Child 44

Tom Rob Smith

Apr 2008 · Sold by Grand Central Publishing

About this eBook

In a country ruled by fear, no one is innocent.

Stalin's Soviet Union is an official paradise, where citizens live free from crime and fear only one thing: the all-powerful state. Defending this system is idealistic security officer Leo Demidov, a war hero who believes in the iron fist of the law. But when a murderer starts to kill at will and Leo dares to investigate, the State's obedient servant finds himself demoted and exiled. Now, with only his wife at his side, Leo must fight to uncover shocking truths about a killer-and a country where "crime" doesn't exist.

Ratings and reviews

I thought Child 44 was an excellent book. I felt the ending was a little predictable and unnecessary, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found reading about life in Stalin's totalitarian USSR absolutely fascinating, no disrespect intended to those who suffered through it. In that sense, I found the psychological aspect of the book to be riveting. I began the second book of the series today; Tom Rob Smith has a new fan.

This was my first novel by Tom Smith. I really enjoyed reading it. It shows me how Stalin's regime was and how people suffer during the war. And most of all how to prove that there's a crime in a State that claims that there is no such thing as a crime. And that's what agent Leo is trying to prove risking everything online, his career, his marriage, his parents and his life. I really recommend this novel to everyone who loves thriller and mysterious novel. And really looking to see its upcoming movie

Pretty good I liked this novel. It reminded me of Gorky Park, though not quite as well written. I was a litte bewildered at first about where the story was going, since it starts out like a couple of different short stories thrown together. Eventually it is all brought together, though the investigation into the murders doesn't begin until nearly half way into the novel. eBook edition was formatted well without any obvious errors.

About the author

International #1 bestselling author Tom Rob Smith graduated from Cambridge University in 2001 and lives in London. His novels in the Child 44 trilogy were New York Times bestsellers and international publishing sensations. Among its many honors, Child 44 won the ITW 2009 Thriller Award for Best First Novel, The Strand Magazine 2008 Critics Award for Best First Novel, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.