Child 44

Leo Stepanovich Demidov is a member of the MGB, the State Security Force for the Soviet Union and one of MGB’s top investigative detectives. When it comes to loyalty, Leo is the most loyalists of men. He serves his country well and for that he is rewarded handsomely. In a country where any talk of disloyalty whether it be from reading a book or talk of being a traitor, can be punishment by death.

Suddenly Leo finds himself in a moral situation. He is put in charge of investigating his wife, Raisa. Accusations have been made against Raisa saying she is a traitor to her country. Leo now has to make a choice whether he turns his wife in like a good agent or stand up for him and his wife. The choice is obvious. Leo gets demoted to the lowest of lows when he is sent away to be part of the militia. His duties now consist of him cleaning prisoner’s cells. When the body of a fourteen year old girl is found with her mouth filled with dirt and her intestines ripped out, Leo believes this was no accident but indeed a murder. He starts investigating and what he discovers is more heinous than anything Leo could imagine.

I kept seeing Child 44 showing up everywhere on the web. People were saying good things about this book. I am proud to say I too can’t stop saying wonderful things about Child 44. This can only be achieved by an author like Tom Rob Smith. Mr. Rob Smith fused this book with such raw emotions of love, loyalty, loss, and trust. When you take a character like Leo, who experiences all of these emotions at the same time you end up with something truly amazing that will leave readers talking about Child 44 for a long time to come. I know I will. Child 44 is Tom Rob Smith’s first novel. He should be proud of it. I give this book five stars and if I could give it more I would. I anxiously await his next novel.