This summer I decided to broaden my reading horizons and read out of my comfort zone. My usual forte is cozy mysteries and romances. In reading the blurb I became intrigued for a couple of reasons, one it sounded so interesting and the second I had been to Russia while it was still under Communist rule. So “Child 44” by Tom Robb Smith came home with me.
This book is set in Russia in the early 1950s. World War II is over, Stalin has died, and Khrushchev has just come into power. In the Socialist doctrine because the State provides for everything there should be no reason to murder. However, a high ranking official, Leo Demidov, is assigned to investigate the murder of a child and after a fall from grace comes to realize a serial killer is on the loose. The State cannot admit this and Leo puts his life and that of his wife at risk to locate the killer before more children die.
This book was very entertaining but, took me a long time to read. Usually I can figure out a “who-done-it”, but I never saw this one coming. The ending was a surprise. The author did an incredible job of recreating the gloomy paranoia of Russia at that time. I might read about serial killers again, but find I am now ready to return to my comfort zone. Can anybody recommend a nice vampire romance?
This book is set in Russia in the early 1950s. World War II is over, Stalin has died, and Khrushchev has just come into power. In the Socialist doctrine because the State provides for everything there should be no reason to murder. However, a high ranking official, Leo Demidov, is assigned to investigate the murder of a child and after a fall from grace comes to realize a serial killer is on the loose. The State cannot admit this and Leo puts his life and that of his wife at risk to locate the killer before more children die.
This book was very entertaining but, took me a long time to read. Usually I can figure out a “who-done-it”, but I never saw this one coming. The ending was a surprise. The author did an incredible job of recreating the gloomy paranoia of Russia at that time. I might read about serial killers again, but find I am now ready to return to my comfort zone. Can anybody recommend a nice vampire romance?
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