Back in the USSR

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith is set in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Leo Stephanovich Demidov works for state security and the author does a great job of conveying how restrictive the society is; it seems everyone is kept in line by fear.

When Leo becomes convinced that a serial killer has been targeting children, he’s considered a dissident since, officially, there's no murder or crime in the USSR. After Leo and his wife Raisa are forced to run from the government and throw themselves on the mercy of strangers, it becomes clear that many people are not ruled by fear and are willing to risk their own lives to do what's right. The middle of the book is a little slow, but the last quarter of the book is fast paced and the ending is exciting. Smith seems to have done a lot of research (this is his first book) and does a great job of conveying life in the Soviet Union in the 50s.

To find this book in the Library, go to our catalog at www.ci.newberg.or.us/library

Reviewed by Jean