The Last Train to Kazan

by Stephen Miller

Intelligent thriller set against the backdrop of Tsarist Russia. As World War One rumbles to a close Russia is wracked by bloody civil war. Communist control on the country is slipping, and in the struggle the Imperial family have become a very valuable commodity, a trump card to be played at an opportune moment. When ex-Tsarist agent Pyotr Ryzhkov is picked up by the Bolshevik secret police, he has two choices: find the Romanovs, or face the firing squad. It appears that one choice is little better than the other as he ventures into the war-torn city where they are rumoured to be held. Yekaterinburg is at the end of the line, a frontier town cut off from Moscow by the White Russians and their allies. It is a nest of foreign spies armed with gold and guns, Bolsheviks determined to sell the family to the highest bidder, and local soviets desperate to kill them. Whispers and rumour flood the city, but in the fog of war Ryzhkov knows that only the last man to see the Romanovs can ever know the truth.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Russia, Fiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2008

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and generally gripping historic spy thriller set during the Russian revolution and involving the imagined fate of the Romanovs. The bleakness and casual violence are described well, but do not dominate the narrative, rather it is the character of Ryzhkov who is central; having been charged with finding out what has happened to the Tsar and his family after a final hour reprieve from his own execution for working for a foreign agency. The story zips along offering hints of the various parties and agents that would like the track the Royal family for their various political purposes. The plot gathers apace and culminates in a gripping chase after the train of the title. There was some difficulty in keeping track of the various characters, but overall an interesting and rewarding read, with the added benefit of making you want to delve deeper into the history of the period.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting and exciting reconstruction of the history around the last days of the Tsar in Russia. This book follows the fictional character of Ryzhkov who is caught between the Bolsheviks and the White Army and in a bid to survive, embarks on a mission to discover what happened to the Tsar and his family. The writing was very good although one did get a bit caught up in detail in parts and there were chapters which lost their way a little bit. I like how the author had turned it into a thriller and, especially as the book went on, it became a page-turner. I wasn't convinced about the ending and I found the mention of the woman Ryzhkov loved almost irrelevant - she had played so little part in the story. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and would give it 3.5 stars.

[Diana Sandberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story, well told. I love a good historical that jumps right into a real event and weaves a plausible tale around what few facts exist, and this certainly does that. I was pleased to meet Ryzhkov again and be drawn into his world, and to learn more about the chaotic swirl of events surrounding the Russian Revolution(s), the simultaneous First World War, and the fate of the Romanovs.

Miller's technique includes a rapid switching of POV among his characters. This is something that I can quite like when well done, but can be just annoying when not. It works quite well here for the most part, although there was one point in the climactic shootout where I had to go back and re-read to figure out who had just been wounded. But then, when I get excited by a passage, I tend to read faster, so....ha.

Very satisfying. Keep writing, Miller!

[Ian McGaffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story, and as a sequel, I was excited about it. I am a fan of the end of the Romanovs, and it lends well to this type of adventure.