Count Oblonsky is Nineteenth Century Russia’s greatest detective - even Sherlock Holmes writes to him for advice!

Assisted by Petrov, his trusty Cossack manservant, and Boris, his weight-challenged dachshund, the Count pits his wits against the world’s deadliest criminals – both human and supernatural! His adventures take him all over the world in ‘The Persian’, the steam-powered airship that he designed and built himself.

In ‘The Curse of Red Skull’ the Count faces one of his most puzzling mysteries after the Jade Knife of Itchi Klitchi is stolen from the St Petersburg museum and Sergei Bashilev, the museum director, is kidnapped. Who is behind this dastardly crime? A local criminal gang? Or is it Red Skull, the Mayan Priest-King who uttered this terrible curse before he died – ‘whoever possesses the Jade Knife will die by its blade’?

With a crew made up of Yuri Blinkinininin, his cross-eyed butler, Emma Salmonella, his cook, and Sheila Nokitova, his cack-handed housemaid, our hero sets off in ‘The Persian’ for the jungles of Mexico. Here he meets Poncho, a little Mexican boy whose skill with a bow and arrow makes him a handy new member of the team. Deep inside the cobwebby tunnels of the temple of Itchi Klitchi, Count Oblonsky will have to battle the most terrifying foe of his career!

Will the chubby aristocrat live to tell the tale this time?

Illustrations from 'The Curse of Red Skull'

Count Oblonsky gets another case!

Red Skull uttered the terrible curse...

If Petrov let go, the carriage would plunge into the Donlukova gorge!

Petrov looked like a junk heap that had grown legs!

Poncho’s arrow snatched the banana right out of the howler monkey’s hand!

The Count glanced up just in time to see a shooting star!

Poncho was aiming an arrow right at the deadly rattlesnake!