Child 44

Tom Rob Smith's debut novel Child 44 has gotten a lot of buzz, and for good reason. It's a gripping suspense novel that skillfully captures the dark mood and paranoid fears of Soviet Russia. In Stalin's Soviet Union, a serial killer of children is on the loose. The State's official position is that the deaths are merely coincidental and unrelated, but when MGB officer Leo Demidov begins to question the State's judgement, he is demoted. Leo convinces his new superior officer that the killings are not unrelated and the two quietly begin their own investigation. When the State learns of Leo's continued investigation, he is arrested, declared a traitor and sent to a gulag. After escaping, with the help of local villagers, Leo tracks down the killer, whose identity makes for a shocking twist. Be sure you don't miss this one!