The Secret Speech Audiobook

" Disappointing. Yes, I gulped it down in less than a day and was riveted by the action, but the story was not nearly as fascinating as Child 44. It was more of an action thriller, and while questions of individual and collective guilt and redemption were raised, the book lacked the emotions and psychology that made the first book great. If you want a great Soviet era thriller, have at it. If you're looking for one of the best read of the year, keep looking. "

" Quite scary dark novel - very realistic though in it's description of the dark places in the human soul. "

" Didn't love this one--a mish mash of cold war material and extreme characters "

" The second in the Leo Demidov/Soviet Union series disappointed. I liked the first one, "Child 44", but found this one preposterous. I don't think I'll even attempt the third and final one, "Agent 6," based on reviews that make it sound worse than this one.... "

" This is the worst book I've ever read. It takes all the worst bits of Child 44 and adds in awful characters, ridiculous storylines, really strange narrative viewpoints - ie sympathy towards really awful, dull people. Can't be bothered writing any more - just avoid! "

" A really good story.....I enjoyed it. "

" I really liked Child 44, a thriller set in the waning days of the Stalin regime. Unfortunately, The Secret Speech doesn't quite rise to its level. Sure, at times it's thrilling in a can't-put-the-book-down kind of way, but I felt the various story threads and historical setting were confusing and messy. In Child 44, the central story theme was clear-- how an honorable man learns that he had been duped by his government into committing horrible acts upon its behalf and sets out to change his ways and find redemption. It's fascinating to see his change of heart. In The Secret Speech, you see a continuation of this storyline as a past atrocity comes back to haunt him and his family. The problem is, the people who had been the victims of these atrocities have now become the "bad guys." Who are we supposed to be rooting for, and how much of this history is true? I wish there had been an addendum providing the actual historical context for these events. Is it true that Khruschev's speech was disseminated in this way, and caused former victims to commit violent acts of revenge upon government officials? Is it true that the Soviet government essentially engineered the Hungarian uprising in 1956? In Child 44, I felt the story was firmly rooted in real-world events. Here, I'm not so sure. Another problem was Smith's portrayal of Fraera. She didn't seem real to me. Was she insane? If so, this was not made clear. At times, she seemed to be a person with super powers. Still, I enjoyed reading more about Leo and Raisa, and am looking forward to reading the third book in this series. "

" A cold look at life, death, love and war in a cold country "

" Excellent, dense thriller that's a great follow-up to Child 44. A very definite step up from the average and highly recommended. "

" I really like this series. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a communist country, but am thankful I don't have to. "

" The sequel to Child 44, by the author who looks like that guy from Coldplay. "

" It was a sequel to 44 Child - good but not great .. . "

" Too much melodrama, too little realism, too much action, too little reflection. Even more dangling modifiers than in Child 44. Not sure I can be bothered with Agent 6 for quite a while. "

" This sequel to Child 44 advances the story line through the Hungarian Suppression by the Soviets. This is a story about the people involved and is only set during these times. If you read Child 44 you will want to read this one. "

" Excellent novel about post-Stalin's Soviet Union in 1956. Not for the faint-hearted, this novel traces a society where the police are the criminals and the criminals are innocent. Action-packed page-turner! "

" Not as good as Child 44 but still a decent read. "

" Not as good as Child 44 but still pretty darn good. Didn't realize there was a third installment. Will have to complete the trilogy. "

" I've been re-reading this series, and I do believe I enjoyed this book more the second time around. "

" On a par with "Child 44" up until the Hungarian uprising, where I felt the story lost its momentum. Nevertheless, this is a well-written, fast-paced action-packed thriller and I found the "Secret Speech" well worth reading. "

" Secrect Speech is just as gripping as Child 44. Once again, Tom Rob Smith captures your attention and with each word on the page you are transported into the story walking side by side with Leo and Raisa; and what a journey it is. Looking forward to Reading Agent 6. "

" A scary ending to Child 44... Just as good as Child 44, looking forward to future books by Tom Rob Smith. "

" Interesting story showing how it was to like in the Soviet Union at the end of Stalinism. "

" Sequel to child 44 doesn't disappoint . Addictive page turner "