A Shadow in Moscow

A Cold War Novel

De: Katherine Reay

Narrado por: Saskia Maarleveld, Lisa Flanagan

In the thick of the Cold War, a betrayal at the highest level risks the lives of two courageous female spies: MI6’s best Soviet agent and the CIA’s newest Moscow recruit.

Vienna, 1954

After losing everyone she loves in the final days of World War II, Ingrid Bauer agrees to a hasty marriage with a gentle Soviet embassy worker and follows him home to Moscow. But nothing within the Soviet Union’s totalitarian regime is what it seems, including her new husband, whom Ingrid suspects works for the KGB. Inspired by her daughter’s birth, Ingrid risks everything and reaches out in hope to the one country she understands and trusts—Britain, the country of her mother’s birth. She begins passing intelligence to MI6, navigating a world of secrets and lies, light and shadow.

Moscow, 1980

A student in the Foreign Studies Initiative, Anya Kadinova finishes her degree at Georgetown University and boards a flight home to Moscow, leaving behind the man she loves and a country she’s grown to respect. Though raised by dedicated and loyal Soviet parents, Anya soon questions an increasingly oppressive and paranoid regime at the height of the Cold War. Then the KGB murders her best friend and Anya chooses her side. Working in a military research lab, she relays Soviet plans and schematics to the CIA in an effort to end the 1980s arms race.

The past catches up to the present when an unprecedented act of treachery threatens all agents operating within Eastern Europe, and both Ingrid and Anya find themselves in a race for their lives against time and the KGB.

“Eloquently portrays the incredible contributions of women in history, the extraordinary depths of love, and, perhaps most important, the true cost of freedom.” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil

• An exciting story of two brave female spies in Cold War Moscow
• Also by Katherine Reay: The London House

©2023 Katherine Reay (P)2023 Harper Muse

Powerful

A Shadow in Moscow blew me away. It opened my eyes to a not-so-long ago world that I really hadn't understood. The details she included to paint the Soviet reality during the Cold War left me in tears to realize how many freedoms I have enjoyed without even thinking about. The characters were expertly cast to show a variety of roles and viewpoints in a complicated time. I love this novel because it doesn't just move from action to action, but allows room for the characters--and hence, the reader--to explore and contemplate freedom and limits, the joy and burden of choices, and how far one might go to conform before reaching a line one will not cross. A Shadow in Moscow is redemptive, thoughtful, and powerful. I highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction.
The narration was brilliant.

It was slow starting

I put it down once but second time I binge listened. The story was engaging about a time I lived thru, so many things the public as so naive about. Was very well done, narrators were very good. Recommend

Great Russian spy story focused on women

Implausible but enjoyable plot. Talented narrator. Gets complicated toward the end with the addition of more and more characters.

My favorite yet from Katherine Reay

This story has a magnetism and depth that is rare in fiction these days. It was a compelling page-turner and suspenseful thriller (so much so that I had to take a break and remind myself to breathe at times)! I couldn’t put it down, yet somehow it was neither too short nor too long. The character development was phenomenal; unhurried, multi-faceted and wholly believable. Combined with a deep dive into the complexity and nuance of soviet culture, these elements brought a fullness to the story that made it feel vibrant and real, yet with beautiful truth that reaches beyond black and white.

I love history and literature, but the Cold War era is not one I’m naturally drawn to—now I’m intrigued to read more about the events that inspired this book. I’m so glad I started listening to this work as soon as it was released simply because I’ve enjoyed many of Reay’s past books. I believe this is her best work yet. The narrators did a fantastic job, too. I’ll be ordering a printed copy and recommending A Shadow in Moscow to everyone I know. It’s clear 5-star rating for me—which I seldom give. Thank you for the gift of this work, Katherine!

fast moving. well written

really enjoyed listening to this. don’t have any slow technical parts to get bogged down in. well written

An awesome Cold War tale

If you want to know something about people who sacrificed to be a World Changer, this is your chance. If you ever doubted the value of freedom, you only need to study communist Russia. Kudos to the author who told this sweeping story. Deede Blake, author

A pulse racing read

Katherine Reay is fast becoming a top go to author for me. I loved The London House, and this did not disappoint. A HF novel that delves into the lives of two women spying for MI-6 and the CIA in the Soviet Union… and the devastating consequences caused by the actions of Kim Philby (of the Cambridge Five) and Aldrich Ames. This was a pulse accelerating read, and one that provided great insight into the psyche and psychology of both spies and traitors. I enjoyed it.

Incredibly written spy novel

This novel is very well written with insightful character development, descriptive settings and captivating plot. Both narrators did a phenomenal job with the characters and story line. This audiobook definitely kept my attention. Highly recommend. Loved a historical fiction about the iron curtain.

Great historical review of events post WW2 and Cold War Soviet Union.

Really liked the 2 parallel stories and how they intertwine. Having two narrators made following along easier.
This a new author to me and I find her delightful.

Excellent read & listen!

Thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction! I had never been that interested in the Cold War, but I quickly was drawn into this story which left me wanting more!