The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 

First Lines: August 27, 1942. Washington, DC. He stood with a pocketful of diamonds and a heart full of death, watching a Russian sniper shake hands with the First Lady of the United States.

 

When Hitler's troops invade Ukraine and Russia in 1937, history student Lyudmila (Mila) Pavlichenko quits her library job, leaves her beloved little boy in the care of her parents, and enlists in the army as a sniper-- becoming a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila is taken from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour. 

 

Still recovering from serious wounds and grieving the loss of loved ones, Mila feels isolated and totally out of place in the rarefied air of Washington, DC until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a fellow sniper make her think she may have a chance at happiness. 

 

But there are enemies-- both old and new-- in the shadows, and Mila finds herself in the midst of the most important battle of her life. 

~

The Diamond Eye is just the sort of historical fiction that I love to read. It's based on a true story about an incredible woman, and not only did I get a feel for the era, how women survived in the military, and what the life of a sniper is like, I fell completely under the spell of Lyudmila (Mila) Pavlichenko. 

The story is told mainly by Mila, but we also hear from Eleanor Roosevelt as well as a paid assassin. How author Kate Quinn managed to write a story from these three very different points of view and keep each one of the characters so compelling is a sign of her talent, and it will definitely keep me coming back for more. (Yes, this is the first book of hers that I've read.) I also appreciated her Author's Notes as well as the bibliography at the end. The notes showed me how the author blended fact and fiction, and the bibliography will help me find the books I need for further reading.

And Lyudmila Pavlichenko is definitely a person worth reading more about. Strong, determined, smart, yet flawed, she is just the type of person to prove that you should never turn your back on historians or librarians.

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

eISBN: 9780062943521

William Morrow © 2022

eBook, 448 pages

 

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Beast in the Red Forest by Sam Eastland

First Line: Boys, I am leaving today!

Although the charred body of Inspector Pekkala has been found at the site of an ambush, Stalin refuses to believe the man is dead. When Pekkala's assistant, Major Kirov, agrees, Kirov finds himself on the way into the heart of a wilderness where bands of partisans wage a brutal campaign against both Nazi invaders and the Red Army.

What Kirov doesn't know is that he's being led straight into a trap. He is not alone in searching for Pekkala, for a deadly killer is determined to make certain that the inspector is dead.

Sam Eastland's Inspector Pekkala series set in Stalinist Russia is another of my favorites, but I read it very slowly. Why? Because life in Russia during that time was so gray and grim and awful. But no matter how gray, grim, and awful it was, Eastland's stories are compelling. The Beast in the Red Forest is no exception.

From past books in the series, Inspector Pekkala has shown that he has an uncanny ability to stay alive. The character has almost mythical status. Who else could be Tsar Nicholas II's top investigator and survive to do the same job for Joseph Stalin? Pekkala's absolute honesty and relentlessness are two major reasons for his longevity, and throughout the series, Major Kirov has been learning from the master.

People aren't who they appear to be. Stalin, who has a love-hate relationship with regard to Pekkala, has more than one agenda. Others are trying to circumvent Stalin to ensure Pekkala's safety... there's a lot going on, and it makes for an engrossing story that's hard to put down.

There's also more than one narrative. The main action of the book takes place in 1944, but The Beast in the Red Forest begins with a letter from an American who's taking his family to Russia in the mid-1930s to work in a Ford Motor plant. The letters continue to break sporadically into the action in 1944. There are letters from Russian officials, from American ambassadors, from the American's wife, and as each one appears, readers wonder what in the world they have to do with the story in 1944. Then it all clicks into place and ratchets up the tension even more. 

A compelling story peopled with strong characters in a vivid setting. I feel as though I'm living in Stalinist Russia as I read these books. Eastland adds humorous lines from time to time to lighten the mood, and he also describes the landscape in beautiful, poetic language, one of my favorites being the origin of the "Red Forest." There was also a surprise for me at the conclusion. I felt a bit sorry for Joseph Stalin at the very end of The Beast in the Red Forest, but before you think I've lost my mind, let me tell you something. I'd also feel sorry for a rabid skunk, but I wouldn't come anywhere near it, and I'd never turn my back on it.

This is a superb historical mystery series that I highly recommend. Give it a try!

The Beast in the Red Forest by Sam Eastland

ISBN: 9780571281466

Faber & Faber © 2014

Paperback, 320 pages

Historical Mystery, #5 Inspector Pekkala mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet.


 

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis

First Line:  Audio file #83: Nightingale

                "Go on," says a man's voice.

                "I'm tired," an older woman answers, clearly uncomfortable and dismissive.

Natasha Doroshenko has been convicted of the attempted murder of her Danish fiancé. On her way to an interrogation at police headquarters in Copenhagen, she escapes police custody, and that night the forzen, tortured body of her fiancé is found in a car. The young Ukrainian woman had earlier lost her husband in the exact same way, so-- fearing the worst-- the Danish police are dedicated to finding her. There's one person law enforcement should pay attention to: Danish Red Cross nurse Nina Borg.

Nina has been following Natasha's case for quite some time-- ever since the woman took refuge at the crisis center where Nina works. Nina had tried to help Natasha leave her abusive fiancé more than once and simply cannot see her as a cold-blooded killer, but there's one thing that Nina is certain of: Natasha is going nowhere without her daughter, and Katerina is in Nina's fiercely protective care. As Nina fights to keep a little girl safe, she learns that Natasha's past contains a secret that goes all the way back to a terrible famine in Stalinist Russia in 1934. There is a third woman involved in this mystery... and she is the one who's determined to keep that secret at all cost.

Nina Borg is a fascinating character who can make a reader feel strong and conflicting emotions. Her work for the Danish Red Cross is her mission in life. She is compelled to save the world through every single person she helps. She is a person to be admired for her strength, determination, and protective instincts. But that very same zeal has come at a great price. By focusing on the care of strangers, in this third book in the series Nina has lost her husband and children, who have given up demanding-- at the very least-- equal billing with her work. Nina is in sad shape, made all the sadder by the fact that it is all her own doing. Her working life may be a cause for admiration, but her personal life is reason for exasperation.

As she fights to keep little Katerina safe, she does find time to reflect on her actions and their consequences. Her soul searching is unflinching and brutally honest. Nina knows what she's done wrong, and she doesn't know if she's capable of making the necessary changes to get her family back-- or even if there's a chance of reconciliation at all. This is a wonderful, nuanced characterization that I've come to love in this series of books.

But Nina is not the only fierce soul in this book. Natasha Doroshenko can match her stride for determined, unflagging stride. Natasha's life has often been a nightmare, and she has learned to be ruthless and cunning in order to survive. As the story alternates between present-day Denmark and 1930s Russia, the reader learns how people's behavior is often shaped by events in the past. The Russian chapters are chilling and horrific, and as the story unfolds, we not only learn about the distant past, we learn about Natasha's life with her husband, a man who was paid for keeping secrets.

With differing timelines and characters' stories, Death of a Nightingale can be a bit confusing occasionally, but everything is woven together satisfactorily before book's end. Once again, Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis have constructed an emotional roller coaster ride peopled by characters of marvelous depth and nuance. With Nina in such a state, I'm certainly looking forward to the next book in this series to see how she progresses.

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis

Translated from the Danish by Elisabeth Dyssegaard

ISBN: 9781616953041

Soho Crime © 2013

Hardcover, 368 pages

Thriller, #3 Nina Borg mystery

Rating: A

Source: the publisher