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by: Tom Rob Smith  List Price: $24.99 Amazon.com's Price: $16.49 You Save: $8.50 (34%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: HardcoverDewey 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: April 29, 2008 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Release Date: April 29, 2008 Studio: Grand Central Publishing Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com: If all that Tom Rob Smith had done was to re-create Stalinist Russia, with all its double-speak hypocrisy, he would have written a worthwhile novel. He did so much more than that in Child 44, a frightening, chilling, almost unbelievable horror story about the very worst that Stalin's henchmen could manage. In this worker's paradise, superior in every way to the decadent West, the citizen's needs are met: health care, food, shelter, security. All one must offer in exchange are work and loyalty to the State. Leo Demidov is a believer, a former war hero who loves his country and wants only to serve it well. He puts contradictions out of his mind and carries on. Until something happens that he cannot ignore. A serial killer of children is on the loose, and the State cannot admit it. To admit that such a murderer is committing these crimes is itself a crime against the State. Instead of coming to terms with it, the State's official position is that it is merely coincidental that children have been found dead, perhaps from accidents near the railroad tracks, perhaps from a person deemed insane, or, worse still, homosexual. But why does each victim have his or her stomach excised, a string around the ankle, and a mouth full of dirt? Coincidence? Leo, in disgrace and exiled to a country village, doesn't think so. How can he prove it when he is being pursued like a common criminal himself? He and his wife, Raisa, set out to find the killer. The revelations that follow are jaw-dropping and the suspense doesn't let up. This is a debut novel worth reading. --Valerie Ryan Product Description: 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 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 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 Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Child 44 StewBegin with a rich, flavorful broth (beef, chicken, or, for those on a budget, cat) detailing Stalin-era Russia. Immediately add one MGB officer torn between duty to the State (who mandates there are no such thing as murderers) and an innate duty to find the serial killer who "doesn't exist". Slowly stir in: One estranged wife 44 creepy child murders (diced) One deranged child murderer One cat (the skinnier the better) Let simmer. Skim often for clues. ... Read More Rating: - Mysterious RussiaSet 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. ... Read More Rating:  - COMPULSIVELY READABLE WITH A PROPULSIVE NARRATIVEInspired 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 ... Read More Rating:  - Russian Post WWII Thriller Electrifies!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 ... Read More Rating: - A suspenseful, literate history lessonA 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 ... Read More 
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