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Holistic Guidance - Child 44
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List Price: $24.99
Our Price: $16.49
Your Save: $ 8.50 ( 34% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
EAN: 9780446402385
ISBN: 0446402389
Label: Grand Central Publishing
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 448
Publication Date: 2008-04-29
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: 2008-04-29
Studio: Grand Central Publishing
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Editorial Reviews:
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A propulsive, relentless page-turner.
A terrifying evocation of a paranoid world where no one can be trusted.
A surprising, unexpected story of love and family, of hope and resilience.
CHILD 44 is a thriller unlike any you have ever read.
"There is no crime."
Stalin's Soviet Union strives to be a paradise for its workers, providing for all of their needs. One of its fundamental pillars is that its citizens live free from the fear of ordinary crime and criminals.
But in this society, millions do live in fear . . . of the State. Death is a whisper away. The mere suspicion of ideological disloyalty-owning a book from the decadent West, the wrong word at the wrong time-sends millions of innocents into the Gulags or to their executions. Defending the system from its citizens is the MGB, the State Security Force. And no MGB officer is more courageous, conscientious, or idealistic than Leo Demidov.
A war hero with a beautiful wife, Leo lives in relative luxury in Moscow, even providing a decent apartment for his parents. His only ambition has been to serve his country. For this greater good, he has arrested and interrogated.
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, his world turned upside down, and every belief he's ever held shattered. The only way to save his life and the lives of his family 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. Exiled from his home, with only his wife, Raisa, remaining at his side, Leo must confront the vast resources and reach of the MBG to find and stop a criminal that the State won't admit even exists.
Tom Rob Smith graduated from Cambridge in 2001 and lives in London. Child 44 is his first novel.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Mysterious Russia
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: COMPULSIVELY READABLE WITH A PROPULSIVE NARRATIVE
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Russian Post WWII Thriller Electrifies!
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A suspenseful, literate history lesson
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Complete Treat
Comment: 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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