I honestly have no idea what the author's intentions were. The case was, at least in my opinion, heavily written about when it happened. It's not some obscure thing.

Not in the common knowledge domain, no, but I don't consider real life events spoilers. Someone's murder isn't a spoiler, it's a tragic event.

Isn't Red Notice a nonfiction book? I'm pretty sure it isn't a spoiler if it's nonfiction.

I've read Roadside Picnic in English and Finnish. The English translation lacked something for me, but the Finnish one felt really Russian. I mean, it just had that certain feeling to it.

Reading the same book in two different languages was like reading two different books. Really weird experience.