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Red Shadow
A woman will do anything to save the man she loves—even marry another—in this compulsively readable tale of political intrigue set in England and Soviet Russia
Ten days ago, Jim Mackenzie was arrested and sentenced to death, accused of engaging in counter-revolutionary activities. The Scottish political prisoner expects to die at the end of a Bolshevist bullet today. Instead, he’s given an unexpected reprieve. His life is now in the hands of his fiancée, Laura Cameron.
On the day Jim is to be executed, Laura receives a visit from an engineer named Basil Stevens, who offers her the chance to save the man she loves. One of Laura’s distant relatives has died, leaving her the sole heir to his successful engineering combine. All she has to do is marry Stevens, whose real name is Vassili Stefanoff, and elect him to the board of directors, and her beloved Jim will go free. As Laura’s bargain with the devil thrusts her into grave peril—and the key to a top-secret invention falls into enemy hands—it’s now up to Mackenzie to save the woman he loves from having to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Ten days ago, Jim Mackenzie was arrested and sentenced to death, accused of engaging in counter-revolutionary activities. The Scottish political prisoner expects to die at the end of a Bolshevist bullet today. Instead, he’s given an unexpected reprieve. His life is now in the hands of his fiancée, Laura Cameron.
On the day Jim is to be executed, Laura receives a visit from an engineer named Basil Stevens, who offers her the chance to save the man she loves. One of Laura’s distant relatives has died, leaving her the sole heir to his successful engineering combine. All she has to do is marry Stevens, whose real name is Vassili Stefanoff, and elect him to the board of directors, and her beloved Jim will go free. As Laura’s bargain with the devil thrusts her into grave peril—and the key to a top-secret invention falls into enemy hands—it’s now up to Mackenzie to save the woman he loves from having to make the ultimate sacrifice.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1932
39 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Wentworth
196 books526 followersPatricia Wentworth--born Dora Amy Elles--was a British crime fiction writer.
She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.
She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.
Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.
Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.
She was educated privately and at Blackheath High School in London. After the death of her first husband, George F. Dillon, in 1906, she settled in Camberley, Surrey. She married George Oliver Turnbull in 1920 and they had one daughter.
She wrote a series of 32 classic-style whodunnits featuring Miss Silver, the first of which was published in 1928, and the last in 1961, the year of her death.
Miss Silver, a retired governess-turned private detective, is sometimes compared to Jane Marple, the elderly detective created by Agatha Christie. She works closely with Scotland Yard, especially Inspector Frank Abbott and is fond of quoting the poet Tennyson.
Wentworth also wrote 34 books outside of that series.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 16, 2021
2.5 ⭐️
Not a bad book, yet not a really good one either; and, not as enjoyable as a Miss Silver Mystery. The story is about a young British couple, Laura and Jim, mostly Jim, trying to outwit and get a step ahead of some Russian spies.
Some portions had a good level of suspense and were well written - as in the need to know what happens next ‘well’ - I lost interest in the latter part of the book as the story started to drag. It would have been so much better if Laura had developed the spunk to start playing the Stevens' cousins at their own game.
Overall it made for a good late-night read, easy to pick up and put down.
Not a bad book, yet not a really good one either; and, not as enjoyable as a Miss Silver Mystery. The story is about a young British couple, Laura and Jim, mostly Jim, trying to outwit and get a step ahead of some Russian spies.
Some portions had a good level of suspense and were well written - as in the need to know what happens next ‘well’ - I lost interest in the latter part of the book as the story started to drag. It would have been so much better if Laura had developed the spunk to start playing the Stevens' cousins at their own game.
Overall it made for a good late-night read, easy to pick up and put down.
October 9, 2021
An interesting read, a young girl about to be married discovers that her fiance has been arrested in russia and about to be put to death, an odious man turns up on her doorstep saying he can save him but only if she marries him. She does, oh really why not ask more questions, or at least talk to the foreign office? Anyway, she does marry him and he keeps her a prisoner somewhere and drugged.
Said fiance turns up to discover she's married and starts to track her down. She meanwhile is coming out of her drugged stupor and realising that she's been duped. She has become the sole inheritor of her uncle's estate and his company which has a formula for making a certain type of weapon much wanted by the russians. I won't give away the ending, although it did seem as if Ms Wentworth had had enough by now and just wished to get the ending over with, but it was good for the psychological drama if not the actual plot!
Said fiance turns up to discover she's married and starts to track her down. She meanwhile is coming out of her drugged stupor and realising that she's been duped. She has become the sole inheritor of her uncle's estate and his company which has a formula for making a certain type of weapon much wanted by the russians. I won't give away the ending, although it did seem as if Ms Wentworth had had enough by now and just wished to get the ending over with, but it was good for the psychological drama if not the actual plot!
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January 14, 2022Another book of Wentworth's based on a very interesting premise. As usual, the characters are well-rounded, even if the actions and motivations at time strain the reader's inclination to suspend disbelief.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2024
3.5 stars I prefer the Miss Silver books but Patricia Wentworth can write an espionage/supense novel very well too. The description of clothes (especially for Catherine and also Jim at the end) and the houses were so good.
June 4, 2016
It's 1932. Condemned to death in Soviet Russia, Jim Mackenzie was within hours of standing in front of a firing squad. Back in England, his fiancée, Laura Cameron, is told that if she breaks their engagement and marries another, Jim will go free. She does. He does and thus begins one of Miss Wentworth's improbable but delightful thrillers.
October 17, 2016
An interesting premise
An interesting premise but sadly the story didn't really live up to it. A rather average story with some great characters but not quite enough tension.
An interesting premise but sadly the story didn't really live up to it. A rather average story with some great characters but not quite enough tension.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews