Child 44

Awesome. It's an incredible page-turner, and I devoured it in a week - but there's much more to it than just being a great thriller. Smith must have done a lot of research, because he really manages to bring the era to life, and it makes you understand what it must have been like trying to survive in Stalinist Russia. Can't recommend it highly enough.

silence of the lambs meets Gorky Park (1/1 people found this helpful)

You can picture the tagline of the Ridley Scott poster now "Silence of the Lambs meets Gorky Park
I read with interest that this debut novel had been snapped up by Hollywood before even being released whilst publishers had launched a bidding war to secure this excellent novel.
The setting of the Soviet Union 1953 the final year under the leadership of Stalin shapes the story giving the serial killer novel the biggest shake up since the aforementioned Silence of the lambs made the killer more appealing than the investigator
Here we are introduced to Officer Leo Demidov, war hero and feared member of the secret police he is unquestioning and loyal serving for the greater good. In this society crime is supposed to be a thing of the past a disease that affects western society not the communist utopia that Stalin had created. Instead we quickly are made aware of the flaws "everyone knows someone who has been arrested" a society that lives in fear a society where your name appearing on a list or said
in an interogation leads to guilty until proved guilty mentality especially of the greatest crimes those of treason against the state being a bad citizen
It is under this system that Leo is sent to the household of a fellow policeman to convince him that his son was NOT murdered as he is stating but hit by a train, how a train can strip you naked and surgically remove your stomach ate not questions that should be asked never mind answered
What follows is two man hunts covering the length and breath of the country one by Leo and his wife hunting a man now suspected of having killed 44 children and the other by the ministry determined that Leo should be silenced
it's only in this society that a serial killer could avoid capture for so long after all these crimes have already been solved the culprits caught and confessions signed. If these confessions are false just how many other thousands of confessions could be wrong like a pack of cards everyting could come tumbling down
The reference to Gorky Park is obvious but I think this has clear shades of Robert Harris about i would definately recommend and this is as good a debut novel as there has been for a long time looking forward to a follow up

Redemption in a bleak landscape. (4/5 people found this helpful)

Child 44 follows the investigation of a serial child killer in a grim, Stalinist Russia. The main protagonist Leo Demidov is an unquestioning and effective operative in a paranoid police-state in which anyone can be condemned even by their loved ones and locked into a kafkaesque justice system which conveys them relentlessly towards execution or Gulag.

The landscape is physically and mentally cold, dark and bleak in Tom Rob Smith's debut until a ray of hope and light begin to illuminate the snowy gloom as Demidov seeks his redemption. He risks all to try and stop the killer in defiance of the authorities who, in a state of denial, do not want the crime-free utopian facade that they present to the world shattered.

I cannot entirely agree with some of the reviewers and feel that a certain suspension of credulity is required with the plot. Also the motives of some of the protagonists are unclear (what is Vasili's problem?!)

Nevertheless, like the other reviewers I found this book difficult to put down and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. I'm already looking forward to seeing Ridley Scott's interpretation.

Great read (0/1 people found this helpful)

This was a great read and devoured it during the weekend terrible british weather. Whilst i was initially put off by the 'war' setting, this is a superb dramatic and fast paced book. You really get to know the characters and empathise with them throughout.

Brilliantly realised and beautifully chilling (0/1 people found this helpful)

Sometimes you just don't realise how lucky you are. While here in the West, in this time and age, we complain about a fair bit, when you look back to 1950s Soviet Union, we've got a lot to be thankful for.

Child 44 follows the story of Leo Demidov - a 'died in the wool' Government Man until events (and comrades) conspire against him.

To use an old cliche, this really is a proper page turner. And while the murders it follows are gruesome, they're almost overshadowed by the grim reality of a society that refuses to believe they exist.

Highly recommended reading.

Tom Rob Smith

Reader Reviews:

Utterly gripping (0/0 people found this helpful)

silence of the lambs meets Gorky Park (1/1 people found this helpful)

Redemption in a bleak landscape. (4/5 people found this helpful)

Great read (0/1 people found this helpful)

Brilliantly realised and beautifully chilling (0/1 people found this helpful)

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