrian novel *Great Inland Sea. This one is set in parts in Australia and in Moscow. Darcy is a young artist given the opportunity to work in Moscow, where he becomes entangled in the strange and mysterious life of his half-sister Fin, who is mixed up with the wrong sort.

There are elements of this novel, which is set in mid-80s Russia, which reminded me of Martin Cruz-Smith’s Gorky Park. I like the way the author flits back between Darcy’s childhood in Australia in the 70s and back to 80s Russia, giving us a clearer picture of who Darcy is. This novel is intriguing, deceptive and altogether engrossing.