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Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev #2
The Bloody Meadow
Where some of Stalin's greatest crimes lie buried . . .
Shortlisted for the Ireland AM Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award
Russia, 1937. In Moscow, Stalin's purges are reaching their darkest hour.
Meanwhile Korolev, a police investigator, must travel to the bleak, battle-scarred Ukraine - scene of some of Stalin's bloodiest crimes - to look into the mysterious death of a young woman. The victim, a beautiful film production assistant, had made both powerful friends and terrible enemies . . .
Published in the USA as The Darkening Field.
'The Holy Thief, set in Stalin's Russia, was one of last year's most impressive crime fiction debuts. The Bloody Meadow, William Ryan's follow-up, does not disappoint . . . Ryan has obviously done much research into that sinister period of Russian history and manages to convey its claustrophobic atmosphere brilliantly' Marcel Berlins, The Times
'Every bit as darkly compelling as its predecessor' Daily Express
'An outstanding thriller' Independent Ireland
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2011
58 people are currently reading
721 people want to read
About the author
William Ryan
2 books5 followersLibrarian note:
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 139 reviews
June 21, 2012
The Bloody Meadow is the second book in the series set in 1930s Stalinist Russia featuring Militia Captain Alexei Dmitriyevich Korolev, who we first met in the excellent The Holy Thief.
In The Bloody Meadow, the purges of Stalin continue unabated. When one night Korolev is summoned by Colonel Rodinov of the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, Korolev assumes he is under arrest and picks up the bag he has already packed in anticipation of the fateful ‘knock on the door’. In fact, Korolev is ordered to the Ukraine to investigate the death of a young film assistant, Maria Alexandrovna Lenskaya, who was the mistress of a high ranking official. The woman died whilst working on the set of ‘The Bloody Meadow’, a Communist propaganda movie being shot near Odessa on the Black Sea.
Korolev quickly establishes that the woman was murdered and once again, to investigate the case, he has to pick his way through the treachery of officialdom and the close knit honour amongst the ‘thieves’, Moscow’s organised crime elite.
The opening passage of the book describes Korolev making an arrest at ‘Workers Hostel Seven’, a building teeming with displaced workers, exiled priests and poverty stricken women and children. The passage not only introduces us to the underbelly of Stalin’s Moscow but also sets the scene for the rest of the book. We get a sense of the paranoia pervading all of society, from both within the police and amongst ordinary people. Only the ‘thieves’ seem immune from the backstabbing and trickery of Communist rule, largely because they have their own code of honour as restrictive as Stalin’s.
There were less graphic descriptions of violence in this book than in The Holy Thief, although there was a pervading sense of menace throughout. The decision to set the book outside Moscow and in the countryside of the Ukraine gave the book an interesting perspective, and you never lost the sense of the much documented atrocities committed by the Soviet army against the native Ukrainians during the period.
Korlev continues to be an interesting character, and once more we see glimpses of the conflict between Communist atheism and the vestiges of the Orthodox church which has gone underground but is remembered by the ordinary people, including Korolev.
I enjoyed reading this latest book in what is an excellent series and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.
In The Bloody Meadow, the purges of Stalin continue unabated. When one night Korolev is summoned by Colonel Rodinov of the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, Korolev assumes he is under arrest and picks up the bag he has already packed in anticipation of the fateful ‘knock on the door’. In fact, Korolev is ordered to the Ukraine to investigate the death of a young film assistant, Maria Alexandrovna Lenskaya, who was the mistress of a high ranking official. The woman died whilst working on the set of ‘The Bloody Meadow’, a Communist propaganda movie being shot near Odessa on the Black Sea.
Korolev quickly establishes that the woman was murdered and once again, to investigate the case, he has to pick his way through the treachery of officialdom and the close knit honour amongst the ‘thieves’, Moscow’s organised crime elite.
The opening passage of the book describes Korolev making an arrest at ‘Workers Hostel Seven’, a building teeming with displaced workers, exiled priests and poverty stricken women and children. The passage not only introduces us to the underbelly of Stalin’s Moscow but also sets the scene for the rest of the book. We get a sense of the paranoia pervading all of society, from both within the police and amongst ordinary people. Only the ‘thieves’ seem immune from the backstabbing and trickery of Communist rule, largely because they have their own code of honour as restrictive as Stalin’s.
There were less graphic descriptions of violence in this book than in The Holy Thief, although there was a pervading sense of menace throughout. The decision to set the book outside Moscow and in the countryside of the Ukraine gave the book an interesting perspective, and you never lost the sense of the much documented atrocities committed by the Soviet army against the native Ukrainians during the period.
Korlev continues to be an interesting character, and once more we see glimpses of the conflict between Communist atheism and the vestiges of the Orthodox church which has gone underground but is remembered by the ordinary people, including Korolev.
I enjoyed reading this latest book in what is an excellent series and I’m looking forward to the next instalment.
September 23, 2016
αρκετά καλό βιβλίο με μυστήριο στην σοβιετικη ένωση κάτι που για μένα αποδεικνύεται που ενδιαφέρον. όλη η ατμόσφαιρα φόβου για όλους τους ήρωες είναι ένα από τα σημαντικά χαρακτηριστικα.... Αν εξαιρέσουμε ένα χαοτικό τελείωμα, διαβάζεται που εύκολα και έχει πολύ καλό ρυθμό... οι τελευταίες στιγμές του επιθεώρηση κορολεφ με τον ανώτερο του είναι όλα τα λεφτά
March 20, 2019
6/10. Αξιόλογη και η δεύτερη προσπάθεια της σειράς Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev. Πιο ενδιαφέρον χαρακτήρες και στόρι από το πρώτο μέρος , Νομίζω όμως ότι απευθύνεται κυρίως σε ένθερμους αναγνώστες του Αστυνομικού Μυθιστορήματος...
May 31, 2012
Once again we are immersed in the claustrophobic and paranoid atmosphere of Stalinist Russia, in this the follow up to Ryan's remarkable debut `The Holy Thief'. Our erstwhile hero and investigator Captain Korolev becomes embroiled in the suspected suicide of a beautiful young woman working as a film production assistant, and is uprooted from the relative safety of Moscow to the wilds to investigate. A seemingly straightforward case one would think, but as Korolev gets drawn in deeper to her complicated private life and her links to an especially violent period of Russian history, dark secrets are unearthed and Korolev must revisit an unpredictable and dangerous ally from the past to thwart a perilous plot at personal risk to his life and career.
Ryan's attention to historical detail is masterful and because the novel is so rooted in the reality of this period, one truly gets the sense of the fear of speaking one's own mind and the inherent suspicion of others that was fuelled by the suffocating and paranoid dictatorship of Stalin. This attention to historical detail and sense of place is counterbalanced by the precision of the plotting and a cast of truly well-drawn characters and the storyline is also underscored by moments of mordant humour that catch the reader unawares. I really liked the introduction of Slivka, a young female investigator who becomes invaluable to Korolev's investigation and the reappearance of Kolya- the leader of The Thieves- was a welcome surprise as despite his criminal tendencies, he makes a wonderful foil to Korolev's role as law enforcer. I would heartily recommend this book as a terrific criminal read but also as an astute and well-observed depiction of a terrifying period of Russian history. More than just a crime novel...
Ryan's attention to historical detail is masterful and because the novel is so rooted in the reality of this period, one truly gets the sense of the fear of speaking one's own mind and the inherent suspicion of others that was fuelled by the suffocating and paranoid dictatorship of Stalin. This attention to historical detail and sense of place is counterbalanced by the precision of the plotting and a cast of truly well-drawn characters and the storyline is also underscored by moments of mordant humour that catch the reader unawares. I really liked the introduction of Slivka, a young female investigator who becomes invaluable to Korolev's investigation and the reappearance of Kolya- the leader of The Thieves- was a welcome surprise as despite his criminal tendencies, he makes a wonderful foil to Korolev's role as law enforcer. I would heartily recommend this book as a terrific criminal read but also as an astute and well-observed depiction of a terrifying period of Russian history. More than just a crime novel...
April 2, 2012
'The Bloody Meadow will be a dagger into the hearts of the Revolution's enemies.'
This is the second novel to feature Captain Alexei Korolev, the first being The Holy Thief. Set in 1937, The Bloody Meadow of the title is the name of a film being shot in the Ukraine. When Maria Lenskaya, a beautiful young woman working as a production assistant on the film, is found dead, Korolev is dispatched from Moscow to discover the truth about her apparent suicide. After his involvement in a serious investigation assisting the NKVD, the state security service, the previous year, he had been hoping 'to keep well clear of anything connected with the Chekists until they forgot he'd ever existed'. However, he finds himself back assisting them again with this case in Odessa, a case in which no less than the head of the NKVD, Commissar Ezhov, has a particular interest.
The film's storyline is required to convey the correct message, namely loyalty to the State and the Party, and deviation from this will bring trouble for the director and the production team. The writer Babel, whom Korolev befriended in The Holy Thief, makes a reappearance here assisting with the film. Korolev teams up with a new assistant in the Ukraine, Sergeant Slivka, a junior detective from Odessa, who proves to be a good match for him as they make their way through questioning everyone on set and staying in the former grand country house, a 'remnant of a bygone age' that is now an agricultural college, and where many of the film crew have temporarily based themselves.
As we first saw in The Holy Thief, Korolev still has mixed feelings about his country and the direction it is going in. On the one hand, 'he felt a surge of pride that he was fortunate enough to be a Soviet citizen, living in the capital of a country that was leading the world by example.' On the other hand, he sees the fear in people all around him, and he personally also still has 'allegiances to individuals and beliefs that would put him at risk if they ever came to light.'
The citizens are always on their guard, cautious about what they say, so fearful of potential consequences under Stalin's rule. Instead, as Korolev observes, '...much of a Soviet citizen's conversation these days involved the unsaid, the oblique and euphemistic. Some intellectual would no doubt make a study, in due course, of the ability of Soviet citizens to communicate without saying quite what they meant.'
This intelligent historical mystery had me gripped throughout the time I was reading it. It is well plotted and evokes the atmosphere of the times vividly, conveying to us a sense of the horror that was inflicted on the Ukraine through Korolev's eyes as he arrives there. The historical background is convincing and the scene is always set for us, but this detail never overshadows the intriguing characters or the strong mystery plot. Korolev is a very likeable lead character; it's easy to get behind him and will him to succeed in his investigation despite the many obstacles that are strewn in his path as people are so reluctant or fearful of divulging the truth. I feel his character grows in this book, as we learn more about the man. He has a constant struggle to try and remain first and foremost an honest man, doing his duty, whilst trusting in the Party to bring about a better future, and yet secretly maintaining his religious beliefs. Korolev is determined to find the real culprit here and not be satisfied, as he knows some amongst his colleagues are, to simply make an arrest. As he says of his investigative style; 'I just shake the tree till all the apples come down, then work out which one is the rotten one. I don't presume it's the first that falls into my lap.'
As more secrets are uncovered, the layers of the mystery deepen and the plot builds to a thrilling finish in Odessa. I enjoyed this story as much as, if not more than, The Holy Thief. I am really looking forward to reading the next offering from this author and to catching up with Captain Korolev once again.
This is the second novel to feature Captain Alexei Korolev, the first being The Holy Thief. Set in 1937, The Bloody Meadow of the title is the name of a film being shot in the Ukraine. When Maria Lenskaya, a beautiful young woman working as a production assistant on the film, is found dead, Korolev is dispatched from Moscow to discover the truth about her apparent suicide. After his involvement in a serious investigation assisting the NKVD, the state security service, the previous year, he had been hoping 'to keep well clear of anything connected with the Chekists until they forgot he'd ever existed'. However, he finds himself back assisting them again with this case in Odessa, a case in which no less than the head of the NKVD, Commissar Ezhov, has a particular interest.
The film's storyline is required to convey the correct message, namely loyalty to the State and the Party, and deviation from this will bring trouble for the director and the production team. The writer Babel, whom Korolev befriended in The Holy Thief, makes a reappearance here assisting with the film. Korolev teams up with a new assistant in the Ukraine, Sergeant Slivka, a junior detective from Odessa, who proves to be a good match for him as they make their way through questioning everyone on set and staying in the former grand country house, a 'remnant of a bygone age' that is now an agricultural college, and where many of the film crew have temporarily based themselves.
As we first saw in The Holy Thief, Korolev still has mixed feelings about his country and the direction it is going in. On the one hand, 'he felt a surge of pride that he was fortunate enough to be a Soviet citizen, living in the capital of a country that was leading the world by example.' On the other hand, he sees the fear in people all around him, and he personally also still has 'allegiances to individuals and beliefs that would put him at risk if they ever came to light.'
The citizens are always on their guard, cautious about what they say, so fearful of potential consequences under Stalin's rule. Instead, as Korolev observes, '...much of a Soviet citizen's conversation these days involved the unsaid, the oblique and euphemistic. Some intellectual would no doubt make a study, in due course, of the ability of Soviet citizens to communicate without saying quite what they meant.'
This intelligent historical mystery had me gripped throughout the time I was reading it. It is well plotted and evokes the atmosphere of the times vividly, conveying to us a sense of the horror that was inflicted on the Ukraine through Korolev's eyes as he arrives there. The historical background is convincing and the scene is always set for us, but this detail never overshadows the intriguing characters or the strong mystery plot. Korolev is a very likeable lead character; it's easy to get behind him and will him to succeed in his investigation despite the many obstacles that are strewn in his path as people are so reluctant or fearful of divulging the truth. I feel his character grows in this book, as we learn more about the man. He has a constant struggle to try and remain first and foremost an honest man, doing his duty, whilst trusting in the Party to bring about a better future, and yet secretly maintaining his religious beliefs. Korolev is determined to find the real culprit here and not be satisfied, as he knows some amongst his colleagues are, to simply make an arrest. As he says of his investigative style; 'I just shake the tree till all the apples come down, then work out which one is the rotten one. I don't presume it's the first that falls into my lap.'
As more secrets are uncovered, the layers of the mystery deepen and the plot builds to a thrilling finish in Odessa. I enjoyed this story as much as, if not more than, The Holy Thief. I am really looking forward to reading the next offering from this author and to catching up with Captain Korolev once again.
July 24, 2014
ο δεύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς με ήρωα τον Αλεξέι Ντιμιτρίεβιτς Κόρολεφ που μπορεί να διαβαστεί και ανεξάρτητα από το πρώτο.
1937. Η μεγάλη εκκαθάριση του Στάλιν που αγωνίζεται να καθιερωθεί στο χώρο της προεδρίας της χώρας. Ο κομμουνισμός και η Επανάσταση έχουν επιφέρει τα αποτελέσματά τους: πείνα, εξαθλίωση, ανέχεια, φτώχεια και άφθονη βότκα, που φέρνει με τη σειρά της σωρεία βίας: βιασμοί, δολοφονίες, κλοπές. Μέσα σε αυτό το ζοφερό περιβάλλον ζει και ερευνά ο αστυνόμος της Διεύθυνσης Ποινικών Ερευνών και Λοχαγός της Πολιτοφυλακής της Μόσχας ("Μιλίτσια") Αλεξέι Ντιμιτρίεβιτς Κόρολεφ, χωρισμένος με παιδί που έχει να δει από το τότε που χώρισε με τη γυναίκα του.
Μιλίτσια ή Πολιτοφυλακή των Εργατών και των Αγροτών ήταν η Αστυνομία της πρώην Σοβιετικής Ένωσης. Τις ποινικές υποθέσεις διερευνά η αντίστοιχη Διεύθυνση στην οποία ανήκει ο Κόρολεφ ενώ τις πολιτικές η ΝιΚαΒεΝτε (NKVD), δηλαδή η Κρατική Ασφάλεια (NKVD = Λαϊκό Κομισαριάτο Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων) με έδρα τα γραφεία της Λουμπιάνκα. Η Μιλίτσια και η ΝιΚαΒεΝτε υπάγονται στο Υπουργείο Κρατικής Ασφάλειας, όπου νέος κομισάριος αναλαμβάνει ο Γιέζοφ. Πρόδρομος της NKVD είναι η ΤσεΚά και συνέχειά της είναι η γνωστή σήμερα KGB.
Στο βιβλίο ζούμε την ίδια ζοφερή ατμόσφαιρα με τον Ιερόσυλο, απλώς μεταφερόμαστε χιλιόμετρα μακριά, στην Οδησσό της Ουκρανίας. Ένα χρόνο μετά την πρώτη υπόθεση του Κόρολεφ και τα εύσημα που δέχτηκε από υψηλά ιστάμενη αρχή, αυτή ακριβώς η γνωριμία θα τον φέρει αντιμέτωπο άλλη μια φορά με έναν μυστηριώδη θάνατο. Μια γυναίκα βρίσκεται απαγχονισμένη στο υποστατικό που χρησιμοποιούν τα μέλη ενός συνεργείου γυρισμάτων ταινίας για σοβιετική προπαγάνδα. Η γυναίκα είναι ερωμένη υψηλά ιστάμενου αξιωματικού που εμπιστεύεται την εχεμύθεια του Κόρολεφ και τον στέλνει να λύσει την υπόθεση.
Ποιος σκότωσε τη γυναίκα; Με ποιους είχε σχέσεις; Με ποιους είχε στενές επαφές; Τι κρύβεται πίσω από αυτήν τη γυναίκα; Είναι κατάσκοπος ή προδότρα; Ο αρχηγός των Ληστών που συναντάμε και στο πρώτο βιβλίο, ένας βασιλιάς του εγκλήματος και αρχηγός του υποκόσμου της Μόσχας, έχει απαντήσεις σε πολλά ερωτηματικά του Κόρολεφ, όμως θέλει και ένα αντίτιμο για τις πληροφορίες αυτές. Μορφίνη και λαθρεμπόριο όπλων, κρυφοί εραστές και κρυμμένοι συγγενείς χορεύουν γύρω από το πτώμα της γυναίκας και συνθέτουν έναν αξεδιάλυτο γρίφο, τον πιο επικίνδυνο που θα ζήσει ο Κόρολεφ. Ο οποίος δεν παύει να πιστεύει κρυφά στον Θεό και να στενοχωριέτ��ι όλο και περισσότερο με την απομάκρυνση του γιου του. Η επίλυση του γρίφου θα γεμίσει επαίνους τον Κόρολεφ ή θα τον βουτήξει πιο μέσα σε απόρρητα μυστικά και κρυφές διπλωματικές σχέσεις, οπότε κάθε ��ήμα τον φέρνει μπροστά και σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό απειλής;
Ζοφερή ατμμόσφαιρα, φόβος και τρόμος παντού, μην εμπιστεύεσαι κανέναν, βότκα και Βάλτερ, αναπαράσταση της ανέχειας και της καθημερινής δύσκολης ζωής των Ρώσων, ειδικά στις γεωργικές και αγροτικές περιοχές, όλα δίνονται και δένονται με έναν ωραίο, μοναδικό τρόπο στο δεύτερο αστυνομικό βιβλίο με ήρωα τον Κόρολεφ και κατάληξη ένα άγριο πιστολίδι α λα Φαρ Ουέστ.
Στα συν τα ωραία φινιρίσματα στην τελευταία σελίδα κάθε κεφαλαίου, όπου σκοτεινά κλαδιά και μια άγνωστη σκιά περπατούν ανέμσα στα γράμματα και σε κάνουν να ριγείς.
Χαρακτηριστικό απόσπασμα:
"Εσύ, δηλαδή, πιστεύεις ότι οι αγαπημένοι σου Μπολσεβίκοι νοιάζονται για την ευημερία του λαού; Δεκάρα δε δίνουν. Το μόνο που τους νοιάζει είναι η δική τους επιβίωση. Και θα σκότωναν και τη μάνα τους αν θεωρούσαν πως αυτό θα τους βοηθούσε να επιβιώσουν λίγο ακόμα. Ένας θεός ξέρει πόσοι άνθρωποι πέθαναν σ' αυτά τα μέρη προσπαθώντας να επιτύχουν νόρμες που ήταν αδύνατον να επιτευχθούν. Και όλα αυτά γιατί κάποιος κομματικός γραφειοκράτης, με φαγητό εξασφαλισμένο από την καντίνα του Κόμματος, ήξερε πως παιζόταν ο δικός του λαιμός αν δεν έβγαινε η νόρμα" (σελ. 173).
Στα ελληνικά από τη Διόπτρα το 2013.
1937. Η μεγάλη εκκαθάριση του Στάλιν που αγωνίζεται να καθιερωθεί στο χώρο της προεδρίας της χώρας. Ο κομμουνισμός και η Επανάσταση έχουν επιφέρει τα αποτελέσματά τους: πείνα, εξαθλίωση, ανέχεια, φτώχεια και άφθονη βότκα, που φέρνει με τη σειρά της σωρεία βίας: βιασμοί, δολοφονίες, κλοπές. Μέσα σε αυτό το ζοφερό περιβάλλον ζει και ερευνά ο αστυνόμος της Διεύθυνσης Ποινικών Ερευνών και Λοχαγός της Πολιτοφυλακής της Μόσχας ("Μιλίτσια") Αλεξέι Ντιμιτρίεβιτς Κόρολεφ, χωρισμένος με παιδί που έχει να δει από το τότε που χώρισε με τη γυναίκα του.
Μιλίτσια ή Πολιτοφυλακή των Εργατών και των Αγροτών ήταν η Αστυνομία της πρώην Σοβιετικής Ένωσης. Τις ποινικές υποθέσεις διερευνά η αντίστοιχη Διεύθυνση στην οποία ανήκει ο Κόρολεφ ενώ τις πολιτικές η ΝιΚαΒεΝτε (NKVD), δηλαδή η Κρατική Ασφάλεια (NKVD = Λαϊκό Κομισαριάτο Εσωτερικών Υποθέσεων) με έδρα τα γραφεία της Λουμπιάνκα. Η Μιλίτσια και η ΝιΚαΒεΝτε υπάγονται στο Υπουργείο Κρατικής Ασφάλειας, όπου νέος κομισάριος αναλαμβάνει ο Γιέζοφ. Πρόδρομος της NKVD είναι η ΤσεΚά και συνέχειά της είναι η γνωστή σήμερα KGB.
Στο βιβλίο ζούμε την ίδια ζοφερή ατμόσφαιρα με τον Ιερόσυλο, απλώς μεταφερόμαστε χιλιόμετρα μακριά, στην Οδησσό της Ουκρανίας. Ένα χρόνο μετά την πρώτη υπόθεση του Κόρολεφ και τα εύσημα που δέχτηκε από υψηλά ιστάμενη αρχή, αυτή ακριβώς η γνωριμία θα τον φέρει αντιμέτωπο άλλη μια φορά με έναν μυστηριώδη θάνατο. Μια γυναίκα βρίσκεται απαγχονισμένη στο υποστατικό που χρησιμοποιούν τα μέλη ενός συνεργείου γυρισμάτων ταινίας για σοβιετική προπαγάνδα. Η γυναίκα είναι ερωμένη υψηλά ιστάμενου αξιωματικού που εμπιστεύεται την εχεμύθεια του Κόρολεφ και τον στέλνει να λύσει την υπόθεση.
Ποιος σκότωσε τη γυναίκα; Με ποιους είχε σχέσεις; Με ποιους είχε στενές επαφές; Τι κρύβεται πίσω από αυτήν τη γυναίκα; Είναι κατάσκοπος ή προδότρα; Ο αρχηγός των Ληστών που συναντάμε και στο πρώτο βιβλίο, ένας βασιλιάς του εγκλήματος και αρχηγός του υποκόσμου της Μόσχας, έχει απαντήσεις σε πολλά ερωτηματικά του Κόρολεφ, όμως θέλει και ένα αντίτιμο για τις πληροφορίες αυτές. Μορφίνη και λαθρεμπόριο όπλων, κρυφοί εραστές και κρυμμένοι συγγενείς χορεύουν γύρω από το πτώμα της γυναίκας και συνθέτουν έναν αξεδιάλυτο γρίφο, τον πιο επικίνδυνο που θα ζήσει ο Κόρολεφ. Ο οποίος δεν παύει να πιστεύει κρυφά στον Θεό και να στενοχωριέτ��ι όλο και περισσότερο με την απομάκρυνση του γιου του. Η επίλυση του γρίφου θα γεμίσει επαίνους τον Κόρολεφ ή θα τον βουτήξει πιο μέσα σε απόρρητα μυστικά και κρυφές διπλωματικές σχέσεις, οπότε κάθε ��ήμα τον φέρνει μπροστά και σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό απειλής;
Ζοφερή ατμμόσφαιρα, φόβος και τρόμος παντού, μην εμπιστεύεσαι κανέναν, βότκα και Βάλτερ, αναπαράσταση της ανέχειας και της καθημερινής δύσκολης ζωής των Ρώσων, ειδικά στις γεωργικές και αγροτικές περιοχές, όλα δίνονται και δένονται με έναν ωραίο, μοναδικό τρόπο στο δεύτερο αστυνομικό βιβλίο με ήρωα τον Κόρολεφ και κατάληξη ένα άγριο πιστολίδι α λα Φαρ Ουέστ.
Στα συν τα ωραία φινιρίσματα στην τελευταία σελίδα κάθε κεφαλαίου, όπου σκοτεινά κλαδιά και μια άγνωστη σκιά περπατούν ανέμσα στα γράμματα και σε κάνουν να ριγείς.
Χαρακτηριστικό απόσπασμα:
"Εσύ, δηλαδή, πιστεύεις ότι οι αγαπημένοι σου Μπολσεβίκοι νοιάζονται για την ευημερία του λαού; Δεκάρα δε δίνουν. Το μόνο που τους νοιάζει είναι η δική τους επιβίωση. Και θα σκότωναν και τη μάνα τους αν θεωρούσαν πως αυτό θα τους βοηθούσε να επιβιώσουν λίγο ακόμα. Ένας θεός ξέρει πόσοι άνθρωποι πέθαναν σ' αυτά τα μέρη προσπαθώντας να επιτύχουν νόρμες που ήταν αδύνατον να επιτευχθούν. Και όλα αυτά γιατί κάποιος κομματικός γραφειοκράτης, με φαγητό εξασφαλισμένο από την καντίνα του Κόμματος, ήξερε πως παιζόταν ο δικός του λαιμός αν δεν έβγαινε η νόρμα" (σελ. 173).
Στα ελληνικά από τη Διόπτρα το 2013.
July 3, 2012
With ‘The Bloody Meadow’ William Ryan brings Alexei Korolev back into action with a case that will have the detective turning in several directions to unravel the mysterious death of a woman with a hidden past. Ryan’s readers will be happy to note that some of the most interesting characters from his previous novel ‘The Holy Thief’ have found their way into the storyline.
Set in 1937 Ukraine, at the time of Stalin’s purge of the Communist Party and Government officials, where people live with the ramifications of forced collectivization, and the fear of being expelled from the party which meant arrest, imprisonment and possible execution, a woman is found dead, hanged in the Agricultural College. The dead woman is a production assistant for the state film board (GUKF) filming a socialist movie in Odessa. She also has ties to a high ranking party official creating a need for confidentiality in the investigation.
Arriving in Odessa, Korolev enlists the help of a fledgling detective with the CID, and incidentally a woman. Following leads, the pair is convinced the woman’s death is actually a murder with a growing list of possible suspects. In the course of the investigation, inadvertently uncovering a smuggling ring through the help of an unlikely source, has the pair scrambling to solve the crimes before they themselves end up victims.
William Ryan has done his homework expertly providing a picture of a bleak time when people lived in fear of the government. The reader will find themselves drawn into the midst of the angst while reading the captivating story. Some of the characters Ryan portrays are loosely based on actual persons either associated with the party or considered enemies of the state. His storyline is strong and written with the mark of an experienced author. Fans of historical novels and thrillers alike will find themselves unable to put the book down, stealing moments through the day and reading into the night wanting to know the final outcome.
Bottom line, I recommend this as a must read.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author for and honest review.
Set in 1937 Ukraine, at the time of Stalin’s purge of the Communist Party and Government officials, where people live with the ramifications of forced collectivization, and the fear of being expelled from the party which meant arrest, imprisonment and possible execution, a woman is found dead, hanged in the Agricultural College. The dead woman is a production assistant for the state film board (GUKF) filming a socialist movie in Odessa. She also has ties to a high ranking party official creating a need for confidentiality in the investigation.
Arriving in Odessa, Korolev enlists the help of a fledgling detective with the CID, and incidentally a woman. Following leads, the pair is convinced the woman’s death is actually a murder with a growing list of possible suspects. In the course of the investigation, inadvertently uncovering a smuggling ring through the help of an unlikely source, has the pair scrambling to solve the crimes before they themselves end up victims.
William Ryan has done his homework expertly providing a picture of a bleak time when people lived in fear of the government. The reader will find themselves drawn into the midst of the angst while reading the captivating story. Some of the characters Ryan portrays are loosely based on actual persons either associated with the party or considered enemies of the state. His storyline is strong and written with the mark of an experienced author. Fans of historical novels and thrillers alike will find themselves unable to put the book down, stealing moments through the day and reading into the night wanting to know the final outcome.
Bottom line, I recommend this as a must read.
Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author for and honest review.
December 19, 2011
First off this was a Advance reader copy given through Goodreads.
Captain Alexi Korolev of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Division is awakened early in the morning.He answers the door expecting to be arrested or worse.These are hard times in Stalinist Russia.
he is not arrested but is told of a young actress who committed suicide, or did she? This is what he is to determine and because of her lover's(one of many) status, it must be handled with the utmost care.
This was truly a good murder mystery, set in the early days of Stalin' Russia.
Captain Alexi Korolev of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Division is awakened early in the morning.He answers the door expecting to be arrested or worse.These are hard times in Stalinist Russia.
he is not arrested but is told of a young actress who committed suicide, or did she? This is what he is to determine and because of her lover's(one of many) status, it must be handled with the utmost care.
This was truly a good murder mystery, set in the early days of Stalin' Russia.
April 5, 2018
Γρήγορο και εθιστικό, με ένα πιο οξυδερκή και πιο ανθρώπινο ντετεκτιβ Κόρολεφ, το Ματωμένο Λιβάδι μου άρεσε περισσότερο από τον Ιερόσυλο. Καινούργιοι χαρακτήρες, εναλλασσόμενη πλοκή και η σκοτεινή, απειλητική ατμόσφαιρα της σταλινικής Ρωσίας, κατάφερε να κρατήσει αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον μου. Η ένταση κορυφώνεται στις τελευταίες σελίδες, με ένα απολαυστικό κυνηγητό κάτω από τις στοές της Οδησσού και εν τέλει ο Κόρολεφ ξαναγυρνά στα καθήκοντά του, με υποσχέσεις για περιπέτειες ακόμα πιο συναρπαστικές.
May 30, 2016
Jako dobar triler, čvrsto vođen. Jedini nedostaci su što nema puno prostora da čitalac zablista i donekle prenaglašena atmosfera Staljinove Rusije.
June 30, 2024
Rezension folgt
August 16, 2024
Ο Κόρολεφ αργά και σταθερά εξελίσσεται σε έναν πολύ αγαπημένο μου ήρωα αστυνομικών βιβλίων.
April 11, 2017
Flawless continuation of the series! Lovely mix of solid police work and Stalinist history. Makes you realise what life was like in the Great Terror far more than reading a history book.
March 20, 2016
After his heroics in solving the hot-potato of a case in the first of William Ryan’s series set in 1930’s Russia, The Holy Thief, Captain Alexei Korolev is now a model Soviet Citizen. Officially. Medal and fame and everything that goes with it in Stalin’s Soviet Union. That ‘everything' is mostly suspicion. From the people who put him there and from those who aren’t there, but think they might like to be. And especially from those who, quit rightly, would just about anything to avoid doing anything that might lead them catch Stalin’s attention. Well, you get the picture. Only now, as a feted detective, Korolev gets the juicy assignments. Something I’m sure he wishes didn’t come with the territory. Here, he gets an even warmer potato than before dropped on him from a great height by Rodinov of the NKVD, the Soviet State Security people. He is sent to Ukraine, to a film set, to investigate what looks to have been the suicide of one of the actresses. Of course, to make matters, and the story, interesting, there is soon much more to the situation than at first meets the eye. Maria Lenskaya seems to have been a model Soviet citizen, though seems along the way, to have cultivated some friends, ideas and family, who, shall we say, maybe don’t always pay their Party subs on time each month. The more Korolev looks, the more he finds that makes him wish he hadn’t looked. There’s no way out for him though, he has to investigate, ‘people’ back in Moscow want to find out the truth about the death. But who’s ‘truth’ should Korolev find?
I think that what makes this story - as with the previous ‘The Bloody Meadow’ - stand out, was the subtle, effortless, effective, creation of a real sense of dread that must have been prevalent in Moscow, Russia at the time. Obviously, I wasn’t there at the time, I don’t know anyone who was, so I can’t - like many reviewers I see when reading reviews of books set in the past - say with authority “He has recreated the period perfectly.” How the fuck do THEY know? Were they there? Are they related to someone who was? No. They always read to me, like the reviewer is making out THEY are the definitive authority on whatever period the book is set in, and they’re grading the book like it was a school pupil’s essay to be compared against the set text which is THEIR knowledge of how it was, wherever it is. Anyway, I can only go from what I’ve seen on TV or read in books (like this) and say that if it was as dreadful as the various snippets of knowledge i have amassed during my life, then surely, THIS is how it was. How it was to be a (reasonably) ordinary person in ’30’s Russia. Korolev doesn’t of course, have to queue for hours on end for the weekly turnip, but he does see the deprivations that the revolution and the new Worker’s Paradise have brought. And Stalin’s paranoid hi-jacking of it all. Nothing is as predictable as Stalin’s unpredictability, you might say.
Korolev does seem to have got on Stalin’s good side - for now - though, that is a recipe for future disaster if ever there was one. Kotolev is mostly his own man, but knows where to draw the line for his own safety. Korolev doesn’t yet seem disillusioned with it all and yet he is doing more than just trying to stay alive and keep his nose clean. And if staying alive means being a silent witness to the re-writing of the past, present and the future, he will, for now at least, have to go along with it. There’s not much more he can do. And stay alive.
More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads
I think that what makes this story - as with the previous ‘The Bloody Meadow’ - stand out, was the subtle, effortless, effective, creation of a real sense of dread that must have been prevalent in Moscow, Russia at the time. Obviously, I wasn’t there at the time, I don’t know anyone who was, so I can’t - like many reviewers I see when reading reviews of books set in the past - say with authority “He has recreated the period perfectly.” How the fuck do THEY know? Were they there? Are they related to someone who was? No. They always read to me, like the reviewer is making out THEY are the definitive authority on whatever period the book is set in, and they’re grading the book like it was a school pupil’s essay to be compared against the set text which is THEIR knowledge of how it was, wherever it is. Anyway, I can only go from what I’ve seen on TV or read in books (like this) and say that if it was as dreadful as the various snippets of knowledge i have amassed during my life, then surely, THIS is how it was. How it was to be a (reasonably) ordinary person in ’30’s Russia. Korolev doesn’t of course, have to queue for hours on end for the weekly turnip, but he does see the deprivations that the revolution and the new Worker’s Paradise have brought. And Stalin’s paranoid hi-jacking of it all. Nothing is as predictable as Stalin’s unpredictability, you might say.
Korolev does seem to have got on Stalin’s good side - for now - though, that is a recipe for future disaster if ever there was one. Kotolev is mostly his own man, but knows where to draw the line for his own safety. Korolev doesn’t yet seem disillusioned with it all and yet he is doing more than just trying to stay alive and keep his nose clean. And if staying alive means being a silent witness to the re-writing of the past, present and the future, he will, for now at least, have to go along with it. There’s not much more he can do. And stay alive.
More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads
March 5, 2012
Received from Mantle
After having survived the dangerous investigation in The Holy Thief, Captain Alexei Korolev is relieved to be investigating straight forward crimes again. He knows that if those in power ever find out the exact nature of his activities during the politically very sensitive earlier investigation, he will be deported at best. At the moment he finds himself decorated and hailed as a perfect Soviet citizen, but he knows that this perception can change at any moment and anybody’s whim.
When he hears a knock on his door in the middle of the night he is therefore prepared for the worst. It turns out though that he is not facing deportation but is needed for another very sensitive and politically dangerous investigation.
Maria Alexandovna Lenskaya, a young production assistant on a film set in the Ukraine, has been found dead in what may turn out to be a case of suicide. Since she was very close to a very important party member the exact cause of and reason for her death has to be determined in a very discreet investigation and with Korolev’s earlier success in mind the security service has decided that he is the man to execute this investigation.
Almost as soon as Korolev arrives on the scene he determines that the young woman’s death was unfortunately not a case of suicide and reluctantly and with fear in his heart he starts his murder investigation. It isn’t long before he finds himself facing multiple suspects, people with questionable pasts and lots of opposition.
Partnered with a young local police sergeant, Korolev has to dig his way through lies, secret identities and intrigue before he gets to the answers, always aware that solving the crime might just mean the end for him.
These are very good mysteries as well as historical novels.
William Ryan strikes just the right balance between a police procedural and the historical reality of oppression and political manipulations. The investigation and resolution of the crimes would have made this book a page-turner in and off themselves. It’s the added undercurrent of political menace resulting in a situation where nobody can be sure that their actions and words won’t be interpreted the wrong way, that raises this book to the level of full-blown thriller.
In Korolev the author has created a believable and likeable yet very human main character. The way in which he is constantly trying to balance the successful conclusion to his current investigation with the need to be discreet if he wants to stay alive and not put others connected to him into danger as well as the frustration this leads to at times, are very convincing.
I like the way in which certain other characters appear to be regulars in these stories. The uneasy relationship and collaboration between Korolev and Count Kolya, the leader of the Moscow Thieves, is inspired and I am delighted that it seems as if Slivka, the young police sergeant, will be returning in future books.
I hope this will be a long running series and that Mr. Ryan won’t keep me waiting too long before I can read the next Korolev mystery.
After having survived the dangerous investigation in The Holy Thief, Captain Alexei Korolev is relieved to be investigating straight forward crimes again. He knows that if those in power ever find out the exact nature of his activities during the politically very sensitive earlier investigation, he will be deported at best. At the moment he finds himself decorated and hailed as a perfect Soviet citizen, but he knows that this perception can change at any moment and anybody’s whim.
When he hears a knock on his door in the middle of the night he is therefore prepared for the worst. It turns out though that he is not facing deportation but is needed for another very sensitive and politically dangerous investigation.
Maria Alexandovna Lenskaya, a young production assistant on a film set in the Ukraine, has been found dead in what may turn out to be a case of suicide. Since she was very close to a very important party member the exact cause of and reason for her death has to be determined in a very discreet investigation and with Korolev’s earlier success in mind the security service has decided that he is the man to execute this investigation.
Almost as soon as Korolev arrives on the scene he determines that the young woman’s death was unfortunately not a case of suicide and reluctantly and with fear in his heart he starts his murder investigation. It isn’t long before he finds himself facing multiple suspects, people with questionable pasts and lots of opposition.
Partnered with a young local police sergeant, Korolev has to dig his way through lies, secret identities and intrigue before he gets to the answers, always aware that solving the crime might just mean the end for him.
These are very good mysteries as well as historical novels.
William Ryan strikes just the right balance between a police procedural and the historical reality of oppression and political manipulations. The investigation and resolution of the crimes would have made this book a page-turner in and off themselves. It’s the added undercurrent of political menace resulting in a situation where nobody can be sure that their actions and words won’t be interpreted the wrong way, that raises this book to the level of full-blown thriller.
In Korolev the author has created a believable and likeable yet very human main character. The way in which he is constantly trying to balance the successful conclusion to his current investigation with the need to be discreet if he wants to stay alive and not put others connected to him into danger as well as the frustration this leads to at times, are very convincing.
I like the way in which certain other characters appear to be regulars in these stories. The uneasy relationship and collaboration between Korolev and Count Kolya, the leader of the Moscow Thieves, is inspired and I am delighted that it seems as if Slivka, the young police sergeant, will be returning in future books.
I hope this will be a long running series and that Mr. Ryan won’t keep me waiting too long before I can read the next Korolev mystery.
August 28, 2011
Following his investigations in The Holy Thief, which implicated those at the very top of authority in Soviet Russia, Captain Alexei Korolev finds himself decorated and hailed as an example to all Soviet workers. But Korolev lives in an uneasy peace – his new-found knowledge is dangerous, and if it is discovered what his real actions were during the case, he will face deportation to the frozen camps of the far north.
But when the knock on the door comes, in the dead of night, it is not Siberia Korolev is destined for. Instead, Colonel Rodinov of the NKVD security service asks the detective to look into the suspected suicide of a young woman: Maria Alexandovna Lenskaya, a model citizen. Korolev is unnerved to learn that Lenskaya had been of interest to Ezhov, the feared Commissar for State Security. Ezhov himself wants the matter looked into.
And when the detective arrives on the set for Bloody Meadow, in the bleak, battle-scarred Ukraine, he soon discovers that there is more to Lenskaya's death than meets the eye . . .
There were a number of reasons why I wanted to read The Bloody Meadow by William Ryan, but without a shadow of a doubt the primary reason was the opportunity to read a book based in Russia and by way of travel, The Ukraine. Although written in English, and not translated, the book has an authentic Russian feel to it and I had to continually remind myself that the author was in fact Irish, born in Dublin by way of Moscow!
Educated for the most part in the English language I love the challenge of foreign titles and although, as I have already stated, this isn’t a foreign novel I felt an affinity with mother Russia just by reading it. I felt the cold of winter, the icy snow, the barren landscapes and the harsh realities of the Ukraine in the late 1930’s where struggle and insecurity was very much a way of life – for the factory worker or Militia men and women alike.
I struggled with the first 50 pages or so and that was solely down to the Russian names! What was I expecting right?! However, my life was made a little easier with the inclusion of a cast list at the beginning of the book listing the key players and their role in the book. I have to admit I don’t usually take much notice of cast lists in books but I found this one invaluable and although I slowly began to recognise names I found myself referring to the list deep into the book. Simple but a very effective and well used tool!
Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/08/28...
But when the knock on the door comes, in the dead of night, it is not Siberia Korolev is destined for. Instead, Colonel Rodinov of the NKVD security service asks the detective to look into the suspected suicide of a young woman: Maria Alexandovna Lenskaya, a model citizen. Korolev is unnerved to learn that Lenskaya had been of interest to Ezhov, the feared Commissar for State Security. Ezhov himself wants the matter looked into.
And when the detective arrives on the set for Bloody Meadow, in the bleak, battle-scarred Ukraine, he soon discovers that there is more to Lenskaya's death than meets the eye . . .
There were a number of reasons why I wanted to read The Bloody Meadow by William Ryan, but without a shadow of a doubt the primary reason was the opportunity to read a book based in Russia and by way of travel, The Ukraine. Although written in English, and not translated, the book has an authentic Russian feel to it and I had to continually remind myself that the author was in fact Irish, born in Dublin by way of Moscow!
Educated for the most part in the English language I love the challenge of foreign titles and although, as I have already stated, this isn’t a foreign novel I felt an affinity with mother Russia just by reading it. I felt the cold of winter, the icy snow, the barren landscapes and the harsh realities of the Ukraine in the late 1930’s where struggle and insecurity was very much a way of life – for the factory worker or Militia men and women alike.
I struggled with the first 50 pages or so and that was solely down to the Russian names! What was I expecting right?! However, my life was made a little easier with the inclusion of a cast list at the beginning of the book listing the key players and their role in the book. I have to admit I don’t usually take much notice of cast lists in books but I found this one invaluable and although I slowly began to recognise names I found myself referring to the list deep into the book. Simple but a very effective and well used tool!
Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/08/28...
October 15, 2012
"The Bloody Meadow" is the second and most recent story in what is apparently intended to be a series of thrillers by William Ryan set in the Stalinist Soviet Union of the 1930s. I have not read its predecessor, "The Holy Thief". But, given that "The Bloody Meadow" is a very good novel, I am keen to do so.
The story takes place in 1937, a time when persecution and a sense of paranoia under Stalin's rule are rife. Alexei Korolev, a Moscow police detective, is sent to Odessa to investigate the suspected suicide of a young woman, Maria Lenskaya. Lenskaya had been working as an assistant on the production of a state-sponsored film, "The Bloody Meadow", at the time of her death. She had also been the mistress of Ezhov who, as Commisar of State Security, is a senior figure in Stalin's regime. Lenskaya was found hanging in a room at an agricultural college in Odessa, where the film crew with whom she was working were staying. Ezhov refuses to believe that she killed herself. So he arranges for Korolev to conduct an investigation into her death (rather than the local police or militia men). Given the nature of the victim's relationship with a senior official in the ruling regime, Korolev is required to undertake his enquiries with discretion. But that proves to be a very difficult task when it becomes clear that Lenskaya might have been involved both politically and romantically with members of a counter-revolutionary organisation.
"The Bloody Meadow" is a very entertaining and gripping book. The plot is complex, but accessible, and is very well constructed and presented. (There is even a helpful index of the principal characters at the beginning of the book!) The characterisation is also very good. I particularly like Korolev, who is a believable, well-rounded and fallible human being. Ryan is also very good at conveying a sense of what it must have been like to be an ordinary person in the claustrophobic and often terrifying Soviet Union of the 1930s and at a time when Stalin's infamous purges were at their peak. The book runs slightly out of steam towards the end when there is a somewhat predictable chase and manhunt in the catacombs of Odessa, although those chapters are succeeded by a very convincing and beautifully written conclusion to the story.
"The Bloody Meadow" is one of the best thrillers that I have read recently. I recommend it. 8/10.
The story takes place in 1937, a time when persecution and a sense of paranoia under Stalin's rule are rife. Alexei Korolev, a Moscow police detective, is sent to Odessa to investigate the suspected suicide of a young woman, Maria Lenskaya. Lenskaya had been working as an assistant on the production of a state-sponsored film, "The Bloody Meadow", at the time of her death. She had also been the mistress of Ezhov who, as Commisar of State Security, is a senior figure in Stalin's regime. Lenskaya was found hanging in a room at an agricultural college in Odessa, where the film crew with whom she was working were staying. Ezhov refuses to believe that she killed herself. So he arranges for Korolev to conduct an investigation into her death (rather than the local police or militia men). Given the nature of the victim's relationship with a senior official in the ruling regime, Korolev is required to undertake his enquiries with discretion. But that proves to be a very difficult task when it becomes clear that Lenskaya might have been involved both politically and romantically with members of a counter-revolutionary organisation.
"The Bloody Meadow" is a very entertaining and gripping book. The plot is complex, but accessible, and is very well constructed and presented. (There is even a helpful index of the principal characters at the beginning of the book!) The characterisation is also very good. I particularly like Korolev, who is a believable, well-rounded and fallible human being. Ryan is also very good at conveying a sense of what it must have been like to be an ordinary person in the claustrophobic and often terrifying Soviet Union of the 1930s and at a time when Stalin's infamous purges were at their peak. The book runs slightly out of steam towards the end when there is a somewhat predictable chase and manhunt in the catacombs of Odessa, although those chapters are succeeded by a very convincing and beautifully written conclusion to the story.
"The Bloody Meadow" is one of the best thrillers that I have read recently. I recommend it. 8/10.
October 30, 2011
The Bloody Meadow is the second novel by William Ryan to feature Aleksei Korolev, a detective Working for the Moscow Criminal Investigation Division in 1930s Russia. It follows on from The Holy Thief which was very well reviewed and shortlisted for a number of crime fiction awards. The Bloody Meadow could be read as a stand-alone novel, but I would recommend that a reader starts with The Holy Thief, as it provided some of Korolev's background; he continues to grow as a character through the second novel.
The Bloody Meadow starts with Korolev in Moscow, but he is quickly dispatched to Odessa to investigate the death of a young woman on the scene of a film set. She has apparently committed suicide, but had a secret relationship with a senior member of the Soviet hierarchy and there is a degree of nervousness at a high political level about her death. To an extent, the subsequent course of the novel is a typical “closed room" murder mystery. All of the key players are introduced at an early stage, and it is apparent that the culprit(s) lie among that group. Nonetheless, the plot is well developed and the eventual outcome not at all obvious until quite far into the novel.
Ryan writes very well -- it will help your appreciation of the novel if this is a period of history in which you are interested, but regardless of this most readers will recognise it as a very well crafted story. In both The Bloody Meadow and its predecessor I have greatly enjoyed the portrayal of 1930s Russia. The all prevailing sense of worry that any casual comment might be perceived by an informer as politically sensitive with devastating consequences is conveyed very clearly, along with the effect on the population of grinding poverty and lack of resources in the context of a relentless public and political positivism. The combination of a well-written book and an interesting context make for a compelling mixture.
There will be more novels to follow in this series. Ryan introduces some further characters in The Bloody Meadow who are clearly destined to feature in the next novel. The books are supported by an excellent website, which contains a glossary and a good deal of background about the writing of the books -now is a good time to introduce yourself to this series.
The Bloody Meadow starts with Korolev in Moscow, but he is quickly dispatched to Odessa to investigate the death of a young woman on the scene of a film set. She has apparently committed suicide, but had a secret relationship with a senior member of the Soviet hierarchy and there is a degree of nervousness at a high political level about her death. To an extent, the subsequent course of the novel is a typical “closed room" murder mystery. All of the key players are introduced at an early stage, and it is apparent that the culprit(s) lie among that group. Nonetheless, the plot is well developed and the eventual outcome not at all obvious until quite far into the novel.
Ryan writes very well -- it will help your appreciation of the novel if this is a period of history in which you are interested, but regardless of this most readers will recognise it as a very well crafted story. In both The Bloody Meadow and its predecessor I have greatly enjoyed the portrayal of 1930s Russia. The all prevailing sense of worry that any casual comment might be perceived by an informer as politically sensitive with devastating consequences is conveyed very clearly, along with the effect on the population of grinding poverty and lack of resources in the context of a relentless public and political positivism. The combination of a well-written book and an interesting context make for a compelling mixture.
There will be more novels to follow in this series. Ryan introduces some further characters in The Bloody Meadow who are clearly destined to feature in the next novel. The books are supported by an excellent website, which contains a glossary and a good deal of background about the writing of the books -now is a good time to introduce yourself to this series.
October 23, 2012
From the opening paragraph of William Ryan’s second novel, The Darkening Field, readers will feel the tension that builds throughout the novel until a climactic ending. Set in 1937 Russia, lead detective Alexei Korolev must navigate his way through a minefield of clues that could solve a murder mystery but also spark political revolution.
It is clear that Ryan is a master not only of plotting a well crafted mystery but also at describing settings and locations so smoothly that the reader will find themselves absent-mindedly rubbing their fingers to keep warm in the novel’s cold Russian nights. His hero, Korolev, has a distinct and clear mind that speaks plainly to the reader amid the precarious situation he finds himself in; even if he doesn’t dare voice his thoughts out loud to other characters.
Darken Field is a straight murder and mystery novel with only enough personal life information about our characters to establish their motives but not enough to get sidetracked from the main plot. I wish I had read Ryan’s first novel, The Holy Thief, before this latest only because I’m looking forward to reading more about Korolev’s life during this potentially explosive time in Russian history.
Certainly, this novel can be read purely for its entertainment value and readers would be rewarded for their efforts. However, there is so much more that readers can be intrigued about from this novel. For example, as a detective Korolev relies on a forensic team. My naïve mind couldn’t grasp what forensic evidence could be found in 1937. I discovered my error as forensic science has been practiced since the age of Caesar. By 1932 Harvard University had a chair of legal medicine. In addition, Ryan’s work will spark interest in post World War I political affairs in Europe. I hope readers take a few moments to review their history and grasp all that they can be inspired to learn from this amazing work of fiction.
It is clear that Ryan is a master not only of plotting a well crafted mystery but also at describing settings and locations so smoothly that the reader will find themselves absent-mindedly rubbing their fingers to keep warm in the novel’s cold Russian nights. His hero, Korolev, has a distinct and clear mind that speaks plainly to the reader amid the precarious situation he finds himself in; even if he doesn’t dare voice his thoughts out loud to other characters.
Darken Field is a straight murder and mystery novel with only enough personal life information about our characters to establish their motives but not enough to get sidetracked from the main plot. I wish I had read Ryan’s first novel, The Holy Thief, before this latest only because I’m looking forward to reading more about Korolev’s life during this potentially explosive time in Russian history.
Certainly, this novel can be read purely for its entertainment value and readers would be rewarded for their efforts. However, there is so much more that readers can be intrigued about from this novel. For example, as a detective Korolev relies on a forensic team. My naïve mind couldn’t grasp what forensic evidence could be found in 1937. I discovered my error as forensic science has been practiced since the age of Caesar. By 1932 Harvard University had a chair of legal medicine. In addition, Ryan’s work will spark interest in post World War I political affairs in Europe. I hope readers take a few moments to review their history and grasp all that they can be inspired to learn from this amazing work of fiction.
February 23, 2012
I won this book from Goodreads ages ago, and I've finally had the time to get back into reading. Better late than never, right? I have to say I liked the writing in this book, its a part of a series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having read the first in the series. Also, I don't read a lot of books about Russia, and I'm usually a bit lost when it comes to the political aspect of that country, not to mention the confusing names (multiple last names,nicknames, etc--I never know who they're talking about). William Ryan, however, does a great job of making everything and everyone understandable.
The Darkening Field is the second in a series about Captain Korolev, a detective in 1937 Moscow, who is sent to investigate an apparent suicide in Odessa, which may or may not have links to the upper eschelon of State Security. Maria Lenskaya, a young party member and lover of the party director, has been found dead at the site of a film she is helping to produce in Odessa. It looks like a suicide, but there may be more to the story. Capain Korolev is sent to look into it, along the way he meets up with several people whose presence seems a bit more than coincidental. He also teams up with young seargent Slivka, his new partner, and we follow them through the ins and outs of a case fraught with political tension. Through this, we learn that while Korolev is to all outward appearances, a loyal Soviet, thought not actually a member of the Party, and we learn of his internal unease with the direction the country is going and his distaste for the consequences of living in such a society. Korolev is a great, complex character. I look forward to reading more in the series, I have no doubt the supporting characters will, in time, become as real as he is, much like the characters in Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley mysteries (which I love, btw).
The Darkening Field is the second in a series about Captain Korolev, a detective in 1937 Moscow, who is sent to investigate an apparent suicide in Odessa, which may or may not have links to the upper eschelon of State Security. Maria Lenskaya, a young party member and lover of the party director, has been found dead at the site of a film she is helping to produce in Odessa. It looks like a suicide, but there may be more to the story. Capain Korolev is sent to look into it, along the way he meets up with several people whose presence seems a bit more than coincidental. He also teams up with young seargent Slivka, his new partner, and we follow them through the ins and outs of a case fraught with political tension. Through this, we learn that while Korolev is to all outward appearances, a loyal Soviet, thought not actually a member of the Party, and we learn of his internal unease with the direction the country is going and his distaste for the consequences of living in such a society. Korolev is a great, complex character. I look forward to reading more in the series, I have no doubt the supporting characters will, in time, become as real as he is, much like the characters in Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley mysteries (which I love, btw).
October 31, 2014
Captain Alexei Korolev returns for a second round of murder, mystery and political complications in Stalinist Russia, where political complications can be murderous. Unnervingly rousted from sleep by a knock on his door in the early morning hours, Korlev expects a one-way ticket to the Gulag for the revelations involved in his previous adventure. Instead, he is despatched to the Ukraine, where a young woman working with a film crew has apparently committed suicide. The young woman is a lover of the Commissar For State Security, and Korolev is to investigate her death and make sure there are no loose ends or embarrassing publicity. Unfortunately, it quickly turns out that it wasn't a suicide and there are loose ends that stretch back to the Civil War and the early years of Collectivisation.
The interesting thing about Korolev, of course, is that he's a moral man, a religious believer, who fully embraces the glorious future promised by the Revolution. He's not a fool, though, and is all too well aware of the fear, brutality and terror of the State as it flails around looking for enemies. Nonetheless, he just wants to do his duty, and while the story has a blazing climactic shootout in the limestone labyrinth under Odessa, the real climax comes when the reader realises that the villain is fundamentally in the right, albeit the losing side of history. This is a series doomed to endings that range from bittersweet to cruelly ironic.
Meanwhile, this is a cracking mystery with a great setting, tense with danger, epic in scope, marvelous characters and a thrilling conclusion. Very highly recommended.
The interesting thing about Korolev, of course, is that he's a moral man, a religious believer, who fully embraces the glorious future promised by the Revolution. He's not a fool, though, and is all too well aware of the fear, brutality and terror of the State as it flails around looking for enemies. Nonetheless, he just wants to do his duty, and while the story has a blazing climactic shootout in the limestone labyrinth under Odessa, the real climax comes when the reader realises that the villain is fundamentally in the right, albeit the losing side of history. This is a series doomed to endings that range from bittersweet to cruelly ironic.
Meanwhile, this is a cracking mystery with a great setting, tense with danger, epic in scope, marvelous characters and a thrilling conclusion. Very highly recommended.
November 29, 2011
It's 1937, and Captain Alexei Korolev of Moscow's Criminal Investigation Division is involved in a complicated case. Korolev is sent by Communist bigwigs to the Ukraine to investigate the death of Maria Lenskaya, a young film production assistant who was found hanging from a sconce. Her death is worrisome for the Party because she was romantically involved with Ezhov, the Commissar of State Security.
Forensics quickly prove it was murder, not suicide, and Korolev, with the help of tough female sergeant Slivka, must figure out why Lenskaya was killed. Was it because of her ties to Ezhov? Her rumored connections to German spies? All the characters are scared: not of a murderer, but of the unlimited power of the State in Soviet Russia. Korolev and Slivka are under pressure to solve the case or risk being sent to a gulag; their suspects are under pressure to tell the truth or be declared enemies of the people. Korolev must tread carefully in order to catch the killer and save his own neck.
Ryan's vast array of suspects, soldiers and police officers can be confusing at first, especially given the similarities of many Russian names (not to mention the diminutive nicknames), but it's worth persevering. The Darkening Field is an excellent mystery with unforgettable characters, and it brings to life the tension of a dark era in Russian history.
Forensics quickly prove it was murder, not suicide, and Korolev, with the help of tough female sergeant Slivka, must figure out why Lenskaya was killed. Was it because of her ties to Ezhov? Her rumored connections to German spies? All the characters are scared: not of a murderer, but of the unlimited power of the State in Soviet Russia. Korolev and Slivka are under pressure to solve the case or risk being sent to a gulag; their suspects are under pressure to tell the truth or be declared enemies of the people. Korolev must tread carefully in order to catch the killer and save his own neck.
Ryan's vast array of suspects, soldiers and police officers can be confusing at first, especially given the similarities of many Russian names (not to mention the diminutive nicknames), but it's worth persevering. The Darkening Field is an excellent mystery with unforgettable characters, and it brings to life the tension of a dark era in Russian history.
April 6, 2012
The Bloody Meadow is well written, well paced and will keep you guessing to the end about who is responsible for the events chronicled and who is on which side. It is written when everyone is Russia could be under suspicion for saying or doing the wrong thing. Korolev, the main character and detective in the novel is himself worried about this, indeed he fears the worst when he hears a car pull up at an unexpected time and immediately you are immersed in the menacing world at the time of the all powerful USSR state.
Treachery is the name of the game and if you are on the right side crimes go unnoticed and unpunished. Everyone is careful to ensure they address one another correctly and this makes the investigation more difficult for Korolev. As the case deepens the danger to Korolev and those around him worsens as well. The passages describing the film set and trying to determine who saw what and who was where when proves how complicated things are. Several people lie to cover up the possibility of being disloyal to the state. In this way Ryan writes convincingly portrays the tense atmosphere by which citizens had to live their lives.
I enjoyed this book, it is fast paced and you become absorbed in Korolev's world and share his fears as the plot unfolds. It is a book that requires concentration as you need to keep track of the characters and what is happening to them but it well worth a read, it is more than just the usual murder mystery but a political thriller as well.
Treachery is the name of the game and if you are on the right side crimes go unnoticed and unpunished. Everyone is careful to ensure they address one another correctly and this makes the investigation more difficult for Korolev. As the case deepens the danger to Korolev and those around him worsens as well. The passages describing the film set and trying to determine who saw what and who was where when proves how complicated things are. Several people lie to cover up the possibility of being disloyal to the state. In this way Ryan writes convincingly portrays the tense atmosphere by which citizens had to live their lives.
I enjoyed this book, it is fast paced and you become absorbed in Korolev's world and share his fears as the plot unfolds. It is a book that requires concentration as you need to keep track of the characters and what is happening to them but it well worth a read, it is more than just the usual murder mystery but a political thriller as well.
January 20, 2012
I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Darkening Field through Goodreads, and I am so glad that I did. I find that I am really enjoying historical mysteries something that I haven't read much of, and combined with my love of Russia history this book was a perfect fit. Ryan does a wonderful job at creating a 1937 Soviet Russia with enough historical detail to make the reader feel like they were there. Captain Korolev, a Moscow detective that happens not to be a member of the Party, finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation that Party members and his superiors are watching closely. Ryan develops Korolev very well making him a likeable hero who you can't help but like. Korolev doesn't fit in with the Party and is constantly on guard not just to protect himself but those close to him. The murder of a young girl connected to the Director of the Communist Party definitely puts the detective in the hot seat. Ryan adds some interesting secondary characters that only add to the story with Slivka, Kolya, Mishka, and the Greek. I also liked how the book ended leaving it open for more mysteries featuring Korolev. Overall this was a great read that I would recommend if you enjoy twists and turns, action, adventure, history, and even a small amount of humor considering Korolev's luck with your mystery. Ryan is definitely an author to watch.
May 7, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed Ryan debut novel, The Holy Thief, so I had high expectations for The Bloody Meadow. It's a good read, but doesn't quite match the quality of the first book in the series. The Holy Thief had a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere, with a very tight plot. The Bloody Meadow is more expansive, felt a little looser in the plotting, and Korolov as a character is little developed in terms of backstory and personal life. And because there is a lot going on and there is a big cast, the development of characters in general is a little bit too much surface and not enough depth. There are also some unlikely coincidences, which enable a couple of characters from the first book to appear in the second. That all said, the book does have historical richness and The Bloody Meadow is an enjoyable read, and if I hadn't read the first book I'm sure this review would read more positively than it might seem. To be clear then, I am still recommending it as worthy of a look and my sense is that this is a series with a lot of potential. Personally, I hope the third book is set back in Moscow, allowing a further engagement with the militia and pathology characters from the first book. Regardless of setting, I plan to read it.
March 7, 2012
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads. I really loved the setting of this book. I have always been interested in Russian history and the Soviet Union. This book took place in The Soviet Union in the late 1930s. Wow, what a scary time and place to live. A person could not trust anyone for fear of denunciation by friends or even family. William Ryan did an excellent job of portraying the fear and uncertainty of this time period and location. I loved that whole aspect of this novel. I felt that the novel was kind of slow going at first, mainly because I had trouble keeping the characters straight in my head due to my unfamiliarity with Russian/Ukrainian names. Luckily the author placed a list of characters and descriptions in the front of the book. I found myself referring to it a lot while reading the first half of the book. Once I got the characters straightened out in my mind I was able to enjoy the book more. I liked the mystery of the book, but it was the setting and history of the time period that really stood out to make this a remarkable read.
February 18, 2012
I enjoyed this book for its setting as much as anything. Ukraine in 1937 is not a place where one frequently finds a novel set. Ryan does a good job capturing the feel of the place back then when no one could trust anyone else. The main character, Alexei Korolev, is a Moscow detective who is sent to the Odessa area to investigate a death, specifically to determine whether it was a murder. A major movie was being filmed at an agricultural college, and one of the film's production workers, a beautiful young woman, was found dead from a hanging. Naturally one thing leads to another, and the one crime escalates into multiple crimes. Ryan very thoughtfully provides a list of characters at the beginning of the book because the names are somewhat difficult for westerners to grasp. The writer Isaac Babel is included in this novel as part of the movie crew which added an interesting bit of historical authenticity. I thought the book seemed realistic and liked it well enough that I now have Ryan's first novel, Holy Thief, on hand to read.
May 29, 2012
This story is set in a time and place that was both repressive and threatening. Russian history is a savage, unforgiving story, filled with tyrants, treachery, and suffering. For me, this framed a story that was a real page turner, maybe requiring an entry level of knowledge of Russian history to follow the politics which are pertinent to the plot. I felt I learnt a lot about Police/Politics of the time.
There were great flashes of a certain wry humour now and then, I would have loved more! There is a Miss Marple-like intricacy of the plot. Mr. Ryan gives great human detail and insight with impressive descriptions of the process of the investigation.
Korolev strikes me as a rather weary and fearful hero, working within a repressive regime. I felt a real sense of menace in the action of the book. It is an exciting ride with, colour , passion and pace. It is an intellectual puzzle. You must also read The Holy Thief the first novel by William Ryan the first Captain Dmitiyevich Korolev appearance, and I hope there will be much, much more to follow.
There were great flashes of a certain wry humour now and then, I would have loved more! There is a Miss Marple-like intricacy of the plot. Mr. Ryan gives great human detail and insight with impressive descriptions of the process of the investigation.
Korolev strikes me as a rather weary and fearful hero, working within a repressive regime. I felt a real sense of menace in the action of the book. It is an exciting ride with, colour , passion and pace. It is an intellectual puzzle. You must also read The Holy Thief the first novel by William Ryan the first Captain Dmitiyevich Korolev appearance, and I hope there will be much, much more to follow.
July 19, 2012
I have just finished the 2nd book in William Ryan's novels about Russian detective Alexei Korolev. Set in Stalinist Russia, Korolev must walk the tight rope of keeping his feelings to himself. Set in the era when everyone is suspect and party loyalty is everything, there is always danger lurking in the most commonplace areas. He is a capable detective and a loyal soviet but his personal feelings sometime deviate from the accepted positions.
He is sent to the Ukraine to investigate an apparent suicide which turns out to be murder. Because the victim had a relationship with a higher level party member, Korolev must use the utmost discretion. It is a well written novel which documents well the terrors of living during this time in history. I looked forward to the further adventures of alexei Korolev.
He is sent to the Ukraine to investigate an apparent suicide which turns out to be murder. Because the victim had a relationship with a higher level party member, Korolev must use the utmost discretion. It is a well written novel which documents well the terrors of living during this time in history. I looked forward to the further adventures of alexei Korolev.
March 1, 2012
This review is based on an Advance Readers Edition version of the book which I received free from the Publisher through the Goodreads First Reads program.
This is a detective novel with a twist. Everything and everybody is in Russia. How cool is that.
This is great, because it puts a different lens on the process, the politics and the culture of a murder drama.
Our hero in this drama is Alexei Korolev with the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department. As Alexei goes through his investigation the barriers, political and criminal, pop up and he struggles to determine who the guilty party/parties is/are.
If you like a slick and smart detective who eventually works through all the hurdles and reaches the truth , you will enjoy this book a lot. Plus a free trip to Russia
Highly Recommended
This is a detective novel with a twist. Everything and everybody is in Russia. How cool is that.
This is great, because it puts a different lens on the process, the politics and the culture of a murder drama.
Our hero in this drama is Alexei Korolev with the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department. As Alexei goes through his investigation the barriers, political and criminal, pop up and he struggles to determine who the guilty party/parties is/are.
If you like a slick and smart detective who eventually works through all the hurdles and reaches the truth , you will enjoy this book a lot. Plus a free trip to Russia
Highly Recommended
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