Customer Reviews

Eye of the Red Tsar: A Novel of Suspense

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I enjoyed this book very much. I would have given it 5 stars but for one plot point that I could not believe (later on that - but no spoilers). But even with that, I would definitely read the next book in what I assume will become a series of Inspector Pekkala books (the next book comes out in 2011).

The main character is Pekkala. At the beginning of the book he is a prisoner in a Soviet labor camp assigned to mark trees for cutting; he has been there for nine years since the Tsar's abdication. A young political officer (Kirov) comes to request his assistance in an investigation because Pekkala is a special prisoner: he was the Tsar's legendary special investigator. Pekkala, along with Kirov and Pekkala's estranged older brother Anton, is charged with investigating the murder of Tsar Nicholas and his family. He has a strong moral code without being a wimpy or goody-goody character and that makes him a very interesting character.

There are a lot of books written about the deaths of the Romanovs. If you have a particular interest in or have studied the subject (I have not), you may have to give the author a fair amount of artistic license because the point of the book is Pekkala's character and his investigation, not to be a novelization of historical facts. One thing marred my complete enjoyment of the book. Pekkala makes a mistake (I won't say what or where in the book because it would spoil it) that is completely at odds with everything that has been written about him in the rest of the book. Nevertheless, it is a very enjoyable historical thriller. It will be interesting to see what investigations Pekkala does in future books.

Sam Eastland has scored an impressive triumph in his first novel, Eye of the Red Tsar. I'm a big Romanov-fan, and Eye of the Red Tsar provided me with a periodic fix. Eastland mixes history with fiction to great effect. However, in order to enjoy this book, you have to keep in mind that this is a work of fiction. The murder of the royal family as Eastland writes it is not how we know it to have happened.

Opening in 1929, Pekkala finds himself a prisoner in Siberia. He has served 9 years of a 30 year sentence for Crimes Against the State. Pekkala was once the Emerald Eye, the personal investigator of Tsar Nicholas II. He was the only man that Nicholas II trusted. But after the Revolution, he finds himself living a solitary existence, marking trees for cutting. Most men don't live out the year. But Pekkala's survival is a testament to his mental and physical toughness. Commissar Kirov is sent to bring Pekkala back as the communist government has a job for him. The government wishes to discover what really happened to the Romanovs. There is also a possibility that at least one of them is still alive. More likely, they're also interested in what may have happened to the Romanov treasure. Kirov offers Pekkala his freedom at the end of the job, so the former investigator reluctantly signs on.

It doesn't take Pekkala long to get back into the routine of investigation. He seeks out clues, interviews witnesses, and tries to discover what happened to the royal family. But whoever had a hand in their murder is still trying to remain underground. Some witnesses to that fateful night in Ekaterinburg are still in danger. As Pekkala starts digging, his life is also threatened.

Aside from the plot, what makes Eye of the Red Tsar so satisfying is Eastland's wonderful prose. Alternating between the past and the present, you get the feeling that Eastland personally knew the Tsar. "The Tsar's narrowed eyes were hard to read. His expression was not unkind, but neither was it friendly. It seemed to hover between contentment and a desire to be somewhere else. More of a mask than a face, thought Pekkela." The Tsar is actually jealous of his humble investigator and the simple life he lived.

I read that Sam Eastland has already started on another Pekkala mystery. If this is going to be a series, I'm definitely on board.

This was on offer from the Vine program almost a year ago, and at the time, even though I am normally interested in books that deal with Russia, I passed on it. Big mistake. Since then, the second book in the series was released, Shadow Pass, and I decided to take that one, which got me hooked. I had to go back and read the first book. One does not necessarily have to read this book before "Shadow Pass," but I think it may help a little.

If one is drawn to the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, and thinks even the darker components of Russian history have something of a romantic nature, Eastland's novel will please. If one has ever read a Tom Clancy novel -- one of the older ones -- and found oneself at least partially intrigued and respectful of the Soviet characters, that reader is likely to find something of interest here.

The main character, Pekkala, is a Finnish man that became the special investigator for the Tsar of Russia (before the Bolshevik revolution), and is known as "The Emerald Eye," a name that comes from a special badge issued to him by the Tsar, a unique disc with the appearance of an eye and an emerald in the center. Stalin was supposedly known by some as the Red Tsar, so the title refers to Pekkala becoming for Stalin what he initially was for Tsar Nicholas II.

Pekkala is sent to Siberia for many years, after the revolution, only to be brought out of exile by Stalin to investigate the murders of the Romanovs. Now, this is not strictly historical -- it is fiction -- and it has characters and plot points that do not necessarily reflect actual history. There is no intention to claim an alternate history. In fact, in the end of the book, there is a section entitled "What Really Happened to the Romanovs?" In that section, he gives brief points of items that happened on certain dates, even up to present times regarding discoveries of various Romanov bodies and DNA evidence. Much of this does not match the novel. Just suspend disbelief and move on.

That I decided to go back and read this book after reading "Shadow Pass" should show there is something attractive about this character, setting, and the writing of Sam Eastland. This author and his Inspector Pekkala
should be priority reading for anyone interested in historic Russia/Soviet Union.

This is a very fine debut and a hugely enjoyable book until its conclusion. The atmosphere, the author's use of flashbacks, the lead character's enigmatic personality and past, and the execution of the Romanoff's all combine to create an engaging historical thriller. This period of history offers a tremendous backdrop given the confusion that the Russian revolution created. I found it a solid page-turner until it petered out to a ho-hum conclusion. It also clearly establishes that Pekkala and his protege will return for future Holmes and Watson-like installments.

I would not call this book a suspense story or a thriller. Instead, it is a historical mystery. That isn't a negative, but if you are expecting a thrill ride you may be disappointed. If you want a steady-paced read that keeps your curiosity, then this book may be for you.

The story opens with a Pekkala, a prisoner of the Soviet prison system. He has been put out in the forests to mark trees for other prisoners to cut down. In virtual isolation, Pekkala has kept himself alive longer than other prisoners have survived out in the woods. Soon, an officer comes to summon Pekkala for help.

In his former life, Pekkala was a detective, working for the Russian tsar, Nicholai Romanov. Now, 10 years after the brutal murder of the entire Romanov family, Pekkala is asked to investigate their deaths and find their real killer. And, he is asked to follow up on rumors that one or more of the family may still be alive. I won't give away any plot spoilers, except to let you know that other than the Tsar, Stalin is one of the characters in the book.

Eastland's pacing for the story is comfortable. Instead of chapters, there are breaks in the text, with the storyline alternating between current events and events from Pekkala's past. The author cleverly uses these flashbacks to give us background and insight on the main characters without giving the reader a "data dump." This keeps the story moving forward at a steady pace.

I gave the book only 4 stars because I found myself still somewhat distant from the main character at the end of the book. Usually by the half or three-quarter mark I want to be wound up in the protagonist's thoughts or feelings so much that I'm rooting for him or her. I didn't dislike Pekkala, but after 250+ pages he's still a mystery to me. Perhaps that's a good thing, since the author is working on a second novel.

I have mixed feelings about "The Red Tsar." Simply as a reader, I love this book and would give it five stars if it was pure fiction.

Sam Eastland is a gifted storyteller....not just a writer, but a teller of stories. The scenes and characters in this book truly come to life, and the quick pace of the prose drove me through a gamut of emotions (it's been a long time since I've shed tears coming up to the last few pages of a book). Subject-wise, this book is also right up my alley, as well, and it provides an appetizing and satisfying feast of period culture.

Pekkala, the main character in this story, is a detective who ends up (begrudgingly, in one case) assisting both the last Tsar, and the men that overthrew him. His life takes him from Russian occupied Finland to work in the Tsar's regiment, where he quickly earns the trust of Nicholas II. When fortunes turn for the doomed imperial family, Pekkala tries to remain at the Tsar's side but ends up in the hands of the Bolsheviks, and eventually to exile in far northern Siberia. Stalin summons him away from exile when it becomes expedient for the new government to put all the questions about the suspected end of the Romanovs to rest (you may realize that in fact, the Soviet government never wavered as to their report about what happened to the tsar and his family: they were shot while being held captive. But if anyone could have kept their countrymen quiet about any alternative theories, Stalin and his minions could, so it doesn't take too much artistic license to allow a story like Eastland's to take place). Between the time of the end of his exile and the end of the book, Eastland takes his main character through situations and contacts with other colorful characters that twist and turn as much as a good "24" episode. ( You know, one of those ones in which we find out one of Jack Bauer's most trusted colleagues since the beginning of the season is a high ranking member of whatever terrorist group he happens to be chasing. Without the high tech gear, of course, since this book does take place in 1930s Russia, not in the US in the 21st century. )

The character of Josef Stalin is quite peripheral to the novel....although there is a hint that in the next Pekkala story, "The Red Coffin", Uncle Joe might play a greater role. And that's where my only misgivings come in. Some people say Napoleon was as evil as some of the henchmen of the 20th century, but we tend to think of him in fairly generic former-emperor-brilliant-militarist terms these days. We are nowhere near the point where someone can include Adolf Hitler as a character in a novel and leave out some of the nastier facts about what he was doing during the 1930s and 1940s. And I don't know if we have really reached the point where Stalin can be portrayed as a wise and relatively harmless figure without causing some discomfort in some readers...for example, me.

All the same, the book is a good, exciting read, and seems pretty accurate in its portrayal of Russian imperial and Soviet culture during the times covered. I will definitely pick up the next one.

Eastland hits it out of the ballpark with this debut novel which displays all the cornerstones of good fiction: plot, style, character and atmosphere. "Eye of the Red Tsar" compares very favourably with two other masterpieces of Soviet era paranoia: Martin Cruz Smith's "Gorky Park" and Robert Harris's brilliant "Archangel."

Review: Eye of the Red Tsar: A novel of suspense

Reviewer: Brenda Rackley



The "Red Tsar" as
Joseph Stalin is referred to and the period of time is 1929. A great investigator, by the name of Pekkala who works for the Tsar and solves the most difficult of crimes.

Pekkala also known as "The Emerald Eye" a name renowned for always ending his investigation and always gets his man. Becomes a "political prisoner, Who finds
his self imprisoned and in Siberia in one of the harshest climates know in Russia.

He is given only a year to live as he is posted in an ice forest to mark the trees for cutting. Expected to live only a year, he defies the elements and lives alone for many years. He has resolved his mind that he will never return to his beloved Finland or to be with the Tsar in St. Peters burg. Only to find

In the year 1929, Stalin orders the Tsars "Emerald Eye" brought to Moscow to investigate the murder of the Romanov and his entire family. Mainly, Stalin is more interested in the Tsars treasure than who killed the Tsar and his family.

The investigation begins and a wonderful tale of events during the historical period is disclosed. The people who The Emerald Eye knew in his childhood, his brother and his life from the beginning to his current tast off finding a long ago iced up family.

In the last known village of the Romanov and his family he is able to find the actual details of the murder of the Tsar and the question answered of a treasure.

An enjoyable reading. Given a 5 star.

Brenda Rackley

"Eye of the Red Tsar,"a debut literary historical thriller set in Russia/the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the early 20th century, comes to us from the pen of Sam Eastland, evidently as the fruit of a great deal of research through rare and obscure Russian documents. It tells the story of Pekkala, born in Finland when that country was a Soviet satellite, who was expected to follow his father into the undertaker's trade.

However, as a result of his elder brother Anton's being cashiered from the white Russian army's prestigious troop of guardsmen charged with defending the royal Tsar Nicholas Romanov and his family, he found himself enrolled by his father in that elite unit. From there, he became Tsar Nicholas's implacable, incorruptible, legendary, feared personal investigator, known as the Tsar's emerald eye. Unfortunately, after the Tsar was overthrown in the Russian Revolution, and Nicholas and his entire family were murdered, in July, 1917, Pekkala found himself banished to a harsh existence as prisoner 4745-P in Siberia's Borodok labor camp. There he was able to survive for many more years than he should have, until, more than ten years later, the new Russian Tsar, Joseph Stalin, calls him back to so-called civilization to help discover the supposed Romanov tsar's hidden treasure. So Pekkala finds himself, in this search, working with his long-lost brother Anton, who has climbed high in the Soviet military hierarchy during their estrangement; also with a young Lieutenant Kirov. Their search will bring them to, among other places, Ekaterinburg, Russia, the actual site where the Tsar and his family were slaughtered.

The author's research was apparently inspired by the finding of two skeletons in a newly-dug ditch; a man, and his horse. The dead man still wore the buckle of an officer in the white army elite unit that had guarded the royal family. And, as Eastland researched further, he apparently discovered that there had actually been a man who was Tsar Nicholas's private investigator. Of course, there actually was a Tsar Nicholas; he did actually have the family attributed to him in this book; and they were, despite the once-famous fraudulent claims of one Anna Anderson to be the Romanov Princess Anastasia, all murdered at Ekaterinburg in 1917.

I found the mixture of true history and the author's invention to be quite a riveting page turner, despite the fact that I knew the underlying history quite well. After all, I was raised in New York as what they call a red diaper baby, a child of rather naïve communists who loved Uncle Joe Stalin not wisely, but too well. There's no way a person with said background could not know the underlying story here, or fail to be aware of Stalin's dangerous paranoia, and abuses of power. If anything, I wondered at the author's apparent rehabilitation of Stalin later in the book. But I particularly enjoyed some of Eastland's imaginative touches, such as his suggestion that the USSR maintained, shall I call them, Potemkin villages, full of good food and happy people radiating good cheer, to fool visiting western journalists into believing that all was well in the realm, and no millions of people were starving, as indeed they were. (Potemkin villages were supposedly fake settlements erected by Russian minister Grigory Potyomkin, to fool Empress Catherine II during her visit to Crimea in 1787. Potyomkin, who had led her Crimean military campaign, had hollow facades of villages constructed along the desolate banks of the Dnieper River, in order to impress the monarch with the value of her new conquests; thus to enhance his standing in her eyes.)

Eastland, who lives in the United States and Great Britain, is said to be at work on a second Pekkala novel. I surely hope so. He writes well, with good descriptive, narrative, and dialog, creating an excellent representation of Russia and its people on the page, and his plot here is many-layered, complex,exciting, and emotionally resonant.

Before the Revolution in two steps, Tsar Nicholas Romanov trusted his brilliant Finnish born investigator Pekkala to solve impossible cases. However, in the Summer of 1917, the great detective became Prisoner 4745-P exiled to spend the rest of his life for crimes against the state in the harshest Siberian gulag.

Surviving in his icy forest more as a wily beast over the next decade, he remains with no hope of either going home to Finland or St. Petersburg. However in 1929, Stalin orders the Tsar's "Emerald Eye" brought to Moscow to investigate the murders of the Romanovs in Ekaterinburg. The Communist leaders wants to know who killed the Tsar and his family; who survived if any; and what happened to the Tsarist treasure?

Although a super investigative frozen case, the story line is in many ways a wonderful historical thriller as the audience learns plenty of what happened to the Tsarist family, the hero's back-story in Finland and on the train to Russia, and the salad days of Stalin's rule. Fast-paced throughout, readers will appreciate this fine tale as every Russian who knows anything understands the need to remain mute as death by assassination is better than the one way ticket to the gulag.

Harriet Klausner