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 enlarge | Author: Tom Rob Smith
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
Buy Used: $9.45
You Save: $15.54 (62%)
New (44) Collectible (5) from $10.85
Avg. Customer Rating:  113 reviews
Sales Rank: 1915
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.5
ISBN: 0446402389
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9780446402385
ASIN: 0446402389
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
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| Customer Reviews:
 Mysterious Russia August 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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
3 out of 3 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
3 out of 3 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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