Death in St. Petersburg vs Murder on Black Swan Lane: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Crimes against, London, Investigation, Murder, History, Fiction
Death in St. Petersburg
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"After the final curtain of Swan Lake, an animated crowd exits the Mariinsky theatre brimming with excitement from the night's performance. But outside the scene is somber. A ballerina's body lies face down in the snow,…
Murder on Black Swan Lane
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The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Murder on Black Swan Lane has the widest readership — 17346 ratings behind its score.
- Murder on Black Swan Lane runs the darker storyline; Death in St. Petersburg stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Death in St. Petersburg | Murder on Black Swan Lane | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.0 (17346) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (10) | 3.7 (34) |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (50) | 4.5 (277) |
Reception
| Death in St. Petersburg | Murder on Black Swan Lane | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 50 | 17346 |
| Editions | 7 | 6 |
| Want to read | — | 16127 |
| Reading it now | — | 4371 |
| Written reviews | — | 1698 |
| Pages | 304 | 355 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Death in St. Petersburg or Murder on Black Swan Lane?
Murder on Black Swan Lane has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Murder on Black Swan Lane 4.0/5, Death in St. Petersburg 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Death in St. Petersburg or Murder on Black Swan Lane?
Death in St. Petersburg is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Death in St. Petersburg (304 pages, ≈ 5 h 38 m); Murder on Black Swan Lane (355 pages, ≈ 6 h 34 m).
Which is harder to read: Death in St. Petersburg or Murder on Black Swan Lane?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Death in St. Petersburg: Moderate; Murder on Black Swan Lane: Moderate.