Stalin's Soviet Union strives to be a paradise for its workers, providing for all of their needs. One of its fundamental pillars is that its citizens live free from the fear of ordinary crime and criminals.
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 Moscow, even providing a decent apartment for his parents. His only ambition has been to serve his country. For this greater good, he has arrested and interrogated.
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 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 remaining at his side, Leo must find and stop a criminal that the State won't admit even exists.
This is a book that I happened to pick up by chance while glancing around the bargain section at my local Barnes & Noble. Based very loosely around the crimes of real life Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, the aspect of the book that hooked me the most was Stalin's view on crime in the USSR. "There is no crime." I've done my fair share of research on this era of Soviet history, and this book accurately portrays the brutality and paranoia of that era. People being arrested, interrogated, and subsequently executed or sent to the Gulag for something as simple as speaking against the State, or owning a book or publication from the West. If dissidence was suspected, no proof was needed. This theme is prevalent throughout the novel, and makes for seriously compelling reading. Part cautionary tale, part love story, part political intrigue, this is a thriller unlike any I have ever read. If you have even a passing interest in the Stalin-era USSR, or crime thrillers in general, check it out.
"Growing up my dad was like 'You have a great last name, Galifianakis. Galifianakis...begins with a gal...and ends with a kiss...' I'm like that's great dad, can we get it changed to 'Galifianafuck' please?" -- Zach Galifianakis
