First published 2009
Moscow, 1956. Former state security officer Leo Demidov watches his world transform as Stalin dies and Khrushchev delivers a secret speech denouncing the dead tyrant. The Soviet Union promises change, but Leo struggles with his own transformation. The two girls he and his wife Raisa adopted refuse to forgive him for his role in killing their parents. Leo's past crimes now endanger his entire family as someone from his former career seeks revenge. This enemy has become a perfect instrument of vengeance, twisted beyond recognition by Leo's dark legacy. As political upheaval rocks Moscow's streets, Leo must protect his family while confronting the consequences of his actions. The story moves from the capital's chaos to Siberian prison camps and the Hungarian uprising in Budapest. Leo faces the truth that in this fractured society, former police officers like himself were the real criminals while their victims were innocent.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, political-thriller, russia
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Moscow, Siberia, Budapest
Period: 1956
416 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: violence