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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. There was definitely a lot of tension and suspense. As the chapters alternated between the women and dates the puzzle gradually became clearer in a way that was mostly satisfying.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
One of Williams’ better books. This one can stand alone without reading any others by her.
In 1952, twin sisters Iris Digby and Ruth Macallister have not spoken in 12 years. Ruth is working at a modeling agency in New York City. She is visited by Sumner Fox of the FBI who is asking about the whereabout of Iris and if she’s heard from her sister. Ruth finally admits that she has recently received correspondence from Iris, who is living in Moscow, indicating that she needs her help.
The story takes us back to 1940, when Iris meets and marries Sasha Digby, a U.S. diplomat with communist beliefs. She discovers he is a spy for the Russians. In 1948, the couple and their children defect to the Soviet Union. By 1952, the KGB believes that one of their agents has betrayed them and the diabolically evil Lyudmilla Ivanova is charged with uncovering the mole. Acting as a married couple, Ruth and Sumner head to Moscow to rescue Iris. Let the action begin.
Beatriz Williams’ latest historical fiction is a bit different from her other novels as it a spy thriller. Our Woman in Moscow was inspired by the Cambridge Five, the notorious British espionage ring and several of its members appear in the book. It’s an ambitious effort that works well most of the time. There is so much going on with the time periods going back and forth that it can get a bit overwhelming. But as we’ve come to expect from Williams, there are strong female characters to root for and overall, the writing is excellent. Plus, we get a welcome appearance from members of the omnipresent Schuyler family (no worries if this your first Williams book, no prior knowledge of the family is needed although the more of her books you read, you’ll get to know the family.)
If you’re looking for a book to transport you to another time and place and fully engage you, look no further.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The story takes us back to 1940, when Iris meets and marries Sasha Digby, a U.S. diplomat with communist beliefs. She discovers he is a spy for the Russians. In 1948, the couple and their children defect to the Soviet Union. By 1952, the KGB believes that one of their agents has betrayed them and the diabolically evil Lyudmilla Ivanova is charged with uncovering the mole. Acting as a married couple, Ruth and Sumner head to Moscow to rescue Iris. Let the action begin.
Beatriz Williams’ latest historical fiction is a bit different from her other novels as it a spy thriller. Our Woman in Moscow was inspired by the Cambridge Five, the notorious British espionage ring and several of its members appear in the book. It’s an ambitious effort that works well most of the time. There is so much going on with the time periods going back and forth that it can get a bit overwhelming. But as we’ve come to expect from Williams, there are strong female characters to root for and overall, the writing is excellent. Plus, we get a welcome appearance from members of the omnipresent Schuyler family (no worries if this your first Williams book, no prior knowledge of the family is needed although the more of her books you read, you’ll get to know the family.)
If you’re looking for a book to transport you to another time and place and fully engage you, look no further.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
A gripping historical novel by one of my favorite authors. Based on the Cambridge Five spy ring, this imagined the life of a wife and children of a Soviet spy. I couldn’t put it down.
My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review issue 96 (May 2021):
Williams has a gift for taking time-honored romance tropes – doomed love affairs, rebellious ingenues, disillusioned spouses, louche aristocrats, pretend husbands – and giving them sharply focused 20th-century settings observed by brave, energetic heroines with contemporary senses of humor. Her plot-rich, passionate novels often feature the far-flung Schuyler clan of New England, presenting the adventures of a dazzling and ever-growing cast of strong, fiercely intelligent women through the entire 20th century and beyond.
Her latest outing introduces the Macallister sisters, Iris and Ruth, whose story begins in Italy at the start of World War II and culminates in a harrowing attempt to extract Iris from Soviet Moscow in 1952. The two sisters alternate points of view; cynical, take-charge Ruth commands the 1952 plotline, while romantic Iris recalls her 1940 decision to tie her fate to her charismatic lover, Sasha Digby, a diplomat who becomes one of a high-ranking group of Anglo-American spies accused in the 1950s of betraying their nations’ secrets to the Soviets. A mysterious operative, Sumner Fox, has spent years tracking both sisters and offers Ruth a chance to save her sister’s life. The cynical Ruth, however, isn’t sure whose side of the Cold War he’s on, and must risk everything for the only person she has ever loved.
This is Williams at the top of her game. She handles multiple points of view brilliantly, and the propulsive plot doesn’t get in the way of her ability to make the inner lives of her heroines vivid and realistic. The balance between glamour and grit, humor and heartbreak are perfect, making this is an entertaining adventure for romance and spy-thriller fans alike.
Williams has a gift for taking time-honored romance tropes – doomed love affairs, rebellious ingenues, disillusioned spouses, louche aristocrats, pretend husbands – and giving them sharply focused 20th-century settings observed by brave, energetic heroines with contemporary senses of humor. Her plot-rich, passionate novels often feature the far-flung Schuyler clan of New England, presenting the adventures of a dazzling and ever-growing cast of strong, fiercely intelligent women through the entire 20th century and beyond.
Her latest outing introduces the Macallister sisters, Iris and Ruth, whose story begins in Italy at the start of World War II and culminates in a harrowing attempt to extract Iris from Soviet Moscow in 1952. The two sisters alternate points of view; cynical, take-charge Ruth commands the 1952 plotline, while romantic Iris recalls her 1940 decision to tie her fate to her charismatic lover, Sasha Digby, a diplomat who becomes one of a high-ranking group of Anglo-American spies accused in the 1950s of betraying their nations’ secrets to the Soviets. A mysterious operative, Sumner Fox, has spent years tracking both sisters and offers Ruth a chance to save her sister’s life. The cynical Ruth, however, isn’t sure whose side of the Cold War he’s on, and must risk everything for the only person she has ever loved.
This is Williams at the top of her game. She handles multiple points of view brilliantly, and the propulsive plot doesn’t get in the way of her ability to make the inner lives of her heroines vivid and realistic. The balance between glamour and grit, humor and heartbreak are perfect, making this is an entertaining adventure for romance and spy-thriller fans alike.
Fun historical fiction spy thriller with a slightly different spin. Engaging and focusing on several different women and their roles. It gets a bit too spy-thriller and a bit less historical fiction near the end, but that's to be expected. The twins aspect was unnecessary, but added some interesting motivations for each of them.
It would have gotten five stars if I was more certain what had actually happened. The author could have done a better job of summarizing the plot.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes