This was an amazing book. I loved the writing style, the pacing, and and plot. I didn't see the twist coming at the end and anything about the Romanov's is always interesting. I'm glad I picked this book up and can't wait to read the rest of the series. I've never read a book without chapters...
This book and its sequels have probably been the best books I've read this summer. The novel has historical references to the Tsar as well as comrade Stalin and they both look for help from this legendary detective, Pekkala who resembles Sherlock Holmes to help solve cases that all involve his pa...
This novel introduces Pekkala, a prisoner in the gulags of Siberia who was once the most trusted investigator of Tsar Nicholas. It is 1929 and Pekkala has been a prisoner for nine years and spends his time alone in the forest, marking trees to be cut. When he returns to the crude hut he has mad...
A quick and easy read but nothing special in the genre and will make anyone with historical knowledge of the time cringe with pain.The historical issues are well covered in other reviews so I will skip them.It is hard to care for the characters who all fit into a few fairly simple cliches and lac...
This is not your standard whodunit! The author has such a way with words - here is an example:"As Pekkala turned, he saw a face in the window of a house, sliding back into the shadows like a drowned man sinking to the bottom of a lake." Inspector Pekkela discussing personal boundaries, with Maj...
In Inspector Pekkala's second outing, the ex special investigator for the Tsar, now working for Stalin, explores the Russian justice system, avoids the political in fighting, has fascinating flash backs to his days serving the Tsar, and prevents a premature start of WWII while investigating a mur...
This one wasn't as good as the previous Inspector Pekkala books. It was more of a survival story rather than a spy thriller, and the ending was a bit contrived. Eastland, however, did do a good job of exploring the motives of the various characters whether it be their motives in life or in the ...
For only 262 pages Eastland packs quite a punch. In this installment Pekkala is sent back to the same Gulag where he spent nine years in exile. Stalin has ordered him to solve the mystery of a murdered inmate so Pekkala has to go in as a prisoner. Could there be another reason for sending Pekkala...
After receiving her statement in the mail, and seeing that there was considerably more in her account than should have been there, she went to the bank manager to find out what had happened. ‘Everything is in order,’ he assured her. ‘The money has been wired from Moscow.’ ...
‘He works at the Institute of Religion and Atheism in Leningrad. At least, he used to. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the city was besieged back in 1941.’‘Then how do you know if he is even still alive?’ asked Kirov.‘I don’t,’ answered Pekkala.While Kirov returned home to his wife with th...
‘Why did you have to kill them?’ he asked Leontev. ‘You only wanted their clothes. Surely something could have been found for them to wear instead.’ ‘We would have killed them anyway,’ Leontev told him matter of factly. ‘Glavpur does not take prisoners.’ Stefanov hesitated. ‘Does the Comrade Capt...
Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2011 by Sam EastlandExcerpt from Archive 17 by Sam Eastland copyright ©...
The circumstances of his arrest involved allegations that he was attempting to flee the country illegally, along with his wife and children. Although I have found no documentary evidence of this, Vasko readily admitted that he had planned to return his wife and children to the United States, whic...