Child 44 | 
 enlarge | Author: Tom Rob Smith
Creator: Dennis Boutsikaris
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $39.98
Buy New: $19.78
You Save: $20.20 (51%)
New (26) from $19.78
Avg. Customer Rating:  109 reviews
Sales Rank: 312203
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 11
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 5.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 160024159X
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9781600241598
ASIN: 160024159X
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new and sealed!
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
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
Product Description
It is a society that is, officially, a paradise. Superior to the decadent West, Stalin's Soviet Union is a haven for its citizens, providing for all of their needs: education, health care, security. In exchange, all that is required is their hard work, and their loyalty and faith to the SovietState.
Leo Demidov knows this better than most. A rising, prominent oficer in the State Security force, Leo is a former war hero whose only ambition is to serve his country. To defend this workers' paradise--and to guarantee a secure life for his parents, and for his wife, Raisa--Leo has spent his career guarding against threats to the State. Ideological crimes--crimes of thought, crimes of disloyalty, crimes against the revolution--are forcefully suppressed, without question.
And then the impossible happens. A different kind of criminal--a murderer--is on the loose, killing at will. At the same time, Leo finds himself demoted and denounced by his enemies, all but sentenced to death. The only way to salvage what remains of his life is to uncover this criminal. But in a society that is officially paradise, it's a crime against the state to suggest that a murderer--much less a serial killer--is in their midst. To save his life and the lives of his family, Leo must confront the vast resources and reach of the security forces with only Raisa remaining at his side, to find and stop a criminal that the State won't admit even exists.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 104 more reviews...
 Mysterious Russia August 19, 2008
Set during 1950s Soviet Russia, Child 44 grimly depicts the reality faced by Russian citizens under the rule of Stalin. I was sometimes disturbed by the scenes, but appreciate the research and historical accuracy Smith integrates into his narrative. I felt I was granted an insider's view of this time in Russia's history and the struggles of its people.
Tom Rob Smith has created a wonderful first novel. His ability to weave seemingly disparate elements into a cohesive narrative is impressive. I kept reading simply because I wanted to know how it was all going to come together. I would recommend this to any mystery fan. Of all the recent books of this genre I have read, this is by far the best.
 COMPULSIVELY READABLE WITH A PROPULSIVE NARRATIVE August 17, 2008
Inspired by the real-life crimes of the infamous Russian serial killer dubbed the "Butcher of Rostov," first-time novelist Tom Rob Smith has crafted a taut, compulsively readable thriller with a propulsive narrative that more than makes up the novel's occasional stylistic and technical shortcomings. In Stalinist Russia, MGB officer Leo Demidov risks everything -- cushy job, beautiful wife, family and life -- to track down the culprit behind a gruesome series of explicitly detailed murders. It turns out that Demidov's biggest enemy is the Soviet system itself and Smith does a thorough job of creating a world where "paranoia was an essential asset." The Kafka-esque absurdities pile up; one of the most delicious is that Demidov's superiors refuse to even acknowledge that a crime has been committed. To be sure, some of the twists and revelations that follow are clumsy or abrupt and Smith has a habit of presenting everything in as sensationalistic a manner as possible without bothering to follow through on the emotional implications for his characters. Nonetheless, this is a top-rate thriller that is ultimately and unexpectedly a touching story about, in the words of one character, putting "trust in the goodness of strangers" in a time and place where everyone is compromised.
 Russian Post WWII Thriller Electrifies! August 14, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
CHILD 44 is one of the very best thrillers released this year. Interwoven stories of Russian domestic spying, psychological analysis, and family and interpersonal relations play out across the country as a plodding true believer wakes up to the crimes going on around him. He tries to make amends by solving a series of crimes that the authorities do not want solved because they will make the "system" look bad. Tom Rob Smith is an amazingly good writer and must have had some terrific editors. When you finish this book, you will, like the rest of us, await the next one. We have a new talent in the field.
A suspenseful, literate history lesson August 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A fascinating read, nicely described by other reviewers. I haven't been so on edge with a novel for a long time, trying to anticipate each twist in the plot. Its depiction of Soviet politics and living conditions in the 1950s was illuminating, a perfect backdrop for a mystery. My only complaint, and the reason for only 4 stars, is its improbable conclusion--the storytelling collapsed in the last chapter or two, but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the first 95% of the novel. I hope to see more installments in the Leo Demidov story in the future.
A Complete Treat August 7, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
First book in quite a while that was both sit-on-the-edge-of-your-chair exciting and had an interesting story and characters as well. I found it very realistic except for one unbelievable detail that I'm going to overlook in my rating because I still enjoyed this read a lot. Quite unpredictable and surprising from cover to cover. The stories of people in 1950's Russia under Stalin's rule were fascinating: struggling to survive extreme poverty and hardships, the power, control, and manipulation of the police state, the pervasive mistrust, suspicion, and paranoia permeating every aspect of daily life from highest politician to lowliest peasant, all woven around the central plot of a serial killer. For me, A Complete Treat.
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