false 6045456 11 <b>Tom Rob Smith's first novel, <I>Child 44</I> was an international publishing sensation. Not just an immediate <i>New York Times</I> bestseller, it was one of the most critically acclaimed books of the year, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Now, Tom Rob Smith returns with a new, hotly anticipated follow-up to his extraordinary debut, set in the turmoil and upheaval of the post-Stalinist Soviet Union.</b> Soviet Union, 1956: Stalin is dead. With his passing, a violent regime is beginning to fracture - leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. The catalyst comes when a secret manifesto composed by Stalin's successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant and a murderer. Its promise: The Soviet Union will change. Meanwhile, former state security officer Leo Demidov is facing his own turmoil. Three years ago he put his life on the line to stop a killer and as a reward for heroic service he was granted the authority to establish a homicide department in Moscow. He now strives to see justice done, while at the same time working to build a life with his wife, Raisa, and their adopted daughters. But the dark legacy of his past career cannot be forgotten so easily. The two young girls he and Raisa adopted have yet to forgive him for his involvement in the death of their parents. They are not alone. Now that the truth is out, Leo, Raisa and their family are in grave danger from someone with a grudge against Leo. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance.From the streets of Moscow in the throes of political upheaval, to the wintry Siberian gulags and to the center of the Hungarian uprising in Budapest, <I>The Secret Speech </I>is another stunning thriller from the author of <I>Child 44</i>. 6221043 12 5 2009 The Secret Speech total:298|5:42|4:125|3:100|2:22|1:9| 298 1063 522 106 3 2 false false Tue Feb 17 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 02 18:49:07 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 16:28:28 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 1 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 20:53:33 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 20:58:35 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Sep 21 23:33:34 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 23:53:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 13 18:15:14 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 13 18:17:06 -0700 2009
We have Leo again, now three years since the solving of the serial murders. He has left the MGB and is directing a homicide unit in Moscow. He is back to...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Jul 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 17:19:35 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 20:39:00 -0700 2009 The Secret Speech, sequel to last year's terrific, terrifying, and surprisingly moving, Child 44.

The Secret Speech opens ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jul 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 06:46:57 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 07:00:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Oct 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 24 14:52:57 -0700 2009 Sun Nov 01 12:42:11 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jul 30 11:26:53 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 30 11:26:53 -0700 2009 Child 44, The Secret Speech drew mixed reviews from critics. While the Minneapolis Star Tribune alone proclaimed Smith's sophomore effort equal to his debut, other critics still considered it entertaining and thought-provoking in it...more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Jul 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 12:26:17 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 24 07:18:11 -0700 2009 I gave it t...more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Jan 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 05 14:31:55 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 28 18:33:14 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sat Sep 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 14:13:28 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 14:32:31 -0700 2009 1
It is a bizarre tale of Stalin's denunciation causing the most terrible reactions resulting in many deaths, including suici...more...]]> 5 1 false false Tue Mar 15 00:00:00 -0800 1994 Sat May 16 00:10:47 -0700 2009 Sat May 16 00:19:56 -0700 2009 There ar...more...]]> 1 0 false false Wed Aug 12 12:38:57 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 12 12:45:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 12:46:28 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 12:47:01 -0700 2009 SETTING: Soviet Union, 1956
SERIES: 2 of 2
RATING: 3.75
WHY: During the Stalin regime, many men did unspeakable things. Leo Demidov went undercover and betrayed many. One incident comes back to haunt him, involving a pries...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 13:22:41 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 13:26:57 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jul 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 16:40:11 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 10 19:10:10 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Fri Jun 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 12:00:37 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 19 02:26:05 -0700 2009 Child 44--a fascinating thriller set in Stalinist Soviet Union with an MGB officer hunting a serial killer under a political regime which denies the possibility that such a killer could exist. The Secret Speech features the same officer, now a homicide investigator...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 11:00:11 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 11:05:40 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Sep 08 11:18:20 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 14:35:50 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 08 11:18:20 -0700 2009 “The cloud level had sunk a thousand meters, obliterating the view. Silver-gilded droplets hung I the air—a mist part ice, part water, part magic...more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Aug 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 15 02:54:55 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 15 03:02:11 -0700 2009 more...]]>