Rating: 
Summary: Murder in the twilight of the Tsar
Review: I enjoy reading both fiction and non-fiction books about Russia around the end of the Romanov dynasty. That was such an interesting time period in history, and many things happened while the regime was slowly crumbling from within. This extremely well-written work of fiction adds another aspect to the time when everything was collapsing. There are mysterious murders, and one of the victims worked for the Imperial family. We go into the lair of the secret police, and into the center of the royal family itself, where the tsarina makes a cameo appearance. There are imperial servants, spies, revolutionaries, and our hero, an honest man trying to do his job while all falls arart, including his own family. It's essentially a sad tale, but one that really involves the reader. I enjoyed this book so much that I ordered "The Master of Rain", another work by this same author, and I expect to enjoy it as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A Quick Read with Substance
Review: I picked this book up when I was at the library and was interested because I liked the setting (Russia, 1917) and thought it sounded interesting. It was fantastic! Here's why:The plot moved at a nice pace. Characters were developed, but not too much where you got bored or couldn't remember who's who. The author gave you as much information as you needed to keep things moving. He let you learn about characters through their interactions with other characters instead of going into long, drawn out descriptions. There are a few twists and turns. Enough to keep you going, but somewhat predictable at times. Classic themes relating to love, class, family relationships and wealth are peppered throughout. Physical settings are given their due. The reader gets a good idea of the divide between upper and lower classes in Imperial Russia in terms of physical comforts and conditions. The reader also gets an image of how large and diverse Russia is/was and also how divided it was. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the ending. I'm not going to say what I expected or would have liked to see. Suffice to say, the book just ends. It ends well enough to leave you thinking about a few things, but not where you feel like there was a good amount of resolution.
Rating:
Summary: A Quick Read with Substance
Review: I picked this book up when I was at the library and was interested because I liked the setting (Russia, 1917) and thought it sounded interesting. It was fantastic! Here's why: The plot moved at a nice pace. Characters were developed, but not too much where you got bored or couldn't remember who's who. The author gave you as much information as you needed to keep things moving. He let you learn about characters through their interactions with other characters instead of going into long, drawn out descriptions. There are a few twists and turns. Enough to keep you going, but somewhat predictable at times. Classic themes relating to love, class, family relationships and wealth are peppered throughout. Physical settings are given their due. The reader gets a good idea of the divide between upper and lower classes in Imperial Russia in terms of physical comforts and conditions. The reader also gets an image of how large and diverse Russia is/was and also how divided it was. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the ending. I'm not going to say what I expected or would have liked to see. Suffice to say, the book just ends. It ends well enough to leave you thinking about a few things, but not where you feel like there was a good amount of resolution.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding - Deserves more readers
Review: I read 2 books this week, this and Bangkok 8. Both were excellent. This whodunit takes place in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1917. I won't rehash the plot, instead just say it gives you an idea what life and times were like then and a good mystery too. Mr. Bradby, who looks very young based on the D.J. photo, is a very good writer who has obviously done his research. Sometimes a book slips under the radar and sells less than it deserves, a shame. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A great follow-up to "The Master of Rain"
Review: I read a lot of historical fiction. The two things that draw my attention & garner my enthusiasm are (1) authentic historical setting & details, and (2) a plot & characters more interesting than a mere "history book". In his first novel "The Master of Rain" set in 1920s Shanghai, Tom Bradby delivered on both of these in spades. As a follow-up to this impressive debut, "The White Russian" does not disappoint. Set in St. Petersburg during the first stirrings of the Bolshevik revolution, this book rings with impressive authenticity. The detachment of the Tsar's regime, the role of the secret police, the aristocratic class & their sense of entitlement, the desperation of budding revolutionaries, all of these ring true. A great setting for a murder mystery, as the story's hero, a discredited police inspector, finds two bodies on the frozen river outside the Tsar's winter palace. As the book begins, Inspector Ruzsky has no idea the complex & twisted path his investigation will take before the killer or killers are finally revealed. This author is a major new talent in historical fiction, & has twice now mastered all the elements of an engrossing story that transports us to another time & place. Where to next, Mr. Bradby?
Rating:
Summary: A great follow-up to "The Master of Rain"
Review: I read a lot of historical fiction. The two things that draw my attention & garner my enthusiasm are (1) authentic historical setting & details, and (2) a plot & characters more interesting than a mere "history book". In his first novel "The Master of Rain" set in 1920s Shanghai, Tom Bradby delivered on both of these in spades. As a follow-up to this impressive debut, "The White Russian" does not disappoint. Set in St. Petersburg during the first stirrings of the Bolshevik revolution, this book rings with impressive authenticity. The detachment of the Tsar's regime, the role of the secret police, the aristocratic class & their sense of entitlement, the desperation of budding revolutionaries, all of these ring true. A great setting for a murder mystery, as the story's hero, a discredited police inspector, finds two bodies on the frozen river outside the Tsar's winter palace. As the book begins, Inspector Ruzsky has no idea the complex & twisted path his investigation will take before the killer or killers are finally revealed. This author is a major new talent in historical fiction, & has twice now mastered all the elements of an engrossing story that transports us to another time & place. Where to next, Mr. Bradby?
Rating:
Summary: An involving thriller
Review: I wasn't sure about "White Russian" when I started reading it. Historical mysteries are not the easiest books to write and, from my point of view, a novel in this genre can turn only two ways - a great one or a bad one. Also, as I am Russian, a foreigner writing about my countrys' past... well, let's just say, that some books about Russia, I've read were laughable in there depiction of the country.
Luckily, all my suspisions were proven wrong.
The book starts with two bodies found on the ice of Neva river on the first day of 1917. St. Petersburg is a frozen city on a brink of revolution. The government is in dissaray, as people think not of how to prevent a revolution, but how to save themselves when it comes. In comes Alexander "Sandro" Ruszki - the Chief Investigator. He is one of those officers, who will hunt down the truth whatever it takes. And pretty soon the trail takes him to rather high places...
But the book is not just a mystery - it's a story about people, who got caught in extraordinary moment in history - about love, honor, trust and hard choices you sometimes has to do to survive.
The recreation of the place and period is near perfect. There are some minor issues, but I don't think that any reader outside of Russia will notice them.
This is a very strong book, weaving a story around the real facts and persons. If you are interested in Russia, it can give you a good insight into its past and the Russian people.
Rating:
Summary: An involving thriller
Review: I wasn't sure about "White Russian" when I started reading it. Historical mysteries are not the easiest books to write and, from my point of view, a novel in this genre can turn only two ways - a great one or a bad one. Also, as I am Russian, a foreigner writing about my countrys' past... well, let's just say, that some books about Russia, I've read were laughable in there depiction of the country.
Luckily, all my suspisions were proven wrong.
The book starts with two bodies found on the ice of Neva river on the first day of 1917. St. Petersburg is a frozen city on a brink of revolution. The government is in dissaray, as people think not of how to prevent a revolution, but how to save themselves when it comes. In comes Alexander "Sandro" Ruszki - the Chief Investigator. He is one of those officers, who will hunt down the truth whatever it takes. And pretty soon the trail takes him to rather high places...
But the book is not just a mystery - it's a story about people, who got caught in extraordinary moment in history - about love, honor, trust and hard choices you sometimes has to do to survive.
The recreation of the place and period is near perfect. There are some minor issues, but I don't think that any reader outside of Russia will notice them.
This is a very strong book, weaving a story around the real facts and persons. If you are interested in Russia, it can give you a good insight into its past and the Russian people.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery Wrapped in the Enigma of Pre-Revolutionary Russia
Review: It is New Year's morning in 1917 in frigid St. Petersburg, the capital of old Russia. The February revolution that will sweep Tsar Nicholas away is only weeks away. The Bolshevik revolution of November, 1917 (October in the old Russian calendar) will take place within the year. Russia, particularly St. Petersburg, is consumed by strikes, speculation, food shortages, and a growing disdain for the Tsar. The city is awash in rumors of the debauched relationship between the recently assassinated Rasputin and the Tsarina Alexandra. The wave of nationalistic fervor that marked Russia's entry into WWI in August 1914 has been replaced by despair, dismay, and finally indifference as a haplessly incompetent officer corps leads the Russian army into defeat upon defeat at the hands of the Kaiser's army. As the sun rises on New Year's day two bodies are found on the frozen river Neva within sight of the Imperial Palace. One man and a young woman have been brutally murdered. Sandro Ruzsky, St. Petersburg's chief police investigator is called to the scene. Sandro is the scion of a Russian noble, Nicolas Ruzsky, the Tsar's Deputy Finance Minister. Sandro's decision to join the police rather than take up the military career embarked upon by his father and his ancestors has caused irreparable harm to the father/son relationship. The rift is further heightened by the blame Nicolas has always placed on Sandro for the death by drowning of Sandro's youngest brother. The boy's death years ago continues to haunt both father and son. It is Sandro's first day back on the job after a three-year exile/posting to Siberia courtesy of the Okhrana, the Tsar's secret police (the KGB of its day). Sandro's exile resulted in the break up of his marriage to his wife Irina who left Siberia to take up on affair with an aging, corpulent Grand Duke. Sandro is more than a bit tired, drunk, and hung-over as he steps onto the ice. Sandro is accompanied by his assistant Pavel. Sandro's exile was caused in no small part by Pavel's actions but Sandro took all the blame onto himself on the theory that Pavel, a person of lesser birth, would have suffered a fate worse than Sandro's. This action of course leaves Pavel devoted to Sandro. These two murders are followed in rapid succession by other, equally brutal murders. It is Sandro's job to solve the murders which may or may not involve members of the Royal family. Sandro's investigation is impeded at every step of the way by the Okhrana. Nothing is quite what it seems and no one is quite who they seem. Allegiance is a duty owed only to oneself, or so it seems. Sandro's investigation takes him across Russia to his family's summer home and then on to the Crimea. The story line is inexorably linked to the dramatic events unfolding across Russa. As events proceed Sandro rediscovers the love of his life and this tortured relationship forms an emotional cornerstone of the book along with the examination of Sandro's relationship with his father. It would be unfair to reveal any more of the story line. One of White Russian's strength is the development of the plot and its characters. A little bit is revealed on each page. It is fair to say that this book is more than a simply murder mystery. Bradby's characters, particularly those of Sandro and his father evoke a time and place where honor in the face of adversity counted more than either convenience or love much to the detriment of both men. This notion of honor and duty is at once the cause and resolution of the rift between father and son. In a fast paced manner Bradby conveys with dexterity the feel of a city lost in a fog of war and insurrection. Everyone sees the revolution coming but like an out-of-control train no one seems willing or able to do anything about it. Bradby takes us into the minds of the entrenched nobility, striking workers, and revolutionary students. One can feel the revolution approaching as the book reaches its climactic moments. It is the inevitability of the coming revolutions that serves as the conceptual underpinning of both the murders and the resolution of the story. This was an enjoyable book.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery Wrapped in the Enigma of Pre-Revolutionary Russia
Review: It is New Year's morning in 1917 in frigid St. Petersburg, the capital of old Russia. The February revolution that will sweep Tsar Nicholas away is only weeks away. The Bolshevik revolution of November, 1917 (October in the old Russian calendar) will take place within the year. Russia, particularly St. Petersburg, is consumed by strikes, speculation, food shortages, and a growing disdain for the Tsar. The city is awash in rumors of the debauched relationship between the recently assassinated Rasputin and the Tsarina Alexandra. The wave of nationalistic fervor that marked Russia's entry into WWI in August 1914 has been replaced by despair, dismay, and finally indifference as a haplessly incompetent officer corps leads the Russian army into defeat upon defeat at the hands of the Kaiser's army. As the sun rises on New Year's day two bodies are found on the frozen river Neva within sight of the Imperial Palace. One man and a young woman have been brutally murdered. Sandro Ruzsky, St. Petersburg's chief police investigator is called to the scene. Sandro is the scion of a Russian noble, Nicolas Ruzsky, the Tsar's Deputy Finance Minister. Sandro's decision to join the police rather than take up the military career embarked upon by his father and his ancestors has caused irreparable harm to the father/son relationship. The rift is further heightened by the blame Nicolas has always placed on Sandro for the death by drowning of Sandro's youngest brother. The boy's death years ago continues to haunt both father and son. It is Sandro's first day back on the job after a three-year exile/posting to Siberia courtesy of the Okhrana, the Tsar's secret police (the KGB of its day). Sandro's exile resulted in the break up of his marriage to his wife Irina who left Siberia to take up on affair with an aging, corpulent Grand Duke. Sandro is more than a bit tired, drunk, and hung-over as he steps onto the ice. Sandro is accompanied by his assistant Pavel. Sandro's exile was caused in no small part by Pavel's actions but Sandro took all the blame onto himself on the theory that Pavel, a person of lesser birth, would have suffered a fate worse than Sandro's. This action of course leaves Pavel devoted to Sandro. These two murders are followed in rapid succession by other, equally brutal murders. It is Sandro's job to solve the murders which may or may not involve members of the Royal family. Sandro's investigation is impeded at every step of the way by the Okhrana. Nothing is quite what it seems and no one is quite who they seem. Allegiance is a duty owed only to oneself, or so it seems. Sandro's investigation takes him across Russia to his family's summer home and then on to the Crimea. The story line is inexorably linked to the dramatic events unfolding across Russa. As events proceed Sandro rediscovers the love of his life and this tortured relationship forms an emotional cornerstone of the book along with the examination of Sandro's relationship with his father. It would be unfair to reveal any more of the story line. One of White Russian's strength is the development of the plot and its characters. A little bit is revealed on each page. It is fair to say that this book is more than a simply murder mystery. Bradby's characters, particularly those of Sandro and his father evoke a time and place where honor in the face of adversity counted more than either convenience or love much to the detriment of both men. This notion of honor and duty is at once the cause and resolution of the rift between father and son. In a fast paced manner Bradby conveys with dexterity the feel of a city lost in a fog of war and insurrection. Everyone sees the revolution coming but like an out-of-control train no one seems willing or able to do anything about it. Bradby takes us into the minds of the entrenched nobility, striking workers, and revolutionary students. One can feel the revolution approaching as the book reaches its climactic moments. It is the inevitability of the coming revolutions that serves as the conceptual underpinning of both the murders and the resolution of the story. This was an enjoyable book.
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