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Shadow Pass: A Novel of Suspense Audiobook
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(3.03) - 346 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Pekkala: He was the Romanovs’ most trusted investigator. Now he’s Stalin’s greatest fear.
He operates in the shadows of one of history’s most notorious regimes. He seeks the truth in a nation where finding it can mean death—or worse. His name his Inspector Pekkala, and this time he’s taking on a case with implications far deadlier than anything he can imagine: a shattering revelation that was never meant to be unearthed.
Its official name is T-34, and this massive and mysterious new weapon is being developed in total secrecy in the Russian countryside, a thirty-ton killing machine. Its inventor, Colonel Rolan Nagorski, is a rogue genius whose macabre death is considered an accident only by the innocent.
And Josef Stalin is no innocent. Suspecting assassins everywhere, he brings in his best—if least obedient—detective to solve a murder that’s tantamount to treason. Answerable to no one, Pekkala has the dictator’s permission to go anywhere and interrogate anyone. But in Soviet Russia that’s easily a death sentence. The closer Pekkala gets to the answers, the more questions he uncovers—first and foremost, why is the state’s most dreaded female operative, Commissar Major Lysenkova, investigating the case when she’s only assigned to internal affairs?
Pekkala is on a collision course not only with the Soviet secret police but the USSR’s deepest military secrets. For what he is about to learn could put Stalin and his Communist state under for good—and bury Pekkala with them.
Brilliantly researched and rivetingly plotted, Shadow Pass is a superb story of suspense in a series growing only richer—and with a detective getting only better.
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"Book 2, in which Pekkala investigates the murder of the designed of a new tank. Eastland (Paul Watkins) continues to juggle past and present in a satisfactory way, giving us more backstory about Pekkala's time working for the Tsar. This book - published as The Red Coffin in the UK - finds Eastland finding his stride with this series (which originally had been intended to be a one-off), and I think has a more satisfying ending than book 1, which kind of ran out of steam towards the end."
— Sean (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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A fantastic premise, frenetic action sequences and a stellar setting . . . all set apart this debut novel . . . What elevates this Russian period thriller . . . is its mad, brilliant hero.
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
Highly imaginative . . . History mixes with fiction in an exciting story.
— USA Today -
A riveting historical thriller with a fascinating protagonist . . . a smart, assured, impeccably researched page-turner.
— David Liss, author of The Devil’s Company -
A terrific debut . . . Eastland’s weaving of fact and fiction, of real and invented characters, is brilliantly achieved, and Pekkala makes an unusual, captivating hero.
— The Times (U.K.) -
Particularly satisfying . . . Pekkala is a likeable and believable protagonist, and this is a highly promising debut.
— Daily Mail (U.K.) -
Gripping and memorable. . . . Fans of Russian thrillers (Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44, Martin Cruz Smith’s Gorky Park, and David Benioff’s City of Thieves) will want this.
— Library Journal -
A triumph! With a canny eye for detail, Eastland re-creates the tragedy of the Romanov dynasty in this intelligent and relentless thriller.
— David Hewson, author of City of Fear
Shadow Pass Listener Reviews
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" This is a series worth pursuing. I enjoy Inspector Pekkala. The author does an excellent job of portraying him as jaded and compassionate simultaneously. I also like the setting and time period. Fascinating! "
— Chelsea, 1/6/2014 -
" Really enjoy this series...Good plots and historical intrigue. "
— Pamela, 1/3/2014 -
" I really enjoy the chaos that our hero inspector Pekkala works amidst. Everyone's had a tough boss they've had to work for at some point, but I don't think it can get much worse than Stalin. Sam Eastland(who ever "he" is) has done a great job of balancing the gritty, minimalist, and brutal conditions of post Tsarist Russia with a variety of well played, entertaining, and empathetic characters. The fact that Pekkela often has to be more careful of his superiors than the criminals who want him out of the way offers twissting plot lines and makes this series a true original. "
— David, 1/3/2014 -
" It was good, but the identity of the Killer was easy to pick up on, not the motive though so it was engaging nonetheless. "
— Christopher, 12/25/2013 -
" Pekkala, The Emerald Eye, is on the track of a murderer. Eastland hits a home run with the second in the series of books with Inspector Pekkala. The murder mystery seemed a bit shallow as I had the murder solved fairly quickly. However the description of pre WWII Russia was very well detailed and rich with the old, and well justified, Russian paranoia. A definite hit that leaves this reader looking for more from the author. "
— Robert, 12/23/2013 -
" Solid historical fiction about Russia and the Soviet Union. "
— Laura, 12/19/2013 -
" No as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed it. "
— Vanda, 12/15/2013 -
" This is a good follow up with a good storuline that holds you in its grip "
— Allan, 11/13/2013 -
" Second in the Pekkala series. Perhaps the best of the three. "
— Boris, 7/16/2013 -
" I liked the first one in the series better, but I still enjoyed this one. "
— Martha, 7/5/2013 -
" Pekkala is a difficult character to get comfy with, even though we spend most ot the book inside his head. Kirov, his assistant, is the more complex and enjoyable character by far, but the setting in Stalinist Russia is the most interesting part of this series. "
— Janet, 3/21/2013 -
" Superb background and colour and was gripped throughout "
— Mark, 12/4/2012 -
" I am really loving this series. I can't wait for the next one because I want to learn more about this character. "
— Amanda, 9/8/2012 -
" I didn't like this one as much as the first, Eye of the Red Tsar. Please read my full review on my book review blog. (I hate to do that, really, but I already wrote it there, and don't want to write the same review twice.) "
— Elizabeth, 5/19/2012 -
" Inspector Pekkala investigates the death of a colonel engaged in a highly secret defence project, with the threat or war imminent. The complexities of life as an official in the 1930s USSR complicate things. "
— Jack, 5/15/2012 -
" A VERY good read; definitely worth the wait. "
— Kath, 2/5/2012 -
" I've read this book but it was called the red coffin, maybe its a US /UK thing? loved it, great follow up to the eye of the red tsar ! "
— Courtney, 10/26/2011 -
" This book helps prove the theory that sequels are never as good as the original. (Sequel to Eye of the Red Tsar) "
— Kim, 5/1/2011
About Sam Eastland
Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.
About Paul Michael
Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.