Sam Eastland (1)

I got an uncorrected proof copy of this book as part of LibraryThing's early reviewers. There are a couple of minor proofing issues I spotted, and hopefully these will be picked up before the official release. Nothing too major (I hope!)[return][return]This is the second of the Pekkala books, but the first one I have read. As a thriller, it is enjoyable and fast paced, especially at the end. There are a number of flash backs during the book, which I can see as annoying to others, but only one (the combined memories of his ex-love) which I thought was a little shoe-horned in, and split up the narrative, even if it was only a page or so long.[return][return]Pekkala's does have a "all access pass" into Stalin's presence, which is a little difficult to understand, considering his previous relationship with the Tsar. I have read other depictions of Stalin that, rightly or wrongly, present Stalin as a paranoid control freak, so Pekkala's apparent easy access is incongrous. This may have been explained in the previous (or future?!) books.[return][return]The representation of the Tsar and Tsarina were reasonable, showing them as slightly out of touch, but so emeshed in politics and personal relationships, including that around Rasputin, that you can see where some of their problems lay.[return][return]On the whole an enjoyable read, and would read similar by this author… (more)

This is the seventh and seemingly the final book in the Inspector Pekkala series in Stalin's Soviet Union (no spoilers here as to the ending). This one is set in the dying days of the Second World War and Pekkala and his sidekick Major Kirov must enter Berlin and rescue an agent who has been leaking to the Allies the secret of a refinement to the Nazi V2 rocket guidance system that will make it far more accurate and breathe new life into the Nazi war effort. The agent is none other than Pekkala's ex-fiancee. While this sounds exciting from this description, the novel has too many characters and changes of scenery and the usual information dumps and excessive use of flashbacks that disrupt the narrative. A good enough page turner to end the series, though.… (more)