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Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense
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Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense
Unavailable
Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense
Audiobook9 hours

Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense

Written by Sam Eastland

Narrated by Paul Michael

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

This riveting suspense debut introduces both a stellar new voice and a remarkable detective, an outsider who must use his extraordinary talents to solve the one case that may redeem him.

Shortly after midnight on July 17, 1918, the imprisoned family of Tsar Nicholas Romanov was awakened and led down to the basement of the Ipatiev house. There they were summarily executed. Their bodies were hidden away, the location a secret of the Soviet state.

A decade later, one man lives in purgatory, banished to a forest on the outskirts of humanity. Pekkala was once the most trusted secret agent of the Romanovs, the right-hand man of the Tsar himself. Now he is Prisoner 4745-P, living a harsh existence in which even the strongest vanish into the merciless Soviet winter.

But the state needs Pekkala one last time. The man who knew the Romanovs best is given a final mission: catch their killers, locate the royal child rumored to be alive, and give Stalin the international coup he craves. Find the bodies, Pekkala is told, and you will find your freedom. Find the survivor of that bloody night and you will change history.

In a land of uneasy alliances and deadly treachery, pursuing clues that have eluded everyone, Pekkala is thrust into the past where he once reigned. There he will meet the man who betrayed him and the woman he loved and lost in the fires of rebellion-and uncover a secret so shocking that it will shake to its core the land he loves.

With stunning period detail and crackling suspense, Eye of the Red Tsar introduces a complex and compelling investigator in a fiercely intelligent thriller perfect for readers of Gorky Park, Child 44, and City of Thieves.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateApr 27, 2010
ISBN9780307735973
Unavailable
Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I am always looking for serial novels that I can read more or less in a sitting or two, that fall into the general category of crime or mystery, and that keep me turning the page with a heightened level of anticipation. A Barnes and Noble staff member recommended Sam Eastland’s “Eye of the Red Tsar”. It is the first in a series of, to date, two works that will engage its protagonist in a variety of investigations in Stalin’s Soviet Union. Eastland’s choice of the staging area of the series undoubtedly is a response to the West’s interests in the intrigues and machinations of the Soviet years—an interest that increases as more of the Soviet’s archival records are opened to the public.

    Sam Eastland’s debut novel was passable. The plot, revolving around the Romanovs, was certainly intriguing and clear enough [are all of the Romanovs dead?; who killed them?; and where is the treasure the Tsar hid before being executed?] and the writing generally fluid. The protagonist, Inspector Pekkala known as the Emerald Eye, also had enough substance and depth to have sustained my interest. But there were aspects to the novel which were problematic as pointed out by Christian House in his review of the work.

    While Eastland developed Pekkala adequately, he did not do so with the Inspector’s two fellow travelers. One of them, judging from the novel’s end, will become Pekkala’s Watson: it would have been valuable to have given at least Kirov greater dimension and history. There was also the love relationship, as Eastland developed it, which seemed somewhat tangential to the story line, unless he intends to pick up the thread in a future work.

    But Eastland’s deficiencies with the delineation of some of his fictional characters were really secondary to his curious portrayal of Tsar Nicholas II. In Eastland’s hands, the Tsar comes across as a monarch eminently judicious but overwhelmed by uncontrollable circumstances. That is not the image of Nicholas that seems to be the historical consensus. The Romanovs, with Nicholas at the forefront, were excessively autocratic, anti-Semitic and greatly disengaged from their subjects. While the Romanovs collected Faberge eggs, their subjects suffered famines and executions. In a similar vein, Stalin, who looms largely in the background of this first novel, seems more benign. The interplay between the dictator and Pekkala hangs, poorly defined.

    In the end, even with the interesting plot, there was not enough weight to convince me to add the second entry in the series to my to-read list. Maybe later.

    As a final note, Eastland apparently is a pseudonym for an English writer, grandson of a British detective, living in the United States.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Lots of needless foreshadowing killed the thrill. I truly found some decisions of the protagonist extremely unbelievable. Such as, after all the things that Stalin has done to him, he accepts the offer to work for him in the end. I don't know if his decision somehow is a long thought out vengeance plan, to be carried out in rest of the series, but this book really left me unsatisfied.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    As the book opens we meet a man who has, barely, survived 10 years in a Siberian gulag following the Russian revolution of 1917. We learn that he was once a great detective and so close to Tsar Nicholas II that it was inevitable he would be treated harshly by the Tsar's opponents. His rescue comes at the hands of none other than Joseph Stalin who wants the man, known only as Pekkala, to discover once and for all whether or not the Tsar and his family are dead and, more importantly, to find the treasure the Tsar was believed to have hidden. Pekkala is 'assisted' in his investigations by his estranged brother and a young Commissar called Kirov.

    I like an alternate history as much as the next reader but, for me anyway, there are limits it's best not to go beyond and this book went a good way past them. Tsar Nicholoas II is portrayed as a kind-of 'everyone’s kindly old uncle' character, dispensing sage advice and home-spun philosophy alongside his boundless affection for man and beast. In this version of the man there is not even a hint of the autocratic, anti-semitic, mass murderer that real history has recorded. Apart from making me cringe at its unsavouriness, this cleaning up of the Tsar's character also made it impossible for me to be fully drawn into the novel because the Tsar's personality was the hook upon which everything else hung and I didn't for a moment swallow it.

    Even if I had been able to put that aspect of the novel aside I can't imagine I would have ever been fully engaged by the rest of it. The character of Pekkala, who carries almost all of the action, wasn't much more credible than the Tsar and I thought Eastland went too far in trying to make him sympathetic. He is totally brilliant (of course) and has a zen-like capacity to forgive the various injustices committed against him (which by the end of the novel stack up quite high) and is just too perfect to be really interesting. His two companions in investigation are not drawn in enough detail to provide much interest either, especially when most of their contribution seems to be moaning about the cold, the lack of food and whatever else they can find to whine about (Pekkala of course accepts all of this with grace and wisdom).

    The story is told from Pekkala's perspective and oscillates between the present and his flashbacks to various points in his past including his childhood, his time as a detective and his years in the gulag. I did enjoy this structure as it provided a good sense of the historical placement of the present events. The mystery itself was also decently plotted, especially as Eastland didn't take the expected path when depicting his version of what happened to the Romanovs and their treasures. I did find the inclusion at the end of the novel of a timeline of what actually happened to the Romanovs odd though, as if the author was wanting to shout "I made all that other stuff up you know" in case we hadn't worked that out for ourselves.

    I know I probably shouldn't be so harsh about a novel simply because I couldn't buy into the author's world but I think that's one of the risks of using prominent real people about whom much is known as significant characters in a novel. If I ignore the characters all together Eye of the Red Tsar is an entertaining enough yarn, especially as read by the always brilliant Stephen Pacey, but for me to be really engaged by a novel I need characters I can believe and they were sadly lacking here.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A great idea but with mediocre execution. The Eye of the Red Tsar is the story of Pekkala, a tough guy with perfect memory, and super-investigator who was once the personal detective of the last Tsar of Russia. After the Soviet Revolution, Pekkala is sent to prison for a long time, until the Communists pull him out to solve one, final the murder- the mystery of who really killed the Tsar and his family.Despite the interesting premise and some nice historical touches, the plot of the this book sort of dragged along, the writing could have been more crisp and (I'm sorry to say) the comic touches were actually not particularly funny, or not funny enough to lift the tragic mood (which is what I think they were meant to do). The book's biggest sin, however, is that Pekkala himself is poorly defined. He is described, but not exactly defined. Reading through the book, I never got a sense of his passions. He is in love with a beautiful woman, (I think her name was Ilya) but we never get the details of that love or what made their connection special. It's sort of like he had to fall in love with beautiful woman because that's what we expect from heroes.His passion for investigation is a little better defined, but he tends to approach murder scenes with dread. In the first 160 pages (which could really have been about 60 pages), I get no sense that he loves investigating murders. In contrast, consider Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, a wizard who gets all worked up about magic and who delivers multi-page lectures on the nuances of sorcery and magic, or BBC's Dr. Who, whose passion for humanity and history comes bubbling to the surface, and who will often greet mortal danger with hearty joy that encompasses living life on the edge.I got to page 160 (over 60% of the text) before I (sadly) gave up on this one
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The book is based on Russian history but environment that he creates is not authentic. Premise is implausible. Writing is not good. Couldn't finish it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    very interesting book; great main character in Pekkala, the former top cop for the last tsar and now working for Stalin to find out what really happened to the Romonov
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Having read the 2nd of the Inspector Pekkala crime novels for Early Reviewers, I decided to go back and read the 1st. While the 2nd can definitely be read as a stand-alone, reading the debut does help fill in some details. This one sets up Pekkala's being brought in from the Gulag in order to investigate the deaths of the Romanovs and find their lost treasures. Pekkala had been employed as the 'Emerald Eye' for the Tsar; this gave him absolute free rein in investigations. At the overthrow of the Tsar, Pekkala is captured and sent to a Siberian gulag. Stalin later sends for Pekkala, convinced he knows where the Romanov fortunes are hidden. The flashbacks are useful (though similar to the 2nd book, they can come over-frequently and the italics seem unnecessary).Yes, much of the premise is unlikely - that someone so tight with the Romanovs would then be given the same level of trust by Stalin & the Soviets. Similarly, knowing what we do about Pekkala, aspects of the ending are fairly implausible. Still, it is a great book for summer, or for anytime you are willing to overlook the holes and imperfections in favor of a quick, entertaining read with an interesting historical backdrop.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of the problems with historically based fiction is always how reliable the depiction of characters and events is. And how does the ordinary reader know? Can you judge authenticity in subjective ways like how the supposed "facts" feel?I guess I have an advantage over most readers in that I have done specialised studies in the Russian Revolution at tertiary level, and taught the Russian Revolution for a number of years to senior high school students.The fate of the Romanovs has always been a topic of great debate. There were of course "sightings" of members of the family well after their deaths had been affirmed, and even women who claimed to be Anastasia. Sam Eastland (a pseudonym of Paul Watkins) has taken much of that into account in the supplementary information at the end of the novel, where he gives a timeline of events and claims.The action in the novel flutters from pre-1917, into 1917 itself, and then backwards and forwards into 1929. It does build up a strong picture of the time, and really brings Inspector "Emerald Eye" Pekkala's search for the truth to life. Pekkala is torn between his loyalty to the Tsar and his family, particularly to the boy Alexei, and the real reason why Stalin has released him, the search for the treasure the Romanovs were supposed to be carrying with them. There are those who will not like this picture of the Tsar as a benevolent father and kindly gent, but unfortunately it is often only fictionalisations, not the dry notes notes of historical tomes, that reconstruct personalities.The next title in the series THE RED COFFIN was published earlier this year.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was rather disappointed by this. As a basic thriller, it was a good page turner. However, the basic premise and plot were just too implausible. Pekkala as a kind of Tsarist version of some untouchable superhero, just because he happens to have a supposedly infallible memory, was in my view a ridiculous concept. How was he fooled about the mistaken identity of Grodek near the end? And just why would he (or anyone) believe that Stalin would really grant an amnesty to a member of the Romanov family who had turned out to have survived? There were also some basic historical errors, ignoring some of the facts about the killing of the Romanovs (no-one disputes that a number of people must have been involved in the murders, yet here one lone killer carries them out) and lesser examples, such as a reference to the Bolsheviks not having yet changed the currency, while at the time in question (the late spring/summer of 1917), they were not even in Government; and a reference to the great famine, mainly in the early 30s, that followed collectivisation, though the main action of the novel is set in 1929. These things jarred, as did, for me at least, the constant flitting back and forth between 1917 and 1929.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    SPOILERS ahead. Read 2/24/11. First in a series of two books, second released only days ago, and third has a tentative Sept '11 date. Only became aware of "Eye" because book 2 was just released and reviewed (Shadow Pass, aka Red Coffin). Insp Pekkala is a Finn, and volunteered for army service with the Russians just prior to the Revolution. He had quickly risen to special investigator for the Tsar Nicolas because of his near perfect memory and his trustworthiness. But the story begins almost 10 years later, and Pekkala has been banished to Siberia where he lives a hermatic life marking trees to be felled by woodcutters. Pekkala's story is told in flashback, overlapping with his current investigation of what happened to the Tsar and family, esp the rumored gold bullion that was never found after the Tsar's murder. Theauthor takes some liberties with real events but the story is close enough to reality to get a sense of the time and events. And in the background lurks Uncle Joe. Stalin is first presented as a 'reformed' bank robber and we first encounter him 3/4 of the way into the story as he interviews Pekkala who had been attempting to apprehend him - now Pekkala realizes he is working for him ! In the end, Pekkala's brother dies a valiant death, the missing treasure is found, Pekkala is advised by Stalin that his long lost love no longer awaits him in Paris, rather she is married and has borne a daughter, so why not come to work for Joe, and have as an asst., that green 17 year oldLt., now promoted to Major....hmmm, could Stalin be lying about Ilya, too ??? Interesting story, not a great deal of tension, an interesting way to begin a series. I will likely try book #2 but don't feel committed to this series yet.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Emerald Eye is a man known simply as Pekkala. Private investigator to Czar Nicholas, Pekkala gains a reputation among those in the know in Russia, which proves dangerous when the Czar and his family are killed in the Bolshevic Revolution, and Pekkala himself becomes simply Prisoner 4745-P. After years in prison, he is summoned by Josef Stalin to solve a decades-old mystery -- who actually killed the Romanovs, and are there any survivors?This book starts a bit slowly, but if you stick with it you will be rewarded. By the middle of the book, I couldn't put it down at all, and I finished the last hundred pages faster than I finished the first fifty. The story is suspenseful, and the characters are memorable, even for someone who doesn't have Pekkala's famous memory! If you don't know much about pre-Soviet Russia, you will learn a lot from this book without even really realizing it.Parts of the plot were somewhat obvious, especially if you remember Chekov's Gun, but this is an outstanding introduction to what I hope will become a long-running series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I listened to the unabridged audio book. What a pleasure! The written prose is beautifully descriptive and Paul Michael adds significant depth to the book. If you like watching Masterpiece on PBS, you will love listening to this story. I am especially interested in the story of the Romanov family
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The book is set around the Romanov Tsar family and a fictional account ofwhat happened to them before and immediately after their demise. Inspector Pekkala was a man selected by the Tsar for his excellent memory and keen eye for detail. No one in the country is able to escape his scrutiny, not even his employer. I won't go into the plot as I feel that this will ruin much of the novels suspense. All I will say is that Pekkala is almost like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and James Bond.The book flew along nicely with nice short chapters that alternated between Pakkala's past and present which interlinked with each other that allows the reader to uncover different aspects of the plot as his investigation progresses. There are quite a number of twists and turns (and a few plot holes) with a rather unexpected ending.At the back of the book the author provides a detailed account of established facts regarding the real death of the Tsar.The reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that I felt that the whole novel hinges on the fact that Pekkala is feared by all walks of life for deeds completed whilst in the Tsars employment, but there is very little evidence of this placed in front of the reader.If anyone is interested Sam Eastland is a pseudonym used by Paul Watkins.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ten years after the Russian Revolution, the Tsar's trusted investigator, Pekkala, is abruptly released from confinement and called into service by the new government. The combination of Pekkala's skills and his knowledge of the Tsar's inner circle uniquely qualifies him to track down the killer(s) of the Tsar and his household.The author gradually reveals Pekkala's history by interweaving flashbacks with the current investigation. The flashbacks provide essential background information without interrupting the pace of the story. Eastland avoids the mistake made by many other writers who over-tell their stories by including descriptions and scenes that divert the reader's attention from the central thrust of the novel. Eastland's writing is focused. He provides just the right amount of detail to build tension and reach a satisfying conclusion within a reasonable number of pages.Pekkala's re-introduction to society after a decade of isolation wasn't quite convincing. Pekkala seems to quickly shake off his initial awkwardness. I couldn't help comparing him to Dickens's Dr. Manet in A Tale of Two Cities, who was permanently scarred after his time in the Bastille and who suffered a number of relapses during his recovery. I think Dickens's portrayal is probably the more realistic of the two.Pekkala's background in osteology is an interesting twist for the historical suspense genre. If the author develops that aspect of Pekkala's investigative technique in subsequent books, the series might appeal to quite a few readers who enjoy the forensic novels and television series that are so popular right now. Enthusiastically recommended.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Book Report: Pekkala is the Tsar's most powerful subject, the only one with the power to arrest even the Tsar himself for crimes against Russia. The Revolution, naturally enough, ends that power, and Pekkala endures torture and isolation for more than a decade before Comrade Stalin needs Pekkala's unique skills and knowledge to solve a lingering mystery: Who actually killed the Tsar, since it wasn't Moscow's orders to do so? Did any of the Romanovs survive Ekaterinburg? The answers to the questions posed takes Pekkala, his estranged brother Anton, and a young chef-in-training reassigned to political censorship because there is no food to cook, all over Siberia and the trans-Ural region, and once discovered, allow some of Pekkala's old scores to be settled.My Review: A perfectly pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book picks up pace quickly and carries the reader along comfortably. I have never heard of author Sam Eastland before this, but I enjoyed this book at least enough that I would be interested in seeing what else he has to thumb through.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just finished this book and "I LOVED IT"the story line is one that will grab you and not let go...when I saw this next book "Shadow Pass" I put in a request for a copy...if I don't get one...will be one of the first to put my name on list at the library...and for those who are lucky to get a copy...do yourself a favor...get a copy of this book...I'm sure will agree
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Glimpse into Post-Revolutionary Russia Wrapped in a Murder Mystery!, March 21, 2010A trusted friend and confidant of Tsar Nicholas II, Pekkala was a detective with unlimited power and unlimited public appeal. But his relationship with the tsar caused him to be imprisoned following the murder of the tsar and his family. Only the lure of untold wealth could have caused the red tsar (Stalin) to bring him back from confinement.Here's my take on Sam Eastland's first novel:PROS:1. For me, this novel was a fascinating introduction to life after the revolution. Although I cannot say I'm surprised, I had no idea that villages were created to give journalists false ideas about conditions in the Soviet Union.2. The character development is excellent. While there's still a lot to be discovered about Pekkala (in Eastland's next novel I suspect), we learn a lot about who and what he is as the novel progresses. We learn how he came to be such a skilled observer of details. We learn about the tragic riff between Pekkala and his brother. We learn what the Emerald Eye means to him, both professionally and emotionally.Added to this cast of characters is the Tsar himself, and, this is the first time I'd really thought about him as a human being rather than simply as a tragic victim of a revolution he could not see coming until it was too late.3. Suspense? Here aplenty, as the protagonist leads us into creepy settings and deals with men of less than sterling character. Hints to the final solution are blessedly few and far between.CONS:The Eye of the Red Tsar ended before I was ready. I wanted More, More!OVERALL:The Product Description was right on target . . . if you're a fan of Gorky Park, or if you, like me, thoroughly enjoyed Child 44, this novel's a great pick for you. I highly recommend it!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Unusual thriller story that held my interest the entire beginning to end. Extremely enjoyable and interesting with the actual truth at the end of the book. Worthwhile read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not my usual genre of book, but I found it quickly engaging. A very nice blend of historical and fiction to create a tale of suspense. Not the most surprising of endings, but still a well crafted story. Would love to see more from this new character.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very good debut of an interesting protagonist, Inspector Pekkala, the Emerald Eye. Top investigator to the last Tsar of Russia, released from prison to discover what truly happened to the Romanovs and their rumored gold. The research into the period really complements the story and brings the Russia of the 1920's vividly to life. A couple of somewhat incredulous failures in the deductive powers of Pekkala near the end hurt the story a bit, but overall a very good and fast-paced read. The development of an interesting new detective, along with an equally intriguing potential sidekick make for a very enjoyable book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Ehhh.The book had potential but falls flat in several areas. For me, the biggest let down was the innumerable factual errors.I realize this is a novel but the fate of the Romanovs has been thoroughly documented at this point.(See The Romanovs:The Final Chapter by Robert Massie).Some of the plot just seems too neatly packaged together and predictable. This is not to say the author flops altogether, the main character is interesting, I think the story would be much more intriguing if we learned what made Pekkala so legendary.The author would have much more room to play around with historical characters without twisting the actual history.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    A very uninspiring book. The plot is pretty week, with a poor ending, lacking any sort of suspense or believability. The very last scene in particular is so corny.The best parts are the alternate flashback chapters, here the characterisation is better and you believe more in people (possibly because it's using real people, i.e. Czar, which give the author something to base his writing on).In the end I didn't care what happened, I was only glad it finished. The only shock being there will be more books using the Pekkala character.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Well-written, suspenseful: This book makes me wonder where all the interesting historical novels were when I was growing up. I hope that this is the beginning of a series (based on the ending, I assume it is).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Eastland's Eye of the Red Tsar is a readable and enjoyable mystery. I would put the book into a list of beach reads but not a book that I would reread. The main character, Pekkala is the Tsar's personal investigator. Following the revolution, he is recalled from exile ostensibly to discover who was responsible for killing the Tsar. Led on by the hope of a surviving member of the Tsar's family, Pekkala tracks down various leads while the reader is given glimpses of Pekkala's elevation and eventual fall and exile via flashbacks.While I enjoyed the story and the setting, ultimately I gave the book mediocre marks because the inevitable betrayal was a little too inevitable and the big surprises seemed too obvious. Mystery novels where you wait around for 50 pages for the protagonist to figure out the conclusion you arrived at long ago are dull. That combined with some fairly implausible deceptions pulled me out of the story. For all that, I will probably read the next in the series, albeit from the library.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Eye of the Red Tsar by first time novelist Sam Eastland (apparently, a pseudonym)was an interesting, if flawed, read. The portrayal of the Soviet Union in the early years of Stalin's dictatorship was a fascinating one, as is his depiction of the last reigning years of Tsar Alexander. The protagonist is Inspector Pekkala, who operated as an impartial investigator for the Tsar. After ten years in the gulag, he is pulled out by Uncle Joe himself to investigate the murder of the Tsar and his family, to once and for all lay the matter to rest.The mystery and the setting are engrossing, but both his politics and his characterizations seem a little simple. Pekkala seems almost superhuman in his abilities as an investigator, his remarkable survival skills, and his incorruptibility. The Tsar is seen as so kindly and upstanding I had a little trouble buying it. It also seems as if this is intended to be the first book in a series, and Pekkala will continue to investigate crimes for Stalin. Which doesn't really make sense, as according to Soviet dogma, a country as free and happy as the U.S.S.R. has no crime, so I'm a little baffled as to how this series will progress. At least I'm interested enough to find out if he does subsequently publish a sequel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    At one time, Pekkala was The Emerald Eye-- Tsar Nicholas II's most trusted personal investigator. For the past nine years, he has been Prisoner 4745-P in a Siberian prison camp. Given the job of tree marker which carried with it a life expectancy of six months, Pekkala has proven much tougher than anyone expected, and that is a good thing for Stalin.Human remains have been found in an abandoned mine shaft, and Stalin wants Pekkala to identify them. If they are indeed the bodies of the Romanov family, Stalin wants Pekkala to find the royal family's killers. Even before spending nine years in a Siberian prison camp, Pekkala is no fool, and he knows that Stalin's agenda has more on it than that, but even The Emerald Eye isn't prepared for all the twists and turns this investigation will throw at him. All he knows for sure is that he will investigate because Stalin has promised Pekkala his freedom if the case is concluded successfully.For anyone who loves tsarist Russian history, the beginning of this novel is memorable, and as I read the opening pages, I hoped that this new perspective would mean that I was in for a reading treat. Even so I was surprised by how much I didn't want to stop reading this book. If I could have ignored all obligations, I would've happily read Eye of the Red Tsar in one sitting, proving without doubt that I can be the worst biblio-glutton.As I learned more about Pekkala's childhood in Finland, as I learned how he met Tsar Nicholas, as I watched him follow each lead and talk to anyone who might have the slightest bit of information, I was in Siberia in 1929. The plot moved quickly and was full of switchbacks, only some of which were easily deduced, and when I read that Eastland's next Inspector Pekkala novel is expected in 2011, I got a huge smile on my face.Even the thought of another Pekkala novel makes me smile right now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As a subject that interested me as a young adult, I found this novel to be a pretty good quick read. This story follows the secret right hand man of the Tsar Nicholas, Pekkala also known as the Emerald Eye and his release from confinement to help find the bodies of the Romanovs he was once sworn to protect. As we follow Pekkala through this mystery, the present intersects with his past thorough various points of this book.As the author intends to make this into a series of books, we hopefully see more of Pekkala's past and how it's made him into the detective he is today. The brief glimpse in this novel is really not enough to have us form any real attachment with the character. As for the main plot, it's almost believable in the sense that there were a lot of questions surrounding the death of the Romanovs but with the final plot twist near the end, it makes it a little more difficult to believe.Overall, I enjoyed the quick read that this book offered. I would like to see more of Pekkala and how he become the man he is today and look forward for more of the author's work.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Subjects in crime fiction seem to come in waves these days. Russian history seems to be one of those waves, either that or there's some weird synergy going on in my life. EYE OF THE RED TSAR is one of the Russian themed books I've been lucky enough to receive recently. Set against Russia under the rule of Stalin and all the brutality and ruthlessness that regime imposed, this is a book about the life of Pekkala. A favourite of the Tsar, Pekkala was known to be utterly loyal to his master. Unexpectedly reprieved he is accompanied by the very new Commissar Kirov on his mission. A bitter sweet assignment for Pekkala. On the one hand, possible success and freedom; on the other, the sadness and despair he feels as he traces the last days of the family he knew, and in particular the Tsar he admired. The fate of the Romanov's, told from the aspect of the Tsar and the entire family, rather than the more common Anastasia speculation is related as a series of current day events interspersed with flashbacks. So much of what Pekkala sees, hears and touches reminds him of the past. It's a very elaborate, textured way of telling a tale, slowly and intricately, weaving Pekkala's past life, his own background, the current investigation, the Tsar's family, Kirov and Pekkala's estranged brother. Because Pekkala is narrating this tale the constantly outward looking perspective does mean that you feel like you understand the life that has shaped this man, but you may come away from the book not quite sure who the man has become. As this is the first book in a proposed series, that seems somehow fair enough, one would hope that in the future the character himself will step out from behind the events and into the light a little more. Having said that, this is a gloriously Russian feeling novel. There is a sense of history, of sadness, a little hope, a lot of reflection, glory found, and more than a little glory lost. There is also, given that this is an alternate history, a timeline at the end which explains what really happened to the Romanov's. For which I, for one, was very grateful. There is such a sense of reality to EYE OF THE RED TSAR that it was very easy to get more than a little confused about facts versus fiction.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    After the Russian Revolution and the death of the Romanovs, Tsar Nicholas's right hand man is brought from exile in Siberia to find the bodies of the family and to find the treasure the family hid.