| Title | : | Archive 17 (Inspector Pekkala #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0345525736 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780345525734 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 262 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2012 |
It is 1939. Russia teeters on the verge of war with Germany. It is also on the brink of bankruptcy. To preserve his regime, Stalin orders a search for the legendary missing gold of Tsar Nicholas II. For this task, he chooses Pekkala, the former investigator for the Tsar. To accomplish his mission, Pekkala will go undercover, returning to Siberia and the nightmare of his own past, where he was once a prisoner in the notorious Gulag known as Borodok.
Pekkala must infiltrate a gang of convicts still loyal to the Tsar who, it is rumored, know the whereabouts of the precious gold. He soon learns that the best-kept secrets are those that no one even knows exist.
In the brutal frozen fortress where his survival once made him a myth, he begins to unravel the true identity of a murdered inmate, whose own mission to Siberia has lain buried for years deep within the mysterious Archive 17, where long-lost files obscure a shocking conspiracy that could decide the future of the Soviet Union itself. As more people die around him, Pekkala must decide where his true loyalties lie, or else take his place among the dead.
With the superb research and stunning suspense that are his trademarks, Sam Eastland delivers his most powerful Pekkala novel yet—the best in a mystery series riveting readers and reviewers alike.
Archive 17 (Inspector Pekkala #3) Reviews
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Also known as Archive 17, have to say I prefer Siberian Red as it follows the theme.
Having jus read about Berlin C 1936 I’m now in Siberia C 1939 reading from the red side with this being my third venture into the life of Inspector Pekkala, he oft referred to as the “Emerald Eye” in the criminal & detective fraternity & with some awe too.
As always, “uncle” Joe Stalin initiates the story with a case for Pekkala, this time having him return to the Siberian Gulag near the Chinese border where he was released from about a decade earlier, as always he has little choice but to agree with Stalin. Our early journey includes the Transsiberian railway but features mainly within the Gulag system along with the by now familiar flashback interludes to his days working for the Czar which help fill in the gaps in the plot & characters. It’s an easy style & works for me.
The historical context of the story is contained in a chapter at the end which shows to the detail researched by the author & makes for an interesting footnote.
There’s not much more I can tell you except for giving away the story & the plot, suffice to say I really enjoyed it, giving it 4.5 stars rounded upto 5. -
Love Inspector Pekkala, the main character in Eastland's books!
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Another great Inspector Pekkala mystery. Masterful storytelling with impeccable (impekkala!) historical details.
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Eastland does a marvelous job in this unusual crime thriller set in Soviet Russia circa 1939. He incorporates pieces of historical fact surrounding the Soviets' wartime economic dilemma with a plot set in the dehumanized gulag known as Borodok. The hero, Inspector Pekkala, is a former intelligence officer for Tsar Nicholas forced by Stalin to investigate the location of a lost fortune to finance the country's war against Nazi Germany.
The story paints a bleak, and oftentimes horrific existence of the prisoners at the gulag, which is reminiscent of Solzhenitsyn's "One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich". But there are times of hope as well, as Pekkala proves to be an incredible foil to his enemies. The problem is, who are the enemies, and who are the friends in the middle of nowhere? There is also a juxtaposition of dark comedy played out between Stalin and his secretary, Poskrybeshev.
This, apparently, is the third in a series of novels with Inspector Pekkala. This is my first time reading Mr. Eastland's works, and I found that starting with this novel didn't depend on any previous works. I enjoyed it just the same! -
I'm not big into historical fiction, but this was a great book. It started out a bit slow for me, but things really started moving along about 30% into the book. It's a quick read that will keep you engrossed. I had some trouble keeping all the names straight because I'm not too familiar with Russian and Siberian, but I was able to follow along. The story is interesting, violent, and sometimes shocking. I enjoyed this and would read another of Sam Eastland's books.
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Jako každovečerně: úžasný příběh, mizerný překlad.
3 grinning at the camera
7 usmívali se do kamery
Jsme před rokem 1939, chlap vytáhne fotku a lidi na ní se usmívají do kamery.
18 že ho JEHO informátor udal
13 that an informant had betrayed him
25 Let me answer your question with a question of my own
30 na něco se vás zeptám
29 like the claw of a barnacle sweeping through an ocean current.
34 jako když berneška pročesává ŘÍČNÍ proud
38 jak přichází na schůzky s carem
33 coming and GOING FROM meeting with the Tsar
51 “Právě proto jsem tak nebezpečný.”
48 “Maybe that’s why I’m so dangerous”
Kouzlo jde do hajzlu. A co bych to neřekla. :-(
55 “To BYLA moje práce.”
52 “That is my job.” Dlouho jsem se snažila přijít na to, proč je v překladu minulý čas, ale prostě NEVÍM.
53 For an instant, he did not even seem to recognize Pekkala.
56 Pekkala HO v tu chvíli vůbec nepoznával.
59 bylo udivující
56 Pekkala was amazed
60 Do kapes si nasypte trochu popela, takže vás bude obklopovat jeho pach.
57 Sprinkle the ashed of CHEAP TOBACCO in your pocket so that the smell of it will hang about you.
71 ...i více než DESET tisíc čerstvých růží
70 ...more than 100,000 fresh roses
83 “Proč ho ale zavraždili zrovna oni?”
84 “But why do you think they were the ones who murdered him?”
84 “Myslel jsem, že touhle dobou už budou všichni deportováni?”
85 “I thought you would have driven them away now.”
87 Když před sebou vidím muže s rozříznutým hrdlem, jako teď před chvílí.
87 When I see MEN with theirs THROATS cut like the one lying in front of me
89 Kontrolka na interkomu se rozsvítila
90 The intercom clicked on
90 “Are you certain that all transmissions have been intercepted?”
“Comrade Stalin, there have been no transmission between Kirov and Major Pekkala.” (btw Pekkala není major, opravdu opravdu ne, ale v originále na tom Eastland trvá)
89 “Jste si jistý, že mezi majorem Kirovem a Pekkalou nedošlo k žádné komunikaci?”
“Ano, soudruhu Staline, všechno hlídáme.”
91 “Že nic nepochopil.”
92 “That you have not taught him anything.”
Vzhledem k souvislostem by bylo dobré přeložit to doslovně.
91 Jestli chceš v Borodoku alespoň dýchat
92 if you want to go on breathing in Borodok
Hm.
96 “Od tabáku až po sirky…”
97 “From tobacco, TO RAZOR BLADES, to matchsticks…”
96 Jako by si vzpomněl na něco nesdělitelného (to by jeden čekal nějakou hlubokou myšlenku)
98 As if he recalling some private joke (a ona nepřišla)
97 Jsem válečný veteran
99 I’m a wounded veteran
97 “Co kdybychom to udělali naopak. Jak jste přišel k tomu zranění, nepovíte vy mně, ale já vám.”
99 “Instead of telling me how you received that wound, how about I tell you?”
98 ve velké válce
100 in the war
103 K T se však otočil příliš pozdě.
A to bylo to poslední, než se mu zatmělo před očima.
105 Too late, Pekkala spun around to meet T.
That was the last thing he rememberd.
105 “Už zase?”
107 “He did it again?”
105 “Nějaké zprávy O Pekkalovi?”
108 “What is the news FROM Pekkala?”
108 Rvačka Tarnowski, Sedov, Pekkala se do toho poněkud zamíchal a zavřeli Pekkalu
„Jak dlouho tady budu?“
[Sedov]„Týden. To je obvyklý trest za rvačku.“
„Vždyť jste se prali vy.“
„No ale vás chytli.“
„A co Tarnowski?“ zeptal se Pekkala.
„Když přišly stráže, řekl jim, že jste si začal. Někdo musel být potrestán.“
Neměla by ta věta znít: „Vždyť jste se pral vy.“ ?
111 “Málem jste mi zlomil čelist, sakra,” zabručel Pekkala.
114 “You damn near broke my jaw,” said Pekkala.
117 “Tu výzvu, kterou jste před toho muže postavil, můžete ještě zvážit.”
120 “I BEG YOU to reconsider the challenge you have brought against this man.”
124 “Slyšeli jsme, že jsi detektiv.”
128 “Heard you WERE a detective.”
128 “To klidně můžu změnit.”
133 “I can take care of that.”
(ve smyslu někoho zabít)Hm.
Nechápu, proč z ničeho nic na s. 146 Savuškin Pekkalovi tyká, aby mu na s. 147 zase vykal.
Zatímco Pekkala mu celou dobu vyká, aby mu na s. 147 tykal. Proč?
155 Na Pekkalu dopadlo těžce jako kladivo na holou lebku
161 struck Pekkala like a hammer to his skull
160 cestou zavadil o špagát, kterým se rozsvěcelo světlo
167 on his way he yanked the dirty pull-string of the light.
Což neznamená, že by byl nešikovný, ale zhasl světlo, protože doufal, že se ve tmě schová.
160 Možná to vezme s klidem
167 He might laught it off
161 Baterka ho oslňovala, tak držel ruce před sebou, ABY VIDĚL.
168 Still blinded by the torchlight and holding up his hands TO SHIELD HIMSELF.
164 zástupce turecké ambasády
171 He was a courier for the Turkish Embassy
167 “Už jsem se s ním smířil.”
175 “We had already made our peace.”
173 Pekkala seděl NA kuchyňském stole
181 Pekkala had been sitting AT his kitchen table
174 který se vrací, aby to našel
182 was retracing HIS STEPS to find it
181 “Polož ty hrnce,” řekl mu, “a pojď za mnou.(…) Pokládáte spoustu otázek, inspektore.”
Proč se změnilo tykání na vykání?
184 “Tarnowski?” řekl. “Sedove, jste to vy?”
193 “Tarnowski?” he CALLED. “Sedov, is that you?”
Jelikož volal do temné jeskyně, tak “řekl” není dost výstižné.
184 Od toho večera před jeho domkem, kdy POPRVÉ spatřil Kolčaka
194 since the night outside his cottage, when he had LAST set eyes on Kolchak
189 a měli u sebe peníze, ZAPLATIT NÁVŠTĚVU ve Ville Rode
and had money in their pockets PAID A VISIT TO the Villa Rode
192 “O tom si nechte zdát.”
“Nechám, a vy mi ten sen zítra splníte.”
201 “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“You will, and that is all you’ll dream about.”
202 “Nenapadlo tě… (…) Proč mi to říkáte?”
Další nelogická změna tykání/vykání.
221 …ale viděl jste, jak Pekkala žije? (…) Jaká jí jídla. Jaký nosí kabát.”
234 “Have you seen the way Pekkala lives? (…) The food he eats? The coats he wears?”
221 “Jde o víc než…”
“Ale mluvíme také o Pekkalovi.”
234 “We are talking about…”
“But we also talking about Pekkala.”
Na s. 222 dostane Kirov svůj Stínový průkaz, což znamená, že mu tam přidají jednu stránku. Pokud přeložíte „booklet“ jako „průkazka“ - nutně se to musí rozklížit.
222 Stalin podepsal jeden list, VLOŽIL HO DO PRŮKAZKY a podal ji Kirovovi.
236 Stalin OPENED the booklet, scribbed his signature inside and held it out to Kirov.
Navíc na s. 223 - Kirov pohlédl na stránku, která nyní přibyla do jeho průkazu.
234 na tu džunglí PÁNVÍ, kterou vytvořil v jejich kanceláři
249 and the POTTED-PLANT jungle he had made of their office
A to je Kirov na své rostlinky v květináčích tak pyšný.
234 chvíle, které spolu strávili…
249 the time they’d spent WORKING together…
244 Co když ho najdu, ale bude už moc pozdě? Co když ho ti parchanti zabijí?
260 What if I do find him but it’s too late and those bastards HAVE KILLED him?
262 a dozen times
246 desetkrát
255 …muži schopní. Jeho jediným cílem bylo přivést Pekkalu zpět živého. Nenápadně vytáhl zbraň a ujistil se, že je nabitá.
271 …men might do. AS FOR THE CONVICTS, HE DID NOT CARE IF THEY ESCAPED. His only purpose now was to bring Pekkala back alive. WITH FEAR PRICKLING HIS SKIN, Kirov took out his gun and made sure it was loaded.
259 “Pojďte za mnou.”
276 “Walk with me.”
259 “JÁ bych chtěl vědět ještě jednu věc.”
276 “There is something else I wanted YOU to know as well.”
260 “Nebo do toho půjdete JEN VY sám?”
277 “…or ARE WE to manage this just by OURSELVES?”
260 “Za touhle hranicí je 200 mužů, kteří utekli z Ruska PŘED Stalinem.”
A s nimi vybojují svobodnou Sibiř? Opravdu to po tom packalovi někdo četl?
277 “There are OVER 200,000 men who fled STALIN’S Russia.”
263 Vysvětlil, že by zůstal v Číně.
280 I explained that HE could stay behind in China.
264 kteří kopali bedny
282 who were digging
265 “Za to BY váš strýc život nepoložil.”
283 “Your uncle did not die for that.”
269 “Musím se vrátit.”
287 “I must HE getting back.”
273 “Tak si seberte, co je vaše, a můžete běžet!”
291 “Then take what you CAN and go now!”
273 “Možná se jednoho dne ZASE sejdeme na druhé straně.”
292 “Perhaps, one day, I’ll see you on the other side.”
“I’ll see you on the other side” je tradiční (a Pekkalovo oblíbené) rozloučení. “Zase” nedává smysl.
274 poslední oběť války (…) chce Stalin i moji hlavu…
293 the last casualty of a war (…) Stalin intend to make a casualty of me as well.
274 jestli mu nepřivezu
293 WE do not bring him
275 “Jak mi jednou řekl car, ten úkol svěřuji jen vám a nikomu jinému.”
295 “As the Tsar once said to me, this is a task I trust to no one else.”
viz s. 269 “Jděte napřed, Pekkalo,” řekl car. “Musím ještě přepočítat zásilku. Každý prut je třeba zapsat. A ten úkol nesvěřuji nikomu jinému než sobě.”
288 “You go on ahead, Pekkala,” said the Tsar. (…) "This is a task I trust to no one else."
275 …protože to, přísahám Bohu, opravdu netuším
294 …because BELIEVE me I don’t know
Nějak mu ušlo, že jsou ve stalinském Rusku a Kirov se Boha prostě nedovolává.
278 osmělil se Pekkala
297 said Pekkala
V doslovu je opraven rok založení Československa, Eastland trvá na roce 1919.
Není mi jasné, proč Eastland začal počítat od roku 1920, aby se po osmnácti letech dostal do roku 1938 (ale Mnichovská dohoda mu zjevně připadala důležitější než březen 1939).
V překladu pak není za dalších 18 let, ale za dalších 30 let, takže jsme (na rozdíl od Eastlanda, který si nám zjevně spletl s Maďarskem) v roce 1968.
155 …a jedné parné srpnové noci roku 1918 povražděni.
Tady je chyba u Eastlanda. Nechal chudáky Romanovce povraždit až v srpnu.
s. 275
Přenést pruty z lesa trvalo Pekkalovi dvě hodiny. (...) jak Pekkala zápolí s váhou prutů, které tahal vždy po třech najednou. (...). celkem 312 prutů
No, takže 312:3=104. Takže šel na Sibiři, promrzlý a hladový, od kolejí k mýtině a od mýtiny ke kolejím, nesl 3 zlaté pruty (bratru 24 kilo) a zvládl to za dvě hodiny? To měl na jednu cestu tam a zpátky 1 minutu a 9 vteřin?
Není to trochu málo, Antone Pavloviči? -
Speculate with me if you will, how difficult it must be to write a book like this, a thriller, set in the real world, and featuring real, historical people and places. We know, of course, that Stalin lived on past 1939, past the war and died a good while later, presumably of natural causes. Or as natural as causes got in the Soviet Union of that time. We know that this case didn't decide the future of the Soviet Union. Well, what we know from this side of the Iron Curtain anyway. How their finances were at the time, we can't know, probably they didn't know either. Everything always went swimmingly it seemed. So, given that, the excitement, the tension, the doubt about what might happen, has to be taken away from actual events and placed upon the imaginary characters. As Inspector Pekkala. We know enough of Stalin's character to know that he was a paranoid lunatic, surrounded by paranoid lunatics and we presume that saying "I'll pass, thank you all the same" when given an assignment such as this, probably wasn't an option. Not if you wanted to see the next five-year plan out anyway.
So, does Sam Eastland manage to make the book tense and exciting? Yes, he most certainly does. His Soviet Union, even given that most of this happens in the half-frozen Siberian Gulags, isn't quite as bleak and mind-stunningly without hope, as Tom Rob Smith's Soviet Union, though pretty close. The thing that sometimes lets the book down are the exchanges between Stalin and his personal secretary. That is written more like a '70's BBC sit-com set in a big office, than what I imagine was the reality. But otherwise, it's a well-written mystery, that unfolds the story out very convincingly and never loses interest. The facts (I'm presuming this is how it was there) and the scenes in the Gulags out in the unimaginably frozen tundra, are bleak in every way. The background for the mystery and the solution, are convincingly portrayed and work vey well indeed.
As the third in the Inspector Pekkala series, this is the equal of the first two and a great book to make me look forward to getting stuck into the next two. We're comfortable with knowing Inspector Pekkala, we know him, how he is likely to behave, but he can still surprise us. That's what you want from a long running character. Maybe he has more surprises to reveal about his methods and his past, and I look forward to getting stuck into The Red Moth.
Read my blog, why don't you?
Speesh Reads
Or my Facebook Page:
Speesh Reads -
My favourite book of the series so far. Great read from beginning to end.
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Fans of tales blending mystery and history, particularly readers who like crime novels set against the backdrop the Second World War, will find plenty to like in this intriguing third tale in Eastland's engaging Inspector Pekkala series.
SIBERIAN RED is centred on a simple yet heroic man with a past as complicated as his country's: Finnish-born Pekkala was Tsar Nicholas II's special investigator, then a prisoner in the Siberian gulags, and is now Stalin's hand-picked, if not entirely trusted, investigator. Pekkala's formidable and moody boss is determined to find the Tsar's missing gold, so Pekkala goes back to the gulag, undercover, to solve the death of a man who may have held the key to finding the lost treasure. Once there, he attempts to infiltrate a convict gang still loyal to the Tsar.
But can Pekkala survive the gulag a second time around? He has a legendary reputation due to his past exploits, but in a frozen wasteland where the Grim Reaper casts a long and ever-present shadow at even the best of times, prodding deep into a conspiracy-filled past is a shortcut to a short life.
Eastland delivers an enjoyable mystery tale elevated by its fascinating insights into Russian history; the author vividly brings Tsarist and Stalinist Russia to life, adroitly texturing in background and setting without overwhelming or stalling the crime tale. The brutal landscapes of gulag life in Siberia; the harshness of Stalin's regime as the Soviet Union teetered on the precipice of European war,
Pekkala is an interesting character: he was once the 'Emerald Eye' for the Tsar - the most trusted and most-feared advisor. Feared because Pekkala had sweeping powers to enter anywhere, examine any document, and to question or arrest anyone. At the same time he was immune to bribery or threats, making him even more feared by those with something to hide. Now serving a similar role for Stalin after paying penance for his ties to the past regime in the Siberian gulags, Pekkala has seen first-hand the inner workings of the past and present power structures, their differences and striking similarities. For readers this insight and perspective into a complex period of modern European history is fascinating, and like Pekkala we may find ourselves pausing to reconsider what we thought we knew.
Even though SIBERIAN RED is the third book in Eastland's series, I didn't feel that I needed to have read the prior instalments to be up to speed. Like me, readers could dive straight in here and be entertained by an engaging tale full of history and some mystery - there is enough backstory threaded in for us to be aware of the depths of Pekkala's character and what he has been through, while still moving forward in the 'present time' of this particular story. A good, enjoyable crime tale.
This is an expanded version of my review of SIBERIAN RED published as part of my crime fiction round-up in the Herald on Sunday newspaper on Sunday 17 March 2013. -
c2012: FWFTB: gold, caves, inmate, Czechs, railroad. Poor old Pekkala's ego is somewhat shattered in this outing but I found this tale the thinnest so far. I found some of the plot devices a bit difficult to understand but it was still a good read. Looking forward to see where Pekkala takes his new found realisation. Recommended to the normal crew. "Bile spilled into the back of his throat as he realised he had been played by Stalin, just as the Tsar had used him, and both times because of this gold."
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Opět navzdory mizernému překladu :-(
Těším se na den, kdy konečně začne překládat někdo, kdo se bude držet textu, bude umět anglicky a nebude si plést slovíčka jako plant/pan, poprvé/naposledy, pay a visit/zaplatit návštěvu, levný tabák/popel, deset tisíc/sto tisíc atd.
A že si to po něm někdo přečte a zamyslí se, jestli je opravdu možné osvobodit Sibiř jen s 200 muži, proč Pekkala drží ruce před sebou, aby viděl atd. -
Inspector Pekkala is sent back to Siberia, apparently to investigate a murder. A complex web of mystery is gradually revealed as the plot unwinds in the frozen wasteland.
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Rating of 4.5!
For me, this is the best one in the series so far. Great story line, great writing and great character development. -
Great read. Love the Russian history, Stalin, Tsars and that sort of thing. Plus Eastland has some great core characters. Definitely recommend this if you're into that era of historical fiction.
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Sibirisch Rot - Pekkalas dritter Fall
Kurz vor Beginn des zweiten Weltkrieges muss Pekalla auf Befehl Stalins zurück nach Sibirien, genauer nach Borodok, dem Arbeitslager in welchem er neun Jahre verbracht hatte. Er soll dort den Mord an einem Häftling aufklären, ungewöhnlich, das Stalin das Ende eines Häftlings interessiert - und er muss verdeckt ermitteln, was bedeutet das Pekalla als Häftling in diese Hölle zurückkehrt.
Aber das ist nicht alles, was sich aus seiner Vergangenheit ans Licht bewegt. Der getötete Gefangene hatte während der Revolution zu den Truppen gehört, welche das Zarengold nach Sibirien in Sicherheit bringen sollten. In den Wirren der Kämpfe geriet ein Großteil des Goldes in die Hände der Roten und die Truppen wurden geschlagen, die Überlebenden landeten in den Gulags.
Als Pekalla in Borodok eintrifft leben noch drei ehemalige Weißgardisten, noch immer hoffend, ihr ehemaliger Ko0mmandeur kommt sie befreien. Doch dieser ist eigentlich tot, erschossen vor Pekallas Augen, jedoch stellt sich heraus, das es sich dabei um einen Doppelgänger handeltet und der Oberst bereits im Lager versteckt lebt. Und sein Erscheinen gilt weniger der Befreiung seiner Leute als vielmehr jenem Teil das Zarengoldes, welchen er retten konnte und auf der Flucht versteckt hat.
Ein von Anfang bis Ende spannendes Buch, die Erzählung ist durchsetzt von Rückblenden in die Zeiten vor und während der Revolution. Geschichtlich gut recherchiert bietet Sam Eastland einen interessanten Überblick der Ereignisse in Sibirien zwischen 1918 und 1920, insbesondere zum Zug der tschechoslowakischen Legion, eine heutzutage weithin unbekannte Partei in dem Spiel um die Macht.
Für mich der bislang beste Pekalla - vorbehaltlos zu empfehlen. -
Somehow, I missed out on this one, from much earlier in Pekkala's history. Fortunately, that didn't matter. Nothing it contains depends upon nor relates to others in the series.
We find Pekkala facing the unenviable job of being sent by Stalin back to the very same Gulag where he was imprisoned after the Revolution for his job of being the Tsar's personal detective. This time he is going under cover but in all other respects he must face the horrors that he experienced the first time around.
He is going there because Stalin is facing the prospect of having to fight the Germans and he needs money. The money he wants is what he believes is the gold that the Tsar shipped eastwards to China, to keep it out of the hands of the Bolsheviks. Stalin has reason to believe that it didn't all arrive at its destination. He thinks that the people who know its whereabouts are imprisoned in the very same gulag, and that Pekkala is the man to uncover the secret.
As usual, Eastland's story is pacey and exciting; a real page-turner. If you are fan of Pekkala, as I am, you will want to read this. Now, on to the next one! -
I always find myself hesitant to pick up the next Inspector Pekkala book, but once I start reading one, I do enjoy them. The books are historical fiction, and each book never fails to send me researching Russian history and geography. I think that is my hesitancy in starting one. It always takes me much longer than it should to read such a short book.
The author weaves an intricate, fascinating story albeit without a lot of action or suspense. I find this an unusual skill which makes me appreciate his writing style. Much of the book takes place in and around a prison camp in Siberia where the first book of the series was set. If you haven't read the first book of the series, I would recommend reading it before this one. Not absolutely necessary because the author does enough flashbacks and historical explanation, but this story will be better appreciated if the books are read in series order. -
This is a great series, and I'm so glad I finally managed to get back to it. The character of Pekkala is so unique and interesting, although sometimes a bit too superman-like. This does not lower the reader's enjoyment though. The author not only did his homework and is highly knowledgable of the historical background, but also manages to bring it to life, along with the period's sets of mind, historical figures, values and ideologies. The mix of all of these creates a fascinating read, full of suspense, believable and satisfying. I love the fact that things are never black or white here - everyone has good and bad, empathy and self-interest, past mistakes and wrongs and no point of view is one-dimensional. Eastland is a truly great storyteller and I'm moving on to the next book in the series.
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Fast moving and immensely enjoyable thriller set in the Soviet Union during 1939. Plenty of real historical events and characters woven in to this fictional tale revolving around a missing shipment of the Tsar's gold reserves which never made it out of the country. There is also some background on the amazing cross-country ordeal of the "Czech Legion" during the last years of the Russian Revolution which is sure to prompt many to further investigate this real-life tale that echoes Xenophon's Anabasis.
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Stalin sends Inspector Pekkala on an impossible mission in Siberia investigating missing since 1918, Colonel Kolchak and Romanov dynasty's gold bars. He and his assistant, Major Kirov, pull off some miraculous actions. Plot includes some far-fetched coincidences, but still a good story. Author closes the book with several pages summarizing the actual happenings during the Siberian campaigns around 1918 involving Czecks, Austro-Hungarians, Finns, red and white Russians, Siberian natives, France, U.S. Expeditionary Force, and others. A totally good read!
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Sam Eastland's book series follows Inspector Pekkala in Russia as he works at crime solving while doing a delicate balancing act with the Tsar and Russian heirarchy. In this book, Pekkala's mission is to re-enter a Siberian gulag and infiltrate a gang of convicts still loyal to the Tsar. This mystery is filled with a winter Siberian landscape, rough prison characters with brutal instincts, as well as facts from history during this time period of 1918. His mysteries are always intriguing.
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