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A review by nataliealane
A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay
4.0
What would you risk everything for?
BOOK REVIEW (*audiobook provided by publishers through Netgalley)
~
A story of courage -and resilience Katherine Reay’s newest book spans from the 1949s to 1980s, from Washington, DC to the heart of Russia.
I love a good spy book and thought it might be nice to shake things up a bit in my HF readings. WWI/II spy books are definitely not new to the market; in fact, there’s been a lot released the past few years. However, most of the war books I’ve read haven’t involved espionage. One of my favorite parts of Dual timeline stories is when the 2 perspectives or plots finally connect, and that part in A Shadow in Moscow did not disappoint! If anything, it upped the stakes even more.
I didn’t feel like I got to know Ingrid as well as Anya. Often times there were big skips in her timeline with only a brief description of what she did in that period. It was also odd that Ingrid’s chapters were in 3rd POV and Anya’s were in 1st. However, it was interesting to spot the parallels in their stories. Both initially struggle with their identity and place against the backdrop of Soviet culture and expectations. Spying gives each woman purpose. Ingrid’s marriage isn’t what she thought it would be, especially as her suspicious grow that her husband is KGB. She feels isolated and forced to hide her true identity. Anya is fueled by her best friend’s brutal murder—-spying could bring down the the people responsible. On the flip side, spying increases their isolation. As a spy , you have to hide in plain sight. You have to conform to what you despise. And especially in the Soviet Union, where you were encouraged to report anything suspicious even about your friends or neighbors, there’s no one you can trust. A Shadow in Moscow was a fascinating and detailed picture of life behind the Iron Curtain and makes me want to explore more of Reay’s historical fiction.
BOOK REVIEW (*audiobook provided by publishers through Netgalley)
~
A story of courage -and resilience Katherine Reay’s newest book spans from the 1949s to 1980s, from Washington, DC to the heart of Russia.
I love a good spy book and thought it might be nice to shake things up a bit in my HF readings. WWI/II spy books are definitely not new to the market; in fact, there’s been a lot released the past few years. However, most of the war books I’ve read haven’t involved espionage. One of my favorite parts of Dual timeline stories is when the 2 perspectives or plots finally connect, and that part in A Shadow in Moscow did not disappoint! If anything, it upped the stakes even more.
I didn’t feel like I got to know Ingrid as well as Anya. Often times there were big skips in her timeline with only a brief description of what she did in that period. It was also odd that Ingrid’s chapters were in 3rd POV and Anya’s were in 1st. However, it was interesting to spot the parallels in their stories. Both initially struggle with their identity and place against the backdrop of Soviet culture and expectations. Spying gives each woman purpose. Ingrid’s marriage isn’t what she thought it would be, especially as her suspicious grow that her husband is KGB. She feels isolated and forced to hide her true identity. Anya is fueled by her best friend’s brutal murder—-spying could bring down the the people responsible. On the flip side, spying increases their isolation. As a spy , you have to hide in plain sight. You have to conform to what you despise. And especially in the Soviet Union, where you were encouraged to report anything suspicious even about your friends or neighbors, there’s no one you can trust. A Shadow in Moscow was a fascinating and detailed picture of life behind the Iron Curtain and makes me want to explore more of Reay’s historical fiction.