This month’s choices:
Fiction
Child 44
By Tom Rob Smith
There is so much about this novel that makes it stand out. First, the story itself is unique and fascinating. Leo Demidov is a former Soviet military hero who loves his country and, more importantly, has always believed what Soviet Russia tells its citizens.
Now, working for the Russian Secret Police (the MGD), he must confront something the leaders of his country insist cannot be real:
A serial killer.
Under the brutal leadership of Stalin, Russia in the 1950s is a place where one does not question the “perfect” system. If you’re loyal to your country, you’ll be taken care of. And there certainly isn’t crime. At least, that’s what the citizens are told to believe.
Leo must come to grips with the fact that not everything is as glorious as he’s been told. And there’s a killer of children on the loose. Even investigating it puts him at risk with his superiors.
This book is outstanding on so many levels. Besides the fact that it’s gripping crime drama, you’re also drawn into the miserable world of Stalinist Russia 70 years ago. Honestly, it’s hard for modern people, especially anyone raised in the US, to wrap their brains around how these people managed it.
Leo and his wife know they’re flirting with disaster, and we get a front-row seat. I can’t recommend this brilliant first novel highly enough.
Find your copy here.
Non-Fiction
When you find yourself staying up well past your normal bedtime—and when you find yourself stealing a quick page or two when you first wake up—you know you’ve found a great book.
Allan Kozinn covered music for the New York Times for 37 years and has taken on a subject that goes much, much deeper than just the songs.
Kozinn tackles perhaps the most successful songwriter and musician in history, Paul McCartney. And he’s doing it in chunks. What I love is that this first volume doesn’t start with his childhood, or with the rise to fame of the Beatles in the early 1960s.
No, he begins his tale at the end of the Fab Four’s reign, in 1969. This is the period where not only are the Beatles breaking up, but they’re essentially at war with each other. Or rather, John, George, and Ringo are at war with Paul. It’s ugly. And it’s riveting.
You get an intimate look at three elements, all woven together during this four-year stretch: McCartney’s drama with the Beatles and the management of Allen Klein, which ultimately ended up in court; his personal life, starting a family with Linda and moving to the highlands of Scotland; and the music.
You not only learn about the last two Beatles albums, but you watch the superstar take his first steps as a solo artist. The book shows how McCartney juggles it all.
And if you love the book as much as I have, you’ll be happy to know a second volume is already out, with more to come.
Find your copy here.
The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1
By Allan Kozinn / Adrian Sinclair
Last Month’s Picks
The Tainted Cup
By Robert Jackson Bennett
A fun, thrilling combination of fantasy and murder mystery. Loved it!
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
By Michelle McNamara
A true crime classic from the woman who helped to track down - and who nicknamed - the Golden State Killer.
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Happy reading!