I enjoyed the historical fiction material, but not the crime drama. The information about the nuclear weapons and thoughts about it were interesting, though nothing new. The police procedural was painful. It didn't seem like the KGB investigator had any skill. He just made appointments with suspects, asked a few questions, and seemed to expect the answer to appear. I had a "what was the point?" feeling too many times.
113 members; 3.3 average rating; 11/14/2023 ( )

ספר מתח שמתרחש בקירייה הגרעינית הסודית ברוסיה לאחר מותו של סטלין ועוסקת בפיתוח פצצת המימן הגדולה ביותר ובקצין קהגהבה שחוקר מקרה רצח בעיירה. האקונומיסט אהב, אני פחות. הרקע מעניין וחלקו בנוי על ההיסטוריה אבל סיפור המתח די עלוב, הדיאלוגים לא אמינים, ויש המון ניפוח של סיפור המתח עם סיפורי רקע על רוסיה. האמת שספר נונפיקשן על התקופה והמקום היו יכולים להיות הרבה יותר מעניינים ( )

Owen Matthews knows the Soviet Union. First of all, he was born in Leningrad. He went on to become a journalist there, serving as Newsweek’s Moscow correspondent for years. He wrote an excellent biography of the Soviet super-spy Richard Sorge. For all those reasons, I expected a better book.

Black Sun is a thriller that belongs to a particular sub-type of the genre: the honest cop investigating the murder of one individual in a totalitarian state where mass murder is the norm. An early example of this is the series that began with Gorky Park. There are other series, by different authors, set in Nazi Germany. I think this story has already been done to death and can only work if the writer is an extraordinarily gifted story-teller, or if there’s an incredible story to tell. Unfortunately, neither is the case here.

I see that the book was a commercial success and further volumes are planned, but I cannot imagine why. ( )

1961 and the USSR is about to test the biggest nuclear bomb ever made. At the laboratory in Arcadem one of the chief scientists is found dead,his influential father does not agree with this so a KGB agent, Alexander Vasin is sent North to investigate. Vasin finds himself thwarted at every turn by the local bureau who feathery are undermined and by the scientists who have much to bide. In solving the case Vasin must decide whether truth is more important than the national good.
The story here is fascinating, based on some real life events, and winding a solid crime story.around then. Matthews is confident in his writing about Cold War Russia and his knowledge of the everyday life in the darkest.Soviet times is excellent. The plot is a little.too confused at times and some of the characters are less than believable but this is strong book. ( )

[Black Sun] - copy via Netgalley

Hardback out now - Paperback edition is out next week in the UK.

Despite the trippy opening pages (from the murder victim's perspective as he suffers a truly awful end from radiation poisoning) this is a gripping thriller set in a 'secret' city where the USSR under Khrushchev is developing the bomb to end all bombs. An elite young man, son of a high ranking scientist, is killed and KGB agent Vasin is sent to investigate. He finds an odd society where the shops are full and people free to read and discuss what they like: so long as the bomb is a success. The book is full of details about Russian life, alongside Vasin!s struggles with the ethics of his job. Despite being in an elite position, many of the scientists have been through denunciation, Gulag and (of course) the war. The book highlights the new guard of the "Secret Speech" era facing off those who only know strategies of power, denunciation and blackmail. This is the first book in a planned trilogy, so more intrigue to come.

One to pick up if you are a fan of Martin Cruz Smith, John Le Carre or Helen Dunmore's KGB books ( )