This series, set against a backdrop of the Soviet Union post Stalin years., shows a good sense of time and context. The well documented Soviet sense of striving to catch up to the decadent West while glorying in the greatness of the past, is overlain by some good spy/thriller text. The author has carved out a good niche for his stories and should do well. What some US readers may miss is that its not and East vs West thing its an ego competition among men with differing backgrounds. By better portraying each characters humanity the author differentiates his style from others in his space.

A WW2 thriller that mixes iconic historical figures with fiction, mainly, for those like myself interested in this historical period. A little dated for the present day and slow-paced rather like watching an old war film, good for the nostalgic value.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse / Killer Reads - Collins Crime Club via NetGalley in return for an honest review.