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Child 44 (Leo Demidov #1)

by Tom Rob Smith

3.95 · rating details · 8,427 ratings · 1,650 reviews

A relentless page-turner.
A terrifying evocation of a paranoid world where no one can be trusted.
A surprising, unexpected story of love and family, of hope and resilience.
CHILD 44 is a thriller unlike any you have ever read.

"There is no crime."

Stalin's Soviet Union strives to be a paradise for its workers, providing for all of their needs. One of its fundamental p...more

Paperback, 493 pages

Published April 1st 2009 by Hachette (first published 2008)

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Jan 05, 2009

Zinta rated it

If it weren't for the Soviet Union and the blood lust of the Russian communists, I would not exist. My parents were World War II refugees, on the run for their lives from Soviet-occupied Latvia. They arrived in the United States at about the same time, immigrants with nothing but what they wore on their backs, with the most skeletal English language skills. Had they not spotted each other across the room of immigrants and felt drawn one to the other, well, that would have been an entirely differ...moreIf it weren't for the Soviet Union and the blood lust of the Russian communists, I would not exist. My parents were World War II refugees, on the run for their lives from Soviet-occupied Latvia. They arrived in the United States at about the same time, immigrants with nothing but what they wore on their backs, with the most skeletal English language skills. Had they not spotted each other across the room of immigrants and felt drawn one to the other, well, that would have been an entirely different story, and without me in it.

Even so, you won't hear gratitude from me. My existence does not by any measure outweigh the brutalities of Soviet power. A large percentage of the Latvian population was deported, tortured and executed under the communist regime. My life cannot measure up to such suffering of the multitudes. In later years, I traveled several times to the Soviet Union to see for myself this world that had so often been described to me, yet nonetheless remained and remains nearly incomprehensible. The experience of my travels behind the Iron Curtain is a memory that will never leave me. These are the memories and impressions returned to me with the reading of Tom Rob Smith's debut novel, Child 44.

Tom Rob Smith has taken his premise for Child 44 from the true story of Russian serial murderer, Andrei Chikatilo, who murdered over 50 women and children in Russia during the 1980s. Although Smith has set his story in an earlier time period, the 1950s, he has not lost, but only gained levels of intrigue and suspense by choosing the worst years of Soviet oppression. The difference, the author explains, is that in the latter years, someone in open rebellion against the political system might lose an apartment, while in earlier years, it would have meant the loss of life.

The story of Child 44 has the chill of historical and political accuracy. The author is still in his twenties at this writing, yet the combination of his research and already rich life and travel experience have given him the depth of insight required to bring this tale of Soviet horror vividly to life. I had to wonder, in fact, and quite often during my reading, how many readers less aware of Soviet history might construe this as mere fantasy. In too many ways, it is not. The sense of unraveling sanity and logic threaded throughout daily Soviet life is all too real: Black is declared white and white, black. What you see, you are told, is not what you see. What you know is not to be known. Deny everything. And in saving your own life, choose who will die among your loved ones.

Leo Demidov is a key character, the communist detective pursuing the killer who cannot be named. The first insanity is that the Soviet government denies the existence of crime in its so-called utopian state. If life is perfection, why would anyone commit a crime? Crime, they claim, is an outgrowth of a capitalist society. And then, a crime so gruesome as to kill a child, ripping open his belly to expose his insides, stuffing his open mouth with bark and gravel. Yet such dead and tortured children's bodies appear throughout Soviet Russia, and despite the growing threat to his own safety, Demidov is determined to stop the child murderer. He cannot question witnesses, however, when there is no official crime to witness. He cannot conduct investigations when there is no official crime to investigate. To stop these murders, Demidov must become himself a criminal against the state. Such is Stalin's workers' paradise ...

The stakes grow ever higher, as Demidov's loyalty to the state is tested when his wife is accused of being a spy. In spite of her innocence, Demidov is faced with calling the authorities liars by defending his wife--or handing over his innocent wife to be executed but show his loyalty to the state that does no wrong.

A page-turner, indeed, but blood runs even colder when one knows this type of existence was all too real behind the Iron Curtain of the very real Soviet Union. Tom Rob Smith has my respect and admiration for putting into words what makes so little sense to the rational mind. I suggest supplemental reading in the form of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Gulag Archipelago for the true history of this nightmarish world.

~Zinta Aistars for The Smoking Poet, Summer 2008 Issue (less)

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Jul 01, 2008

Michael rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, read-in-2008

Child 44 is a novel that's hard to figure out where to place on the bookshelf. It's a political thriller, a murder mystery and a horror story all in one. Combining those elements alone would have been enough, but first-time novelist Tom Rob Smith takes is further, setting his story around the time of the death of Stalin in the former Soviet Union. Smith recreates the atmosphere of paranoia, doubt and suspicion of the time and place with ease, adding an extra layer of tension to his story.
...moreChild 44 is a novel that's hard to figure out where to place on the bookshelf. It's a political thriller, a murder mystery and a horror story all in one. Combining those elements alone would have been enough, but first-time novelist Tom Rob Smith takes is further, setting his story around the time of the death of Stalin in the former Soviet Union. Smith recreates the atmosphere of paranoia, doubt and suspicion of the time and place with ease, adding an extra layer of tension to his story.

On the surface, a story about someone serial killing small children would be brutal and horrifying enough. But add in that under the Soviet system that the government was creating a worker's paradise in which crime can't and shouldn't exist and you get a further twist on the serial hunter genre. If there is no crime, then surely such brutal crimes can't be occurring, adding to the complications as our hero, Leo, investigates the killings.

And it's not that Leo doesn't have more than a few obstacles in his way. He starts the novel as high-ranking official in the MGB, a rising star whose job it is to find all those who are oppose Mother Russia. Along the way, he's had successes and has made enemies, including one who sets him up. Leo is forced to choose between betraying his wife, who is accused of being a spy, to save his own skin or siding with her. Leo makes the choice and his entire world shatters. He's humilated publically, his family's status is removed and he finds out that his romantic notions of his marriage are an illusion. Demoted and sent to a remote region as the lowest of the low in the police, Leo comes across evidence that an earlier crime he investigated may tie into killings in the region. Leo risks everything to investigate the crime.

Smith's novel is compelling and page-turning. Smith is an aspiring screen-writer and there are moments in the story that he paints scenes in a movie-like way. But to dismiss the novel as one of those "ready to be adapted for a movie" would be a mistake. Smith's ability to re-create Russia in the time of Stalin is compelling as are the characters of Leo and his family. There are horrors here and not just those committed by the serial killer. Leo is certainly no innocent victim and yet, you will find yourself rooting for him as the pages go on. (He's not the most likeable character when you first meet him).

A great debut by Smith and I can see why this has already been optioned for a big-screen adaption. But I will recommend that this is one of those cases where you will definitely want to read the book first.
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Aug 04, 2008

Maggie rated it

How do you stop a serial killer operating in a State where one of the fundamental pillars is that crime does not exist? Set in Stalin's Soviet Union, Child 44 - part political thriller, part murder mystery, and part horror story - is the gripping exploration of that very question.

Leo Demidov is a high-ranking MGB officer who has dedicated his adult life to rooting out enemies of the State, and in the process is responsible for sending innumerable innocent citizens to the Gulags or ma...moreHow do you stop a serial killer operating in a State where one of the fundamental pillars is that crime does not exist? Set in Stalin's Soviet Union, Child 44 - part political thriller, part murder mystery, and part horror story - is the gripping exploration of that very question.

Leo Demidov is a high-ranking MGB officer who has dedicated his adult life to rooting out enemies of the State, and in the process is responsible for sending innumerable innocent citizens to the Gulags or marking them for execution. A loyal member of the Party, it never occurs to Leo that these people may be innocent until one particular arrest and subsequent interrogation causes him to call everything he once believed into question.

With this one crack, the foundation of Leo's life as a rich, powerful and respected State Security Officer begins to crumble. No longer certain of his work, his confidence weakens and all past cases become shadowed in doubt, in particular that of little Arkady Andreev, the son of one of Leo's MGB subordinates, whose mangled, lifeless body had been found discarded along the railroad tracks. Despite eyewitness evidence suggesting the boy was brutally murdered, Leo - working in a system that cannot acknowledge the crime's existence because to do so would suggest an imperfect society - labeled the boy's death an accident.

Leo's paradigm shift also makes him vulnerable to an ambitious enemy in the MGB, a man who manages to undermine Leo's credibility so much that he suffers a severe demotion and is forced to abandon a life of relative luxury in Moscow with his beautiful wife for a hovel in the depressed, rural village of Voualsk. It is here that Leo, now a low-ranking member of the militia, discovers that little Arkady's murder may not be an isolated incident, but rather the work of a very prolific serial killer. Conducting their own secret investigation, Leo and his wife soon discover that as many as 44 children may have fallen victim to a man the State refuses to admit exists. No longer willing to safely toe the company line, the Demidovs set out to find the killer and stop him themselves, despite the fact that doing so makes them political dissidents and prime candidates for the Gulags or worse.

Typically not my thing, I usually pass on political thrillers, but Child 44 was one of those titles that I couldn't seem to escape, so I was naturally curious to see if it was deserving of all the hype. And after tearing through all 400+ pages in a matter of days, I'd say yes, indeed it is. While it's true that Smith's simple prose won't exactly blow your mind, the compelling story he weaves makes for one gripping read. Although a beast in size, it can be tackled fairly quickly, and the entire time I was reading I couldn't help but think it would make for one terrific movie. (Turns out I'm not the only one who thought this. Ridley Scott committed to direct the film before the book was even published.) The novel does have its flaws, however. My enjoyment was lessened by a late twist that felt far too neat considering the complexity of the plot that had unfolded up to that point, and as I've already mentioned Smith's simple sentences are nothing to gush over. But hey - they can't all be high art, people. As far as most literary thrillers go, it's far better than most.

In sum, it may not win any awards, but Child 44 is an incredibly ambitious debut from an author to watch and one terrific read. Highly recommended.

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Mar 16, 2008

Shea rated it

Absolutely amazing for both a debut novel and a mystery/thriller type novel. I find that novels written in this genre (especially the big hitters like James Patterson, Vince Flynn, and sometimes John Grisham...none of which I read on a regular basis) are thrown together haphazardly without any real attention to detail or the basic necessities for putting together a really good story. When I initially started reading Child 44, I did not expect to find what I did. Since this was an Advanced Reader...moreAbsolutely amazing for both a debut novel and a mystery/thriller type novel. I find that novels written in this genre (especially the big hitters like James Patterson, Vince Flynn, and sometimes John Grisham...none of which I read on a regular basis) are thrown together haphazardly without any real attention to detail or the basic necessities for putting together a really good story. When I initially started reading Child 44, I did not expect to find what I did. Since this was an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of a novel not due out until May, I'm very interested to see how it will sell.

Child 44 is set in Soviet Russia during the Stalinist period. Initially, Tom Rob Smith jumps from scene to scene introducing characters that seem completely unrelated. After a few scene changes, Smith arrives to a character that he sticks with through the rest of the novel. Leo Demidov, a high-ranking official in the state's security/military force, carries out his duties like every other high-ranking officer: arrest, detain, interrogate, torture...don't ask questions. Anyone who is placed on the state's list of arrestees is guilty. Very little crime exists, and the little that does exist is caused by the remnants of the period before the Revolution. Unsolved crimes (including murder) are unacceptable and attack the very fabric of the state.

When a rash of unsolved killings start plaguing towns along one of Russia's main railroad lines, Leo becomes suspicious of the "suspects" that have "confessed" to each separate crime. Namely, each killing is done in the exact same, overly methodical manner suggesting a serial killer is on the loose. However, acknowledgment of that fact would fly in the face of the State's claims, and anyone foolish enough to do so are taking their lives into their own hands. Leo's suspicions pit him directly against the State and the killer responsible for the ever-growing number of murders.

With an obvious Orwellian influence, Smith crafts a novel in the mystery/thriller tradition that is extremely interesting, fun to read, and one that you will not be able to put down until you've finished reading it. I definitely recommend checking this one out when it is released in May.(less)

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Jun 06, 2008

Mike added it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: can I work a Yakov Smirnoff joke in here?

Shelves: abandoned

I think I made it to child 4 or 5.

No, not really. As they used to say in Soviet Russia, I keed, I keed.

I was mostly just unhooked here, not gripped by context, protagonist, or plot. It was all fine enough, but.... meh. It did irritate me a little that the conceit (the hero is an investigator in '50s-era Russia who is faced with a serial killer, even though party doctrine has it that Russia does not have crime let alone serial killers) was intriguing but so quickly, con...more

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Jan 27, 2012

Sharon rated it

Just found out my 13 year old son and a school friend have both just read this one ! Not on the school reading list I hasten to add but it appears to be the 'in book' to read. Bill said it was 'really good'.

Well now I'm going to have to read it to :
1. See if I agree and
2. Find out what my son has been reading !

Well I enjoyed this tale of political intrigue, murder & suspense. It was an easy read but with such depth and atmosphere that you could actually feel the fear and paranoia of ...more

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Jan 18, 2012

Kelanth, in tenebris lux tua rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, romanzo-storico

Nell'unione sovietica di Stalin, il crimine non può esistere. Dunque non può esserci anche un distretto di polizia che se ne occupa; i delitti semplicemente non avvengono. Ora però dei bambini cominciano a morire. Contro le istituzioni in cui ha sempre creduto e difeso e che lo hanno trasformato come uomo, Leo decide lo stesso di investigare contro tutti, anche con chi gli sta vicino.

Una bellissima sorpresa questo libro di Tom Rob Smith, un grande esordio da cui sarà tratto un film ...more

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Jan 01, 2009

Jeanette rated it

Shelves: all-fiction, russia, suspense-thriller, four-star-fiction, miss-trees

Officially my last book of 2008! Finished on New Year's Eve. :) Quite an impressive first novel. Contains elements of a lot of different genres. A little historical, a mystery, a little horror, and some suspense/thriller.

Apparently there really was a serial killer in Russia in the 1980s that was similar to this fictional one. The author placed the story back in the 1950s instead, right around the time of Stalin's death. Early in the book I thought the author gave an excellent fe...more

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Oct 07, 2008

Will rated it

Smith offers a look into the Soviet Union of 1953, a dark, desperate place in which the state had become a manifestation of Stalin’s paranoia. The ideological need of the state to present the communist ideal as an actualized reality impaired its ability, its willingness to address bad things when they happened, for surely, in this workers’ paradise, such things would never happen. Things like serial killers, things like crime of any sort. Thus all crime is ideological and all criminals are enemi...more

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Jul 28, 2008

Brian rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audio

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I don't really know what to say about Child 44. I liked the book, and I liked Dennis Boutsikaris's reading of the audiobook. The setting and circumstances resulting from the setting distinguishes this suspense/adventure/catch-the-killer fluff from other such mysteries. It was interesting fluff. The protagonist, Leo, finds himself stuck between trying to do what is right and his job--not uncommon for this sort of story--but the story takes place in Soviet Russia.

The first half o...more

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May 26, 2008

Emma rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: crime, all-time-best

Child 44 is the tale of Leo Demidov, a top official working under Stalin's Russian Soviet regime in the 1950s. All is well in his career, until the day the body of a murdered child is found on the railway tracks- and Leo is asked to cover it up...

This is literally the best book I've read all year. Absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't put it down. I don't usually wax this lyrical about a book, but until this book I had never really read crime, and this got me into it big-time. You see, ...more

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May 30, 2008

Amy rated it

· review of another edition

It was decently written, and a compelling story, but I got the feeling I was reading a screenplay. It was as if the author couldn't be bothered to fully flesh-out a scene, so he's just say "and then they all started shooting and people got killed." Seemed sort of lazy.....

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Jun 15, 2008

Arthur Mitchell rated it

· review of another edition

Meh. After all the hype, I was a little disappointed. Martin Cruz Smith does the Russian cop thing much better. The 'bad guys' in the book are impossibly lucky. Come to think of it the 'good guys' are, too.

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Feb 22, 2009

La Petite Américaine rated it

Shelves: guilty-pleasures, kicked_ass

Well, well, well. Now here's a thriller with a nice twist: a serial killer is on the loose in Stalinist Russia. Except that in Stalinist Russia there is no such thing as crime. Well, except for political crimes like reading banned litterature, looking at someone the wrong way, "plotting" against the state by working too close to a Western embassy, making a drunken joke about Stalin, etc. But murder? No, comrade. Not unless Siberia suddenly sounds good to you.

What you end up...more

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Jul 09, 2008

Jen Padgett Bohle rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Jen by: my mom, media buzz

In Child 44, Tom Rob Smith has created a dystopian novel akin to Orwell's 1984 or Atwood's Handmaid's tale, except that, unfortunately, The Stalinist Soviet Union is not a fictional vision (well, and Atwood writes better). Smith's novel is seductive and magnetic because its two central concerns, the Draconian and absurd nature of Stalin's policies and the protagonist's search for a macabre serial killer, intersect to form more reversals of fortune and fate than even Britney Spears could dream o...moreIn Child 44, Tom Rob Smith has created a dystopian novel akin to Orwell's 1984 or Atwood's Handmaid's tale, except that, unfortunately, The Stalinist Soviet Union is not a fictional vision (well, and Atwood writes better). Smith's novel is seductive and magnetic because its two central concerns, the Draconian and absurd nature of Stalin's policies and the protagonist's search for a macabre serial killer, intersect to form more reversals of fortune and fate than even Britney Spears could dream of. While these fluctuations create suspense and ultimately a well-deserved catharsis, they also detract from the brutal realism that seemed to be at least one of Smith's aims. Some incidents just seemed too primed and ready for a Hollywood stunt double. (And I believe Smith conceived of this as a screenplay first).

The end is, not to spoil too much, a cheery, feel-good crowd pleaser that allows one to end the novel without despair and thus, seems to lighten the impact and negate the descriptions of Orwellian nightmare world. My suspension of disbelief simply will not extend to dozens of merciless killings for virtually nothing, while the protagonist, who is perceived as the government's most wanted throughout the second half of the novel, is spared.

The prose is simple and a little unremarkable, but at many points, the author's ingenuity in planting clues about the killer and people's political alignment make up for this. The characters and their relationships lack subtlety, and Smith mostly seems to direct readers: these are the good guys and these are the bad guys, something like the Indiana Jones approach to communists. Leo, of course, as the protagonist, is the exception, but Smith doesn't manage to penetrate his psyche quite enough, nor that of his wife.

This might be a masterpiece of suspense and perhaps of the so-called blockbuster fiction, but I'm not ready to brand this a literary masterpiece. Child 44 will be a brilliant movie.

Despite the shortcomings --- enjoy this novel as a solid, intriguing, plot-driven historical mystery. I haven't stayed up all night in quite some time to finish a book, but Child 44 wouldn't let go. (less)

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Jun 10, 2008

Nancy rated it

Shelves: russia-ussr, general-crime-fiction-and-mystery, mystery, booker-prize-longlist

Set at the end of Stalin's regime in the Soviet Union, Child 44 is one of the most compelling mysteries I've ever read. Other writers should take note: this is the way a good mystery should be written. You're given enough clues, and you even find out later who the killer is, BUT -- you are still riveted and on the edge of your chair because of the atmosphere of suspense that the author has created. I listened to it on an audio CD, but am buying a hard copy for my husband to read and probably...moreSet at the end of Stalin's regime in the Soviet Union, Child 44 is one of the most compelling mysteries I've ever read. Other writers should take note: this is the way a good mystery should be written. You're given enough clues, and you even find out later who the killer is, BUT -- you are still riveted and on the edge of your chair because of the atmosphere of suspense that the author has created. I listened to it on an audio CD, but am buying a hard copy for my husband to read and probably to reread at some time in the future. I hear movie rumors -- I'll be the first in line when it comes out.

Leo Demidov is a young, high-ranking officer in the MGB, the Soviet Ministry of State Security. Leo is used to putting people away, earmarking them for execution, even though sometimes he knows that they are innocent. He can't help it ... he's caught up in the mechanism of the paranoid Soviet state. At one point he is called on regarding the murder of a child, and in his own arrogant way (and because the state does not want attention called to it) he dismisses the child's death as an accident. But when Leo is forced to make a choice that he knows he cannot make, he is exiled into the Urals to serve in the militia. While there, he comes across a similar murder to the one in Moscow -- and suddenly Leo knows that he was wrong. In fact, there are a series of murders all with the same MO -- and the former state security man now has only one focus: to catch this child killer. There are those, however, who do not want Leo to discover the truth and try to block him at every juncture.

I absolutely will not say more about this book, but it is incredibly well written and the suspense doesn't let up. As noted, I listened to this in my car -- even with the higher price of gas it was worth it to find more things I needed to drive to just to listen to this book. The characters are well drawn, the paranoid atmosphere of the former USSR is captured quite well, and the story isn't just another serial killer murder novel out on the local bookstore shelves. It is unique and the reading experience quite enjoyable.

Personally, I think anyone who likes a good mystery will like this one, but I also feel that if you're in search of a good, well-written novel of suspense that this one fits the bill perfectly. If you're interested in Stalin's USSR, you'll like this one as well.

One of the best I've read in a long time. I hope the author's next effort is forthcoming. (less)

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Mar 31, 2009

Bensmomma rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction, audiobooks

This thriller/mystery set in Stalinist Russia starts out clearly in the "just what makes the serial killer tick" genre, but becomes deeper and more interesting as it goes along up until about the 85% point - the characters develop and become more complex (is Leo good? bad? what about Raisa? what about the General?).

But the crisis and denouement are WAY too tidy, and seem motivated less by what the author really believes might have happened and more by a massive desire t...more

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Dec 30, 2008

Brigid rated it

· review of another edition

Ideally, I'd give the book 4.5 stars if Goodreads included that in their rating system. Child 44 was a little slow to begin, and I actually put down the book for about a week. My mistake. It was a very engaging read that laid bare the paranoia and fear associated with Stalinist Russia. If anything, this book gave me a one heck of a history lesson. What was most interesting was the author's ability to mix many genres: I didn't feel like this was only a mystery/suspense novel, but a very inter...more

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Sep 28, 2011

Aia rated it

Shelves: 2011-read

Quite predictable and the ending felt a little too Hollywood, but it was a suspenseful chilling read. Tom Rob Smith writes in a way that turns words to images, painting the claustrophobic atmosphere of 1950s Soviet Russia in the colors of paranoia, betrayal, deceit, contrasted with that of faith, trust and love. Built on a curious premise, developed at an irresistible pace and filled with twists that are not quite unexpected but shocking nonetheless, "Child 44" is an absorbing and rewa...more

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Mar 02, 2011

Laura rated it

I liked it. As much as you can like a novel about a serial child killer in soviet Russia. The setting was bleak but it was engaging and interesting.... reminded me a wee tiny bit of Stieg Larsson's trilogy. Worth a read if you want to be really grateful for your current life/style as well as catch up on a bit of history.

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Jan 31, 2009

Colin rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: junk-food-lit

Meh. Promotional book I got from Borders. Thriller set in Stalinist (and immediately post-Stalinist) Soviet Union. Not bad, but not great, certainly.

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Oct 19, 2008

Marsha rated it

This is a great thriller and an amazing debut novel. All sorts of well-researched historical detail in a rarely written about time -- Stalinist Russia. A serial murderer is ritually killing children but because the Soviet Union is supposed to be paradise on earth, it is treason to admit this is happening. The story has as its inspiration the real serial killer -- Andrei Chikitilo. Love the character development in this one. Leo, an MGB agent who has killed thousands for the state, takes on the c...more

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Jan 19, 2012

Mark O'Neill rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, russia, soviet, communist, kgb, mgb, police, spy, espionage, gulag, stalin, history

What a great book! I was totally hooked from page one with this murder esionage thriller set in the 1950's. It actually starts in 1933 to give you some background and then jumps to the 1950's where the actual story starts. It begins a month before Stalin's death when MGB officer Leo Demidov is asked to debunk an obvious child murder and tell the parents that it was an accident. The state doesn't want people to realise that a child murderer is on the loose. The father of the murdered chil...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Jenna Watt added it · review of another edition

Wow. I didnt know starting out on this book that it was based on the Red Ripper. Smith changed the setting to Soviet Russia times where they believed that there was no crime because their system was perfect. He did great research on this book and so many things, even with the change of time, were right on. the way this guy really was. This book was grotesque and shocking. The twist was unexpected. The only thing is that they changed the way Andrei (the Red Ripper) was really found guilty and i d...more

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Mar 04, 2011

Deb rated it

Shelves: thriller, mystery, historical

Murder investigations can be hard enough, but imagine trying to investigate a murder in a society where that very action could put you in danger of your life. Such is life in communist Russia, and such is the predicament that Leo Demidov the investigator of thisl novel finds himself in. It takes a good while for this premise to become apparent, and I spent the first CD of this book wondering what all these grim details about life in the soviet union had to do with anything. But as the plotlin...more

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Nov 14, 2010

Paolo A. Livorati rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

URSS, 1953: Leo Stepanovich Demidov, ex eroe di guerra e ora efficientissimo agente della polizia segreta, scopre per caso che in giro per il paese c'è un assassino di bambini. Il problema è che nel paradiso stalinista il crimine ufficialmente non esiste. Così, per il solo fatto di insistere con la sua investigazione, Demidov finisce perseguitato da quello stesso apparato statale che fino al giorno prima ha difeso senza scrupoli. Con le sue sole forze, inseguito da ex subordinati vendicativi e c...more

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Feb 28, 2010

Matt Barker rated it

While I did enjoy this book, it didn't quite live up to the hype in some of the reviews I read. I love stories about life in the old Soviet era and this one didn't falter in that respect. An overall good debut novel, though.

Publisher's Summary

It is a society that is, officially, a paradise. Superior to the decadent West, Stalin's Soviet Union is a haven for its citizens, providing for all of their needs: education, health care, security. In exchange, all that is required is their hard work, and ...more

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Jan 23, 2009

Karen rated it

Inspired by a real crime spree, this book is set in the Soviet Union during the end of the Stalin era. It is hard for those of us in a democracy to understand an environment where everyone is in danger--because of a casual remark, because someone didn't like the expression on their face, because someone else is tortured and has to falsely name "conspirators" in order to get the torture to stop. It is an environment where thousands of prisoners are transported to their deaths or to pr...more

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Jan 11, 2009

Banafsheh Serov rated it

Once in a while a book comes along and digs its claws into you. Child 44 is such a book. A surprise pick for the Man Booker long list, Child 44 is the type of gripping tale that keeps the reader glued to its pages.

The story is set against the backdrop of Stalinist Russia where the presumption of guilt comes before innocence. In this police state created after the revolution, the Russians live in a state of paranoia, fearful of being denounced over the most innocent offhand remarks. ...more

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Jan 27, 2012

Marie is currently reading it

I've just started this book last night and the first few pages already has me.

About the Author

The serial killer in Child 44, Tom Rob Smith's first novel, was suggested by the true story of Andrei Chikatilo, who murdered over 50 women and children in Russia during the 1980s. By setting his fiction three decades before Chikatilo's crimes, the author has added powerful elements of political suspense to his page-turning tale. "I moved it to the 1950s," Smith explains...more

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About Tom Rob Smith

Tom Rob Smith (born 1979) is an English writer. The son of a Swedish mother and an English father, Smith was raised in London where he lives today. After graduating from Cambridge University in 2001, he completed his studies in Italy, studying creative writing for a year. After these studies, he worked as a scriptwriter.

His first novel, Child 44, about a series of child murders in Stal...more

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