Lovers of the genre will revel in the beautifully crafted world, the morally complex character work, the compelling build of romance, the sharply wielded scenes of violence and of magic. They have a comfortable life, by the standards that Vasin experiences in Moscow; from well stocked shops to Motown records, the residents are kept in secluded comfort. A worthy read for those who like books from the Russian point of view abou. Matthews has lectured on Russian history and polit. 3.5 stars rounded up. I doubt they work anyway. This is an Indigenous, pre-Columbian narrative, and I love how it … Click here to assign a widget to this area. by Doubleday Books. Based on the real story of the building of the powerful nuclear bomb ever in the USSR in 1961, this is a brilliantly immersive and suspenseful thriller. Author Rebecca Roanhorse is not new to genre fiction. A fascinating whodunnit from deep in Central Russia, set in a city so secret it doesn’t appear on any maps. He was broad and thick-faced and violent, with pressed-together lips and a patriarch’s paunch. New Russian detective series in the making. He works the key players off each other and treads lightly as he works to uncover whether an apparent suicide was instead murder. AddThis. A well written book that took me a little while to get into but in the end was worth the effort. I didn’t realize this was a fictional novel about a true historical event but that made it even more interesting for me. A worthy read for those who like books from the Russian point of view about the start of the arms race. We’d love your help. October 13, 2020. Cold War historical mystery set in a secret USSR nuclear weapons research center. S. A most insightful well written story of the life and culture in the USSR during the Khrushchev era, a time of soviet supremacy in science and technology. His own history, research and knowledge is seeping through every page of the book. Owen Matthews is a British writer, historian and journalist. I have read the Arkady Renko novels and this is so reminiscent of one. Our investigator is Major Alexander Vasin of State Security, Special Cases Branch. Very slow-paced, with mediocre character development. The process was hassle free on my part and Anne and the team dealt with everything very efficiently. Pinterest. Got about halfway through and just couldn’t be bothered with it anymore. Matthews writes with a keen observer’s eye and a gift for some enviable turns of phrases. Yes- I recommend this book! Vasin is sent to a secret town in Russia that is building a bomb so powerful, it will make the thought of war unpalatable. They have a comfortable life, by the standards that Vasin experiences in Moscow; from well stocked shops to Motown records, the residents are kept in secluded comfort. Based on true events, this was brilliant. With well-placed backstory, unexpected friendships and attractions, and the myriad pressures of being a member of a post-Stalinist KGB which nonetheless carries the previous generation's scars, Matthe. This is a book I read with increasing horror, it terrified the living daylights out of me, where leading scientists and engineers under the direction of Professor Yury Adamov, are 9 days from the insanity of testing the most powerful thermonuclear bomb in the world in the Arctic, the RDS-220, a vital national project instigated by Khrushchev himself. His first book, Stalin's Children, was shortlisted for the 2008 Guardian First Books Award, the Orwell Prize for political writing, and France's Prix Medicis Etranger. You’ll also receive a free report Blacksun Book Promotions dedicated research staff compiled after spending months analysing services offered by other promotional companies, combined with the things it is easy for an author to do themselves to have their Author and Book profiles as visible, attractive and alluring as possible. Matthews has lectured on Russian history and politics at Columbia University's Harriman Centre, St Antony's College Oxford, and the Journalism Faculty of Moscow State University. Vasin digs into them for the detailed explanation. When a leading atomic scientist is killed in mysteries circumstances a local investigation results in a verdict of suicide. Book Review: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse Is An Epic Fantasy Inspired By Indigenous Culture, Folklore. Throughout his investigation, Vasin questions whether it's possible for men and women to be consistently good in an amoral or immoral society. With the Cold War of the 1960s as a backdrop, Owen Mathews brings an utterly convincing authenticity to Russian bureaucracy and politics born of 10 years in Moscow as Newsweek bureau chief. I know summer is usually beach book time- maybe time to read something that doesn't require too much thought. If you love books like "Gorky Park" by Martin Cruz Smith, then this book is for you. Based on real events, ‘Black Sun’ and its subject matter of the construction of the biggest ever thermonuclear bomb, is both complex and frightening, but Owen Matthews’ debut novel is so beautifully written, that it’s as if his words come sugar frosted, and were lovingly devoured. Are you in the mood for an intelligent thriller? A very well done thriller, mixing science, crime and an excellent evocation of the Soviet world. Refresh and try again. Suicide as the city a. Major Alexander Vasin of the KGB is sent to Arzamas-16, a secret city, to investigate a murder. 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