A Russian language professor at a small California college, her out of work Hollywood actor son, and her former student, who is now a reporter from the small town's paper, try to prove that the college Chancellor's fall from the Campanile was murder--not a free climbing accident. (Oh, I forgot the fourth main character, the professor's poodle, who is one of the more interesting dogs in mystery literature.) Though it is considerably overlong, this book, as narrated by the son, has such energy that it carries you right along to the end. The teacher, Galya Popoff, is the star here. I haven't known any Russian language teachers, but she certainly reminds me of my daughter's old Russian piano teacher, who is about the same age as Galya. While the ending could have been handled a bit more neatly, this is one of the more enjoyable books you could ever want to read. I can't wait to see if there's a sequel. ( )