Child 44

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Dan Kois of New York Magazine writes , "...But the best book I read all this year is a book that isn't even coming out until next year: Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith, a thriller set in the darkest days of Stalinist Russia, one of the finest intersections of historical setting and propulsive plot I've read in a long time. It's a book that transcends the serial killer genre and becomes a difficult, complicated work of art in its own right."
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About the book: It is a society that is, officially, a haven for its citizens. Superior to the decadent West, the Soviet Union under Stalin strives to be a paradise for its workers, providing for all their needs: education, health care, and security. In exchange, all that is required is their hard work, and their loyalty to and faith in the Soviet State. Leo Demidov knows this better than most. A rising, prominent officer in the state security force, he 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 his wife, Raisa, Leo has spent his career suppressing ideological crimes against the state—crimes of thought, of disloyalty, and of counterrevolution.
But then the impossible happens. A serial killer is on the loose inside the workers’ paradise. At the same time, Leo finds himself demoted and denounced by his enemies, and all but sentenced to death.
To save his life and the lives of his family, he must confront the vast resources and reach of the security forces—to stop a criminal that the state won’t even admit exists.
PRAISE FOR CHILD 44"Set in the Soviet Union in 1953, this stellar debut from British author Smith offers appealing characters, a strong plot and authentic period detail...completely original and absolutely satisfying." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Smashing." -Kirkus, Starred Review
"CHILD 44 powerfully personalizes the Orwellian horrors of life in Stalin’s Russia. Almost every page echoes Hobbes’ description of the life of man: "nasty, brutish, and short." First-novelist Smith’s pacing is relentless; readers wanting to put the book down for a brief rest may find themselves persevering regardless. Expect the same kind of critical acclaim for this compelling tale that greeted the publication of Martin Cruz Smith’s Gorky Park (1981) more than 25 years ago...Don’t miss it." -Booklist, starred review
"CHILD 44 is a remarkable debut novel—inventive, edgy and relentlessly gripping from the first page to the last." -Scott Turow
"This is a truly remarkable debut novel. CHILD 44 is a rare blend of great insight, excellent writing, and a refreshingly original story. Favorable comparisons to GORKY PARK are inevitable, but CHILD 44 is in a class of its own."--Nelson DeMille
"CHILD 44 telegraphs the talent and class of its writer from its opening pages, transporting you back to the darkest days of post-war Soviet Russia with assured efficiency and ruthlessly drawing you into its richly atmospheric and engrossing tale." --Raymond Khoury, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Templar and Sanctuary
"Achingly suspenseful, full of feeling and of the twists and turns that one expects from le Carré at his best, CHILD 44 is a tale as fierce as any Russian wolf. It grabs you by the throat and never lets you go."--Robert Towne, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Chinatown
"An amazing debut--rich, different, fully-formed, mature...and thrilling." --Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author
"My husband is not talking to me because I spent the first night of our romantic holiday reading this book. Talk about hard to put down!" -Roxanne Donovan
From Child 44: Leo opened his eyes. A flashlight blinded him. He didn’t need to check his watch to know the time – arresting hour – four in the morning. He got out of bed, heart pounding. In the dark he staggered, disorientated, bumping into one man, pushed to the side. He stumbled, regained his balance. The lights came on. Adjusting to the brightness he saw three officers: young men, not much older than eighteen. They were armed. Leo didn’t recognize them but he knew the kind of officers they were: low ranking, unthinkingly obedient, they’d follow whatever orders they’d been given. They’d be violent without hesitation: any slight resistance would be answered with extreme force. They gave off a smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Leo supposed these men hadn’t been to bed yet: drinking all night, staying up for this assignment. Alcohol would make them unpredictable, volatile. To survive these next few minutes Leo would have to be cautious, submissive. He hoped Raisa understood that as well.