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Loading... Child 44 (2008)by Tom Rob Smith
  tauruseducation | Jun 6, 2013 |  A pretty good thriller set in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. The descriptions of life at that time are chilling. Beware: the crimes are particularly creepy. (  ) sharwass | Apr 25, 2013 | I'm not sure I'll ever finish this. Each time I read a little more I dread picking it up again. So grindingly negative, brutal and cruel. Yes, cruelty was something to aspire to in the NKVD and it comes cross like a bludgeon. No, life isn't all sunshine and puppies, but hell, this kind of negativity just does my head in and it ruins my mood. Life is just too short for this. Bookmarque | Apr 7, 2013 | A secret policeman in Stalinist Russia gets drawn toward a series of killings while the State machinery denies the possibility that such events could occur. A book that lives up to the hype on the covers; a remarkably well-plotted thriller that creates tension through political paranoia and physical peril. Astonishing that it's a first novel - brilliant craft demonstrated throughout. A gripping read that I can't recommend too highly. (  ) Parthurbook | Apr 7, 2013 | This book was recommended to me by someone who knows I like true crime books, he told me that while fiction, it was based on the Rostov Ripper. It was described as a propulsive, relentless page-turner. While I did find this book to be interesting, I don’t agree with either description. While there is a serial killer in the book, that is not its main focus. The author deals more with the history of Russia, starting with a devastating famine, then goes on to detail what it was like living in Stalinist Russia, a place where paranoia was rampant, because no one could be trusted. While trying to set up a paradise for its workers, the State has become the biggest threat to them, with its spies and ideals. In the midst of this ‘paradise’ a serial killer is operating, except, that is impossible according to the state. Leo Demidov, a war hero with a beautiful wife, is a member of the MGB, the State Security Force and is a courageous, conscientious and idealistic officer. Until an accusation sends his life spiraling out of control, he finds himself interrogated, then exiled and hunting this killer on his own. A life and death situation for Leo, his wife and parents. Unfortunately the book doesn’t live up to the hype. While it is very interesting and gives a riveting and accurate portrayal of Russia, it is not a page turning thriller. The book seems to get bogged down in details, as if the author while describing an event or place can’t decide how to finish it and go on. And the serial killer angle, while a central part of the book, is actually made secondary and by the mid point of the book, who the killer is can be figured out rather easily. I would recommend this book to people looking for a character driven story about Russia with a mystery thrown in, I would not recommend it to thriller lovers. ( ) BellaFoxx | Apr 5, 2013 |
 On Page 275 of his tightly woven debut novel, “Child 44,” Tom Rob Smith reveals what the title means. The moment is a shocker — but its full effects can be felt only if you’ve read the 274 pages that precede it. This book is much too densely, ingeniously plotted for its secrets to be accessible via shortcut. ... Is contained in
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0446402389, Hardcover)If all that Tom Rob Smith had done was to re-create Stalinist Russia, with all its double-speak hypocrisy, he would have written a worthwhile novel. He did so much more than that in Child 44, a frightening, chilling, almost unbelievable horror story about the very worst that Stalin's henchmen could manage. In this worker's paradise, superior in every way to the decadent West, the citizen's needs are met: health care, food, shelter, security. All one must offer in exchange are work and loyalty to the State. Leo Demidov is a believer, a former war hero who loves his country and wants only to serve it well. He puts contradictions out of his mind and carries on. Until something happens that he cannot ignore. A serial killer of children is on the loose, and the State cannot admit it.To admit that such a murderer is committing these crimes is itself a crime against the State. Instead of coming to terms with it, the State's official position is that it is merely coincidental that children have been found dead, perhaps from accidents near the railroad tracks, perhaps from a person deemed insane, or, worse still, homosexual. But why does each victim have his or her stomach excised, a string around the ankle, and a mouth full of dirt? Coincidence? Leo, in disgrace and exiled to a country village, doesn't think so. How can he prove it when he is being pursued like a common criminal himself? He and his wife, Raisa, set out to find the killer. The revelations that follow are jaw-dropping and the suspense doesn't let up. This is a debut novel worth reading. --Valerie Ryan (retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:01:09 -0500) "Robert Harris meets Gorky Park in Child 44, Tom Rob Smith's stunning thriller--sure to be one of the most talked about debut novels of the year"--Provided by the publisher. |
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