The Beast in the Red Forest (Inspector Pekkala, #5) by Sam Eastland

The Beast in the Red Forest (Inspector Pekkala, #5) Reviews

• 
  Toralf Saffer

  Roter Zorn
  
  Nachdem am Ende des 4. Pekkala Bandes nicht klar war, ob der Ermittler noch lebt, verdichten sich Anfang 1944 die Hinweise, dass sich Stalins Sonderermittler bei ukrainischen Partisanen aufhält.
  Die rote Armee hat diese Gebiete gerade zurückerobert und so wird Pekkalas Partner, Major Kirow, ins Frontgebiet entsandt um das Smaragdauge aufzuspüren und nach Moskau zurückzubringen. Doch die Situation ist nach dem Rückzug der Deutschen sehr angespannt, die Partisanen misstrauen Stalins Truppen und weigern sich ihre Waffen abzugeben. Kurz nach Kirows Ankunft wird auf die Verhandlungsgruppe ein Anschlag verübt, dem der sowjetische Chefunterhändler zum Opfer fällt. Damit stehen die Zeichen auf Krieg zwischen den Truppen des Inlandsgeheimdienstes und den Partisanen. Mitten im Chaos erscheint Pekkala auf der Bildfläche – er hatte die letzten Jahre bei einer Partisanengruppe gelebt – und beginnt das Attentat zu untersuchen, zumal es einen weiteren Anschlag gab. Bald deckt er einen raffinierten Plan der deutschen Abwehr unter Admiral Canaris auf, doch auch hier bleibt die wahre Absicht lange im Dunkeln.
  Sam Eastland bietet dem Leser wieder einen fundiert recherchierten Hintergrund, lässt ihn im Kreml in Stalins Büro an dessen teils wahnhaft kranken Entscheidungen teilhaben und beschreibt eindrucksvoll die Leidensfähigkeit der Menschen in diesem Krieg. Auch der zwischen den einzelnen Kapiteln aufgeführte Schriftverkehr mit der amerikanischen Botschaft ergibt im Verlauf des Buches einen Sinn und schafft so den erklärenden Hintergrund für die Entwicklung eines Protagonisten.
  Ich bin von der „Pekkala Reihe“ begeistert und auch der 5. Band war wieder ein packender, historischer Krimi.
  
• 
  Andy

  Back to my “summer” reading fest, well the temperature has risen like 5 degrees & the sun is out so I guess it counts…..
  
  I guess this book is gonna be easy to work out seeing as Pekkala disappeared, presumed dead at the end of the last book, this will be all about the hunt for Pekkala as for sure he didn’t really die…. Did he?
  
  And we’re off to a slow start or should I say we’re having a bit of a recap on Pekkala’s life & interactions with those that know him, many of the anecdotes from prior stories & already known to those that follow the series……
  
  Its not a bad read & the counter intelligence element story is the best of the plots running through the book which overall is a little plodding compared to all the others ive read to date.
  
  Its not his best, still good enough yarn but didn’t quite hold my interest like his other works, jus lacked a bit of spark, 3 stars
  
• 
  Cathy Cole

  Sam Eastland's Inspector Pekkala series set in Stalinist Russia is another of my favorites, but I read it very slowly. Why? Because life in Russia during that time was so gray and grim and awful. But no matter how gray, grim, and awful it was, Eastland's stories are compelling. The Beast in the Red Forest is no exception.
  
  From past books in the series, Inspector Pekkala has shown that he has an uncanny ability to stay alive. The character has almost mythical status. Who else could be Tsar Nicholas II's top investigator and survive to do the same job for Joseph Stalin? Pekkala's absolute honesty and relentlessness are two major reasons for his longevity, and throughout the series, Major Kirov has been learning from the master.
  
  People aren't who they appear to be. Stalin, who has a love-hate relationship with regard to Pekkala, has more than one agenda. Others are trying to circumvent Stalin to ensure Pekkala's safety... there's a lot going on, and it makes for an engrossing story that's hard to put down.
  
  There's also more than one narrative. The main action of the book takes place in 1944, but The Beast in the Red Forest begins with a letter from an American who's taking his family to Russia in the mid-1930s to work in a Ford Motor plant. The letters continue to break sporadically into the action in 1944. There are letters from Russian officials, from American ambassadors, from the American's wife, and as each one appears, readers wonder what in the world they have to do with the story in 1944. Then it all clicks into place and ratchets up the tension even more.
  
  A compelling story peopled with strong characters in a vivid setting. I feel as though I'm living in Stalinist Russia as I read these books. Eastland adds humorous lines from time to time to lighten the mood, and he also describes the landscape in beautiful, poetic language, one of my favorites being the origin of the "Red Forest." There was also a surprise for me at the conclusion. I felt a bit sorry for Joseph Stalin at the very end of The Beast in the Red Forest, but before you think I've lost my mind, let me tell you something. I'd also feel sorry for a rabid skunk, but I wouldn't come anywhere near it, and I'd never turn my back on it.
  
  This is a superb historical mystery series that I highly recommend. Give it a try!
  
• 
  Gram

  The fifth in the Inspector Pekkala series and I think it's the best yet. I especially enjoyed the sub plot - told in the form of a handful of letters from the husband and wife of an American working class family who travelled to Russia to find work. The letters turn into diplomatic memos and then coded messages as the fate of the American family unfolds. Meanwhile - on the direct orders of Josef Stalin - Pekkala's assistant, Kirov searches for Pekkala, who is missing presumed dead.
• 
  Elgyn

  ♥
  
  I když jsem věděla, jak to dopadne, tak jsem si užila jeden každý příběh v příběhu i závěrečnou pointu.
  
  Překlad: Nešla jsem větu po větě, ale tam, kde se bota jmenuje Melichar, je možné opravdu všechno. I překladatel, který si plete základní slovíčka jako right/left, our/your a temperament/temperamental... Jako každovečerně: Babetka ti očka vyškrááábe! :-(
  Odpovědná redaktorka, jazyková redakce A korektura. A toto je výsledek?
  
  s. 17 elitní kavalergardě
  s. 12 elite Chevalier Guard
  
  s. 18 o FINOVĚ skutečné identitě
  s. 14 his true identify
  
  s. 18 než skončí zima, vězeň 4745 však vydržel déle
  s. 14 before the end of winter, BUT NINE YEARS LATER, prisoner 4745 had lasted longer.
  
  s. 18 Dlouhou tmavou kštici mu zdobily proužky předčasně zšedlých vlasů a na větrem ošlehaných tvářích mu RYCHLE narostly vousy
  s. 14 Streaks of premature grey ran through his long, dark hair and his beard grew THICKLY over winterburned cheeks.
  
  s. 23 „...když by se tím vystavoval nebezpečí?“
  „Jakému nebezpečí?“ chtěl vědět Stalin. (...)
  „Vám, soudruhu Staline.“
  s. 18 „...would put his life in danger?“
  „In danger FROM WHOM?“ demanded Stalin. (...)
  „From you, Comrade Stalin.“
  
  s. 35 funebráci
  Nezná žádné jiné synonymum?
  
  s. 50 pojištovny Jakor ??
  s. 47 All-Russian Insurance Company
  
  s. 60 „SMRTÍCÍ výpravy s tím člověkem,“
  s. 58 Death travels with that man
  viz. s. 245 Měla pravdu (...) Smrt kráčí ve vašich stopách
  
  s. 75 vyštěkl Kirov podrážděně
  s. 74 interrupted Kirov
  
  s. 84 pitomé války
  s. 84 wretched war
  
  s. 84 běžela Kirovovi hlavou
  s. 85 wondered Kirov
  
  s. 85 muže, který možná, ale jen možná žije mezi partyzány?
  s. 85 man, who may or may not be living with the partisants?
  
  s. 97 že jsem magor, že jo?
  s. 98 I was crazy, didnd’t she?
  
  s. 99 Pekkala Kirovovi přitiskl ruku na ústa
  s. 100 Pekkala responded by slapping his hand over Kirov’s mouth
  
  s. 104 „Jakmile? Co třeba teď?“ nadhodil Pekkala.
  s. 106 „Is now soon enough?“ asked Pekkala
  
  s. 104 uvnitř v PRAVÉM horním rohu
  s. 107 in the top LEFT-HAND corner
  
  s. 116 a POKUSEM o sebevraždu
  s. 120 and suicidal
  
  [zpráva od inspektora Pekkaly]
  s. 132 Poznámka
  s. 136 Handwritten note in margin
  
  s. 135 Pekkala se s leknutím probudil
  s. 138 Pekkala awoke with a start
  Je jemný rozdíl mezi probudit se leknutím a trhnutím.
  
  s. 140 jeho LEVÉ oko
  s. 144 his RIGHT eye
  
  s. 159 v krvi, kterou PLIVALA koutky úst
  s. 164 blood which SPILLED FROM the corners of her mouth
  
  s. 1589 „Kde teď je?“
  „Pořád TADY,“ zašeptala.
  s. 164 „Where is he now?“
  „Still THERE,“ she whispered.
  
  s. 162 a sestra Antonina
  s. 167 and the nurse
  
  s. 163 „Proč JSTE NEINFORMOVALI policii?“
  s. 168 „Why haven’t the police BEEN INFORMED about this?“
  
  s. 163 že je Jakuškin třeba jen nezvěstný?
  s. 168 that Yakushkin is even missing?
  
  s. 163 TA žena
  s. 168 THIS woman
  
  s. 163 „Zdržíme se co nejkratší dobu,“
  s. 169 „We’ll be as quick as we can,“
  Kouzlo :-/
  
  s. 164 jídlem
  s. 169 of the stew
  
  s. 167 „Kdo to leží tam na podlaze, je to pan generál?“
  s. 173 „Who is that lying on the floor? Is that the general?“
  
  s. 167 NÁM řekni
  s. 173 tell ME
  
  s. 169 jako oči panenky, kterou někdo položil do lehu
  s. 175 doll tilted on its back
  
  s. 212 Po odchodu z JEJICH obydlí
  s. 220 after leaving the apartement
  JEJÍ byt
  
  s. 215 vašemu
  s. 223 our
  
  s. 215 TEMPERAMENTNÍMI kamny a samovarem, který hvízdal
  s. 224 TEMPERAMENTAL stove and wheezy samovar
  
  A „chair“ je najednou zase „křeslo“? Celou Rudou můru to byla židle.
  
  s. 226 už se zavíraly hranice
  s. 235 the borders were ALREADY closing
  
  s. 244 odsekl Pekkala
  s. 255 answered Pekkala
  
  s. 248 povzdychl si
  s. 260 said
  
  s. 258 „Telegram,“ křikl
  s. 270 „A telegram!“ shouted
  
  s. 258 „Není to od Kirova (...) od inspektora Pekkaly!“
  s. 270,271 „The message is not from Kirov (...) from Pekkala!
  
  Jemné odstíny jsem už ani nečekala.
  s. 262 „Je na čase, aby se k nám Pekkala vrátil.“
  s. 275 „It’s time we had Pekkala back again.“
  
  s. 272 „To je lež!“
  s. 284 „That is all lies!“
  
  s. 272 „Ambasador Davies Stalina požádal, ABYCH zjistil, kde se váš otec nachází, a Stalin ten případ přidělil mně.“
  Nikomou takhle věta nepřišla nelogická?
  s. 286 „Following a request from Ambasador Davies to locate your father, Stalin assigned me to the case.“
  
  s. 275 vagonu, kde byl nacpaný tak, že i mrtví zůstávali stát
  s. 289 cattle car so crowded that even the dead remained standing
  
  s. 285 že všechno, co mu Pekkala řekl, byla lež. Vasko naslouchal JEHO klidnému, důvěrně známému hlasu, který požadoval krev za krev
  s. 300 that everything Pekkala had said was lie. Vasko listened to ITS patient and familiar voice, demanding blood for blood.
  
  s. 286 s mohutným troubením před každou křižovatkou
  s. 301 punching the horn as he SPED THROUGH every intersection
  ?
  
  s. 286 „Víte, že tady se to nesmí!“
  s. 301 „You know you cannot do that here!“
  
  s. 287 opíral se o přední desku svého stolu
  s. 302 sitting on the front edge of his desk
  
  s. 289 Sakra dobře jste si to načasoval
  s. 305 You took your damned time getting here
  
  s. 290 odmávl ho
  s. 306 waved him away
  
  
  Není mi jasné, proč i oficiální zprávy (od tajemníka ambasadora, od Pekkaly atd.) jsou psány psacím písmem. V originále jsou tak psány pouze dopisy od osob. I kurzívu používají jinak než v originále.
  
  Korektura:
  s. 32 Předal ho četařka Gatkinové
  s. 116 a prozradím i, kam jsem
  s. 278 Pospěště si
  s. 284 tvrdí-„
  
  
  uvozovky - s. 54, 83, 103, 173, 175, 216, 243, 274, 285, 288
  
  + zavádějící anotace
  Součástí příběhu je i psychologická studie Stalinovy nenápadné podlosti, které se dopouštěl na lidech kolem sebe. Pekkala jako první přestal Stalinovi věřit a odhalil, že to je člověk s násilnou a paranoidní povahou. Pekkalova odplata se blíží.
  Eastlandův Stalin je spíš politováníhodný a nešťastný z toho, že se s ním Pekkala nechce kamarádit, i když si hrají na jednom písečku. Pomiňme, že před Stalinem varoval už Lenin. Pokud by Pekkalovi trvalo desítky let odhalit Stalinovu povahu, stěží by byl nejlepším vyšetřovatel v Rusku.
  Pekkalova odplata? Vskutku?
• 
  David Lowther

  Each of the Inspector Pekkala novels seems better than the previous. I hope the standard is maintained.
  
  My best advice is to read these in order. To an extent each is a stand-alone but to really get to grips with the fascinating and enigmatic Pekkala it's best to see his character evolve through his various adventures.
  
  The Red Forest of the title is in the Ukraine and the story is set during the Second world War. The narrative needs to be carefully followed because there are almost as many conflicting groups as in the Spanish Civil War; Red Army, Wehrmacht , pro German Ukrainians, partisans, NKVD, the SS and so on. Pekalla has got quite a mystery to solve this time.
  
  The impression the novel left me with was that the war on the Eastern Front was a total nightmare. Stalin frequently appears and is painted, as you'd expect, as heartless and ruthless. I've never much fancied going to Russia. A very good, complex atmospheric thriller.
  
  David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
• 
  Grant S

  Daft but enjoyable second world war thriller.
  With the end of the war approaching and imminent defeat of the Nazi's the Soviet forces are left wondering what to do with the partisans who've been fighting behind enemy lines.
  It look's like a civil war might breakout in the Ukraine. Josef Stalin sends his emissary Andrich to negotiate with the various partisan groups.
  At the same time the remains of the Tsar's greatest detective, the Finn, Inspector Pekkala have been found. Is he really dead? Stalin needs to know for sure so sends Pekkala's ex partner, Kirov, to investigate.
  The Pekkala character reminded me of a cross between Rasputin and Sherlock Holmes, mystical but brilliant detective, and for Kirov read Doctor Watson, bumbling and incompetent.
  They find themselves in the middle of an uneasy peace between the Partisans and Red Army.
  However someone is murdering the leaders of both sides and trying to wreck the uneasy peace.
  Only Pekkala can find the murderer and prevent the assassination of Stalin in the Kremlin.
  An easy to read and lightweight story that any fans of Jack Higgins or Alistair Maclean would appreciate.
• 
  Philip Kuhn

  I love the Inspector Pekkla mysteries. They are different than the usual book. Like the characters and the Russian landscape as the setting. I thought I had it figured out who the "second assassin" was, but I was wrong!
• 
  Katherine

  Usually really love the tales of Inspector Pekkala but found this one difficult to follow. After the Revolution and the rise of Stalin and the onset of WW II life in Russia was incredibly chaotic and this book reflects that. There were Czechs trying to get across the country to Vladivostok so they could get to their homeland without crossing Germany or Poland etc. although they did not play a big role in this story. There were all kinds of partisans--some supportive of the ruling Red Party, some trying to overthrow it--but none working together but rather fighting among themselves. There were the members of various sectors of the Red Army and Security services and there were invading German armies. Trying to keep all the factions straight at any given moment was confusing. By the time the middle of the book was reached things were finally making sense. Especially the memos scattered throughout the book dealing with an American and his family.
  
  It seems there were Americans who left the US in an effort to escape the unemployment and hardships of the Depression. Some of them took their families and moved to the Soviet Union where they obtained jobs in manufacturing plants there. This particular man went to work for Ford and he and his family were provided with housing as part of his salary. At some point, he was arrested for unknown reasons and his family evicted from the company housing. The memos were from him to the American Embassy, from the American Embassy to the Soviet Gov't, from his wife to the Americans etc . These missives appeared randomly throughout the book and seemingly had no relationship to the story, other than the fact that Pekkala at some point was directed by Stalin to investigate and make his findings and recommendations to Stalin as soon as possible. This all took place before Pekkala disappeared two years prior.
  
  Now, the main concern of this story is that Pekkala HAS been missing from Moscow for two years and he has not been in touch with either his boss, the bipolar madman, Stalin or with his devoted assistant Kirov, who misses him and wishes he were there to meet the girl Kirov is falling for, among other reasons. Stalin decides to send Kirov out to find Pekkala among the partisans in the Northern forest regions. What Kirov does not realize is that, once more, Stalin has decided to kill the Emerald Eye.
  
  Off Kirov goes to the war torn area of destroyed villages and infighting partisans, where a Russian commissar in a new uniform emblazoned with the red stars of the Soviet may or may not survive. Once all the factions are sorted out the story of these men is, as usual, quite exciting and convoluted. Not the best of the Pekkala series so far, but still worth making the effort to stay til the surprising end.
• 
  Speesh

  The Inspector Pekkala novels from 'Sam Eastland' (you know what I'm saying), are absolutely superb, all of them, every single one. This is too. And then some.
  
  For some reason, the previous book (number four, The Red Moth), was treated then, and is at the start here (number five), as an ending, and this is a new start of a sort. Why, I don't know. It's there on the cover as "The fifth Inspector Pekkala novel will delight fans and newcomers alike." While inside, there is, especially in the first half, plenty of what has gone on before, not just of what happened in The Red Moth, but also plenty of Pekkala's own background. There is a natural break in the timeline, as after the previous book finishing and this one starting, Pekkala has been 'missing' for - as Kirov, revealing the affection he feels for the awkward cuss, tells Stalin - "over two years, three months, five days." Other than that...there doesn't really seem to be a need for such a break, the story continues, almost, as if the break didn't happen. It reads like the characters have just been in a kind of limbo, waiting for Pekkala to be found, then they carry on, almost, as if nothing has happened. Of course it does add to Pekkala's mystique, but he had that in spades already. But also, the wrongness of saying missing and found when referring to Pekkala is obvious to those of us who have been on his case from the start. Pekkala went missing for other people, not himself and he was only found by the others, when he wanted to be. I know I'm talking as though Pekkala is a real person, but reading these superb stories, you kinda get that way.
  
  Pekkala takes the story and Kirov (amongst others) to the western front for the Soviets and the Eastern Front for the Germans. Ukraine, to be specific. Where the border was, and probably is again, 'fluid.' The Germans capture areas, then the Soviets capture them back, then the Germans re-take them, then the Soviets...you know. The Ukrainians? They're in the middle getting killed by both sides. And it wasn't over when kindly Uncle Joe finally re-took the area for good...not good at all. All the elements that have made th series unmissable are still here, finely drawn, intriguing characters, a superb plot, the enigmatic, withdrawn, always interesting Pekkala and Kirov. Well, he comes more into it here, especially as Pekkala doesn't appear for 90 pages or so. And Poskrebychev, Stalin's Secretary - well, who'd have thought? Fortunately, the comedy routines between him and Stalin have been tones down some more - apart from one - and that just adds to the sense of foreboding, of impending doom, of micro-management, of uncertainty, shifting changes of will that there should be.
  
  It's not as terribly austere as Tom Rob Smith's series, or William Ryan's all that is there, and Pekkala has surely gone through much more than the main characters of those series, but with Pekkala you get the feeling that he could not only survive anything, but could, would, walk away when he saw the final writing on the wall, and, though he wouldn't admit it, look after his friends as well.
  
  I'll say it again in case you missed it, The Beast In The Red Forest is a quite superb book.
  
  Blog:
  Speesh Reads
  Facebook:
  Speesh Reads
  Pinterest:
  Speesh Reads
• 
  Graham Tapper

  Well, is Inspector Pekkala dead, or not? At the end of the previous book that was unclear. That we have here another book in the series rather suggests the answer to that question.
  
  But first we have to consider the circumstances. Pekkala has been sent on an errand by Stalin and Stalin does not take failure well. This could be why a body identified as Pekkala's was found and his death announced. But we all know that Pekkala is a notoriously difficult man to kill.
  
  Mind you, "failure" is in the eye of the beholder. And Stalin wasn't there; Pekkala was. Maybe the outcome was the best that could be hoped for under the circumstances. The problem is explaining that to Stalin. Without being killed!
  
  We are transported to the Eastern Front towards the end of WWII, to the town of Rovno in Ukraine, at that time part of the Soviet Empire, and where three groups are battling for control: the Russians; the Germans; and the Ukrainian Partisans.
  
  It is the partisans who are the key. Totally disunited even amongst themselves, with dozens of individual gangs, each with allegiances only to themselves and aligning themselves with whichever side they think will help them achieve their aim of reclaiming their land and staying alive. That they may be slaughtered is more likely at the direction of Stalin than the Germans. Stalin will not tolerate any who are not totally dedicated to his leadership, and even then is as likely to promise clemency and then renege.
  
  But, it is not with Pekkala that we start but with an American, who sees Russia as the relief from destitution for himself and his family from the Great Depression of 1930s America. His journey to find work starts with high expectations but, as his story is told in letters, he and his family find that their expectations are badly misjudged and their fortunes descending into nightmare. The story of this family and that of Pekkala will come together in a way the Inspector does not expect.
  
  When evidence suggests that Pekkala is not dead, Stalin dispatches Kirov to find him and bring him home. The clues point to Rovno, and to that hell-hole is where he heads.
  
  The solution to the problem of Rovno is to find a way for the partisans to work together, despite their differences. That, however, is neither in the interests of Stalin, nor of his opposite number in German High Command, Admiral Canaris. Both want unrest to continue in the hopes that their side will benefit and win ground in the battle for the front.
  
  But, who can be trusted? Will Kirov find Pekkala? How will he succeed in Stalin's demand and will Pekkala cooperate, even if he is alive?
• 
  Ishmael Soledad

  Perhaps because it was out of my usual genre, or perhaps I have not read any of the previous novels, I found this one very hard to get into. There's scads of detail that, far from building the plot, detract from it; and although the novel is touted as an "Inspector Pekkala" novel, it is more a Commissar Kirov centered novel, with Pekkala playing second fiddle to him.
  
  Perhaps that is what Eastland wanted; perhaps that is how the series of novels is designed; and, I hope, perhaps all of the character development and depth work is done in the previous novels. I just could not engage with the characters, the novel, the plot, or Eastland's writing style.
  
  Having said that it's not a difficult read. It skips along (generally) at a good pace and there's no clanging gaffes; and there are enough twists to keep anyone happy. Oh, and some nice narrative twining.
  
  So, don't let me put you off the novel. If you want to read Eastland's Inspector Pekkala series, start at the first one and work your way to this; don't jump the queue like I did.
• 
  Hans Brienesse

  Interesting book, interesting concept although unlikely in parts. This was my first experience of Sam Eastland and Inspector Pekkala and it was thoroughly enjoyable. A few twists and turns but then it was somewhat spoiled by the "engineered" circumstances of the characters. Some things would defy rational thinking and some things are taken a little out of historical context.But I am not going to tell you what they are; read it for yourself and if you see what I saw you will see what I mean, if you do not see it then well and good. But, I did enjoy the rollicking story and will read more in the future.
• 
  David Nadolny

  Not feeling well today so I finished this book.
  
  WOW! I've enjoyed these Inspector Pekkala books and this is the best one so far. I like this period in Russian history for a detective setting.
  
  I love the way the author ties up/ties together multiple plot points from other books and even from within this one.
  
  
  The best is the series of short letters interspersed in the first two-thirds of the book, which, while interesting, seem to have no connection to the rest of the book. But then, BAM, he weaves the stories together. What fun.
• 
  Thomas Petri

  Sam Eastland(Paul Watkins) never disappoints. Thank you Early Readers for introducing mw to Inspector Pekkala, the novels are always riveting. Very informative historically about Stalin and his cruel hold over the Russian people, told with a little literary license, it is a novel. after all. But very enjoyable in a dark sort of way.
• 
  Melissa

  This series has been a fascinating, heartbreaking, scary look into the unimaginable poverty and brutal desperation of WW2 Soviet Union living. I have enjoyed reading about the dynamic between Kirov and Pekkala and the seeming impossibility of good men living and surviving in Stalin's Russia. As hard as it is to read, I will be sad when the series is finished.
• 
  JC

  Another interesting read in this series. Really enjoyed it and we saw a bit less of Pekkala in the beginning but thought the backstory we got was really interesting.
• 
  Andrew Small

  Good, somewhat anticlimactic in comparison to the prior novels.
• 
  AVid_D

  Enjoyable enough but, for me, one of the weaker books in the series.
• 
  AdiTurbo

  Another great read in this series, maybe a little bit less so than the others but still very gratifying and full of well-written characters, suspenseful twists and fascinating historical anecdotes.
• 
  Simon Meriva

  Will have to find some more of this writers work.
• 
  Michii05

  War okay, hat mich jetzt nicht unbedingt gepackt. Aber wer sich für Krimis aus der Zeit des 2. Weltkrieges interessiert, für den ist das bestimmt was!