Child 44

When I opened Child 44, I had just read a piece on the Holodomor, translated as "Hunger Death," the Stalinist-engineered genocide that may have claimed the lives of as many as seven million Ukrainians. Tom Rob Smith brings to life this little known mass murder in the prologue in a way that no history textbook can. This dramatic start sets the stage for the further killings by the Stalinist Secret Service and the serial killer that preys on children. Smith cannot be compared to le Carré; the styles are very different, with Smith perhaps being the better writer. His prose is simple, direct; yet, the complexity of all the characters is revealed unhurriedly. Just when the reader thinks he has grasped the motives of a character, Smith throws in new information that makes one reexamine an earlier premise. The red herrings are so subtle, and the suspense maintained until the end, that even die-hard mystery aficionados will be impressed. The writer juxtaposes the themes of fraternal love - real brothers and the brotherhood of Stalin's thugs - and the innocence of children. He depicts the brutality and evil of a totalitarian government alongside the story of a married couple for whom the relationship is defined, not by love and trust, but by survival. In Leo and Raisa Demidox, Smith has created two of the most memorable characters in fiction. This is a romance story turned on its head. Their bond and journey across western Russia is as riveting as that of Fenimore Cooper's Hawkeye and Alice. The writing never falters. This is a page-turner up to the satisfying conclusion.

For any author this would be an effort that should make them proud. But for a first novel it is stunningly mature both in the storytelling and character development.

I found it all too easy to relate to the characters and the sense of oppressive history that surrounded the story.

In Child 44, author Tom Rob Smith depicts the life of a MGB police officer, Leo Demidov, in Stalinist Russia. In the 1950s, Russia was a worker's paradise. Everybody made the same amount of money, everyone had access to healthcare and everyone had a home. All the government asked for is loyalty in the state and work.

Leo is very well-off in Moscow. He holds one of the most powerful positions in the police force; he has a beautiful wife, Raisa, one of the nicest apartments in town, and access to the best healthcare and exotic foods. He is a believer in the state and the communist system. In his opinion, it is superior to the democratic systems in western nations. Why should he not believe so if he has everything he needs?

As a police officer, it is his duty to follow through on investigations and apprehend all suspects. While some suspects are guilty, the majority are innocent, perceived guilty by the paranoid Soviet government because of their interactions with Westerners or connections to others who have been apprehended for crimes. Crimes against the government are much worse in the government's eyes than petty, civil ones. The police do everything in their power to capture the suspects alive. The suspects are then taken to Moscow and are tortured until they confess to the crime. This torture can be in the form of seizure-inducing medication, confinement in a dirty closet where bedbugs eat human bodies alive, or other terrible methods. At this point they are forced to name other people, often friends or family, who were involved in their criminal activity. The suspects are then killed and the people they mention are incarcerated.

Everything goes well for Leo until his wife is charged with espionage. Leo is placed in charge of the investigation as a test to prove his loyalty to the state and has to make a very difficult decision. If he agrees with the charge, then his wife will be arrested and most certainly killed. If he disagrees with the charge, then he will put his life in jeopardy as well as his family's life. He would lose all of his material goods. Leo decides to go against the charge, and is exiled with his wife to a town in the middle of the country, Voualsk. A number of factors precipitated this decision. First, Leo's wife, Raisa, had claimed she was pregnant when she ate dinner with Leo's parents. Second, Leo loves Raisa very much and believes that she loves him too. While both are upset at leaving their material possessions behind, they are pleased with the relatively mild punishment they are given.

Voualsk is a small town where car manufacturing is the dominant industry. These cars were designed by Russians who believed that they could make a car that is superior to Western models. Unfortunately, only the most powerful people in the country are eligible to own one, the government workers. Voualsk is surrounded by a dense forest which is covered in snow most of the year.

In Voualsk, Raisa and Leo move in above a restaurant and begin work. Raisa continues her past job as a school teacher and Leo becomes a militia subordinate. When Leo explores the forest surrounding the city he notices that a few children have been murdered and mutilated. String is wrapped around the body, dirt is placed in the mouth and the stomach is removed. He notices a coincidence to an unsolved case in Moscow, where his friend Fyodor's son was murdered. The government decided the case was not worth investigating and was just and accident. Realizing the implications of having a child-murderer on the loose, he makes his mission to find the culprit and kill him/her. He believes this is something worth fighting for as he had made many mistakes as an MGB officer. Soon other people join the search: his wife, his boss, Fyodor, and several others. This task is especially dangerous because Leo is under heavy surveillance and he is trying to prove the state justice system fallible. From here on, a harrowing adventure ensues to find the killer and kill him.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in historical fiction. Smith accurately depicts the gloomy lifestyle Stalinist Russia. The short chapters and twists and turns keep the reader engaged for long periods of time, an indicator of a great story.

Outstanding book. I couldnt possibly say enough good things about this one!

For a 1st time author, Tom Rob Smith hit a grandslam with "Child 44".

"Child 44" is loosely based on the real life Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo (The Butcher of Rostov) who actually killed around 52 women and children.

The storyline in "Child 44" is completely made up, by that I mean it isnt the actual story of Chikatilo, but a fictional one based off his murders.

Awesome suspense, great action, great characters!!

The way he ties everything together at the end is amazing, you'll think you have some things figured out and realize you didn't, later in the book you'll start thinking you know the ending and you won't even be close!

Producer Ridlely Scott has already purchased the rights to the film for this book, cant wait to see this one on the big screen!

Great, great read, highly recommended to all & especially to fans of David Benioff's "City of Thieves"!

I keep waiting for the world to wake up and figure out that this deserves to be a Top 10 best seller. I can't imagine a more engrossing debut novel.