I was completely unfamiliar with the cast going into this though the FL was ironically in another series I just finished; though the other series was poor, the actress did quite well in both. What drew me to this series other then the recommendations of several trusted sources was that it was a Republican era whodunnit that was based off several Agatha Christie novels (of whom I'm a big fan off).

Pros: This was a wonderful piece of work, one where romance didn't take center stage nor was even a tag thankfully, but the cases did. I liked all 3 leads though STY took top spot. I loved how he started out as a bit stiff but then gradually softened with the people around him. The funny banter between him and his best friend LSC was always on point from the very first episode. His subtle flirtation and caring with/of ZMW was also a nice added and very well balanced touch.

I really liked how seriously all of the cases were taken and it reminded me of actual documentaries on crime solving. The way STY's brain worked was pretty spectacular (it was like he was Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes rolled into one) and I liked the confidence he had in himself and his friends.

All of the cases were well done and even when the big bad was first coming into existence and things tying together, it didn't seem like there was a stitch out of place. Something that surprised me, as I have seen other series in this genre before, was just how much Russian there was. It being my native tongue, hearing it pop out of a character's mouth in the first episode, made me pause the series and rewind to make sure I had heard correctly lol. It was written on many buildings, the train station, references of Russian/Soviet food was a constant. It was actually cool and totally unexpected in a c-drama. I liked the blending of different cultures and it wasn't done in a negative way, which some others have.

Production like in all Republican era dramas was stunning, as were the OSTs, and costumes. There wasn't a single fault I could find with that. The ending though happy in one sense was left open ended in another and I truly hope there will be a season 2 with the same cast save one individual as he's kinda dead. I would totally watch another season of this if the cast remained the same but moved over to Beijing now from Harbin as the ending showed.

Cons: To be honest, there weren't many things I could pick apart and would have given this a very rare perfect score had the pacing of the story been better. I wish there was more time in between the cases instead of them bleeding from one straight into another sometimes a few at a time. That time in between could have been used to further evolve the characters and their relationships with one another and those around them. I understand with 24 episodes and a lot of ground to cover, it was difficult to do, but it would have made the best sense.

Also wish the SML wasn't turned into a glorified taxi driver with very little deduction skills of his own; he couldn't solve a case by himself if his life depended on it but he was a trusty sidekick to STY plus one with a weapon and some fighting skills. They could have made him slightly more intelligent.

Lastly and it's a silly one but just annoyed me to no end, was the younger unmarried rich women's hairstyles especially our FL. I'm sorry but ringlets don't belong on anyone save a young Shirley Temple. Adult women look absolutely ridiculous with them and whosever idea that was, I truly hope they never do it again. It made me question the seriousness of the character even before she opened her mouth. The only place where production totally failed.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Many people are comparing it with another series with the same cast and genre, but as I'm watching that one now too, I have to say I like this one way more. It has that stickler, seriousness aspect of all the characters; each case is solved in the right way and all of the characters fit for as long as they need to. So, give it a go and see for yourselves.