"Royal Mary," the award-winning novel from Georgia, is set in a city that was a melting pot of cultures: Tbilisi at the end of the 19th century. The atmosphere of this city, images of markets, dives, and palaces, eccentric characters, foreign powers, and almost the scents of a bygone era - with wit and virtuosity, Iashaghashvili captures all of this while telling a story of murder and mayhem. And it all revolves around a horse - and the Shah of Persia. The author is humble enough to also reference Pushkin, Kipling, and Borges.