In general I found the book to have a very strong sense of "place". Descriptions of the oppressiveness of the snow, cold, etc, were quite evocative. Also, he describes the paranoia engendered by Stalin's regime in a way that rings true (although I am not sure that it actually was this way in the 50s in Russia) and quite scary.

The weak part of the book for me was the plot. Major aspects of the plot turn on events that are quite contrived and far-fetched. Further, I really did not connect with Leo, the main character.

GIven the plot contrivances and somewhat weak characterizations I was surprised to find myself interested and intrigued by how things would work out, right up to the end of the book. ( )

Set in Stalin's Soviet Union, Leo Demidov is a decorated war hero and member of the MGB. He believes entirely in the State. He has captured, interrogated, and sent hundreds to the Gulag's or worse destinations. He has a beautiful wife named Raisa, a nice apartment, and set his parents up with easy jobs. He will one day take over as head of his department and the last thing he believes is that the State would turn on him. But that is exactly what happened and Leo and Raisa find themselves exiled to a small village. Leo discovers the body of a murdered child, similar to one that he had covered up in Moscow. Thinking that solving the case will turn his fate, he sets out to find the murderer, inadvertently putting his family and friends at risk.

This book is one of the reasons why I like Library Thing. I would never have picked this book out on my own. There is definitely suspense and it has everything in a crime thriller. The historical detail is well written and believable, and the characters draw the reader into the story.

I do have complaints about the ending - it didn't seem to fit - and that some of the action scenes felt too unbelievable and flashy. I am curious to see how the sequel reads ( )

I am not surprised to find that this is a first novel by a screenwriter. Every character is repulsive. Maybe he thought that he could get some handsome actors to play these characters and we would no longer dislike the 1950s Soviet secret policeman or his terrified wife quite so much. And the serial killer who is the center of the novel would be likable because of his hideous childhood. But, no. I will not give the author the benefit of the doubt, especially when the ending is as contrived and unbelievable as this one is. The writing itself is solid. Possibly when the author learns a bit more about human motivation and character building (certainly not evident in most recent movies), he may actually become a decent novelist. ( )

This book is set in Russia in 1953 and details the brutal living conditions the Russian people endured during the Cold War, when you could be arrested, tortured, jailed, sent to the Gulag and/or killed for seemingly minute infractions, always of a political nature. Leo Devidov, as a member of the MGB (secret police), lives a privileged life by those standards with his school teacher wife, Raisa, in Moscow. Instead of being crowded in a small apartment with another family, they enjoy their own apartment and, because of Leo's position, so do his parents.

Leo starts to feel the twinges of conscience, however, as the brutalities of his job become more and more apparent to him. He is at odds with another MGB officer, Vasili Nikitin, who would like to gain favor at Leo's expense. Due to these differences, Leo and Raisa end up being sent hundreds of miles away to the far eastern town of Voualsk, where Leo, demoted to employment in exile in the local police force, and Raisa live anything but privileged lives. It is there, in Voualsk, that Leo discovers that the country he lovesand has served, first as a war hero and then as a high ranking security officer, is allowing a murderer to criss-cross thiis vast nation, systematically killing its most vulnerable citizens. It is at this point that Leo, with Raisa's help and encouragement, accepts that his only job is to find the killer that the state does not want to admit exists.

Told with nuance and style, Tom Rob Smith creates a new Russian hero, on par with Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko, while keeping you on the edge of your seat and turning pages well into the night. Tense, gripping drama combined with tenderness and love as Leo and Raisa discover the love for each other that they never knew existed. Top notch! ( )

The background and atmosphere of Stalinist Russia is done superbly, but the killer's motive is utterly ridiculous and yanks you right out of the book. If Smith had put half as much effort into the reasons for the murders as he put into the environment it would have been much, much better. And contrary to what the cover quote says, it's nowhere near as good as Gorky Park. ( )