Child 44

By: Tom Rob Smith

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Thriller and Suspense, 2009

Thriller Award Winner, Best First Novel, 2009

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 their loyalty and faith to the Soviet State.

Leo Demidov knows this better than most. A rising, prominent officer in the State Security force, Leo is a former war hero whose only ambition is to serve his country. To defend this workers' paradise - and to guarantee a secure life for his parents and for his wife, Raisa - Leo has spent his career guarding against threats to the State. Ideological crimes - crimes of thought, crimes of disloyalty, crimes against the revolution - are forcefully suppressed, without question.

And then the impossible happens. A different kind of criminal - a murderer - is on the loose, killing at will. At the same time, Leo finds himself demoted and denounced by his enemies, all but sentenced to death. The only way to salvage what remains of his life is to uncover this criminal. But in a society that is officially paradise, it's a crime against the state to suggest that a murderer - much less a serial killer - is in their midst.

To save his life and the lives of his family, Leo must confront the vast resources and reach of the security forces, with only Raisa remaining at his side, to find and stop a criminal that the State won't even admit exists.

©2008 Tom Rob Smith (P)2008 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Child 44 is a remarkable debut novel - inventive, edgy and relentlessly gripping from the first page to the last." (Scott Turow)

An Interesting Twine

Wow. I have to say I would not have come across that ending on my own. I found this to be interesting and with a lot of exercise of the brain! I was first frustrated on how the story jumped around, after completing the book, would not have been able to get to point Z without going through the other points. This is my first book fo Mr. Smith. I look forward to reading another. His web drew me in completely.

highly recommended!

Let me start of by saying that I am not really a fan of mystery/suspense novels. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I was engrossed after just the first few minutes and listened to the whole book in a just a few extended sessions (time at the beach well spent)! The first three quarters of the book were excellent, the final segment stretched plausibility a bit too thin, but still I was not disappointed overall. One of the best listens I've had in a while. Very good book!

Life in Stalin's world

Living under Stalin comes in full view within the mystery of a possible serial killer of children. Showing courage at the risk of losing everything, a Russian official undergoes a personal transformation. Heart-stopping intrigue.

A strange retelling of a true tale

Obviously, and weirdly, based on the Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, yet more-weirdly set 40 years earlier, and with a sentimental ending that seems to have been drawn out of a hat. Considering the youth and inexperience of the author, it's pretty good storytelling, but I can't help but feel Tom Rob Smith saw the 1995 film "Citizen X" and thought nobody ELSE had ever seen it! And considering the popularity of this schmaltzy version, perhaps he was right!

One of My Top 10 Books of All Time

I listened to this audio book before going to work in the morning, and it made me late a few times. It's so gripping, it's hard to turn it off! The characters seem very real - they're complex individuals (not black & white). The story is made up of various subplots, which are eventually woven into an important central theme. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a book as much as this one. Nice job, Tom Rob Smith! As to the narration, Dennis Boutsikaris has a voice that I find easy to listen to, and he does nice Russian accents, without overdoing it.

First Rate...Until The Finale

This novel has a great many good things going for it...it works on several levels (political
thriller, detective story, character study...), good characterizations, clever plot working,
nicely detailed, and well paced. Then comes the ending.
It seemed like the author either couldn't figure out how to end it or just got
tired of the story. Most of the novel before the last few chapters was imaginative
and flowed based on the realistic motives and actions of the characters. The ending,however, seemed glued together with glitter paste. It was much too "cute" and contrived to make much impact or sense...in a society where no man can trust another,
"they lived happily ever after" does not work. And when the good guy goes toe
to toe with the villian...how did that happen?
Maybe because the first 90% was very good, I felt so let down by the ending. The
narrator was excellent and mainly stayed on key for the whole reading. I certainly
recommend listening to the book...even with the contrived ending, its a very good
novel.

keeps your brain working

book that had a lot going on, and it brings everything together very well. keeps you reading

I love a good, long story

Child 44 was an excellent story. One of my favorite time periods to read about is mid twentieth century. Even after all the books I've read about WWII and that era, I was still stunned by the complete lack of independence, personal space, or even identity in Soviet Russia. Maybe because I was listening to the book rather than reading it for myself, the intrusion of Communism and "group over self" mentality was so immediate and powerful. The fact that Leo was able to fight through that was nothing short of astonishing.

There were moments I had figured out before they happened, but I was so engrossed with the story that it didn't bother me too much. The story took time to develop, both the individual characters and the plot itself. The narrator did take a little while to get to used to, but eventually I was able to focus less on his voice and just enjoy what was happening.

I highly recommend this book! You definitely need to be the type who enjoys a slow burn, because this is not a quick payoff. The writer is detailed in his descriptions and gives life to even the smallest characters. I found this book very satisfying. I know in its essence it's a book about murder, so I'm not endorsing violence or murder, please don't misunderstand. I just found the characters, storyline, and environment in which these violent acts take place to be worth the read.

Mystery Set in Stalin's Russia

This unique mystery/detective novel was so very interesting. I found myself researching 1950's Soviet Union. I laughed at the sarcasm and dry sense of humor of the characters in the book - and felt appalled by the restrictions and terror of living in the Soviet Union. Very well written and read.

A fantastic listen! You will be glued...

Absolutely loved this book. The paranoia and brutality of Stalinist Russia is equally as terrifying as the sick murders that are investigated.

I would listen to this book at every moment of the day and would opt to further listen at home turning off the TV and computer. I have gifted it onwards and others have enjoyed it as well.