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There are currently 24 member reviews
for Beautiful Assassin
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Andrea S. (Lafayette, IN)
Absorbing story of war, politics and love
I could not put down this story of a Soviet assassin's tour of America in the early days of World War II. It did remind me a bit of the book/movie, "Flags of Our Fathers". We know the outcome from the beginning, but it did not spoil the unfolding of Tat'yana's tale. I learned a lot about the war in Europe before the US entered the battle and the frantic lobbying going on between governments to draw the US into the European war. I did think the book ended abruptly, with a subplot left unresolved, but I still greatly enjoyed the book. This would be a good choice for book clubs-I hope mine will read it!
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Hilary H. (Tucson, AZ)
The Beautiful Assassin
I really enjoyed this book. Michael White is a new author for me but I will definitely try another one of his books. "The Beautiful Assassin" had an interesting premise though I wasn't sure how it would work. It starts slowly but very quickly becomes an intriguing war/spy story. White uses some real historical characters as well as many fictional characters in a story that is captivating and exciting.
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Kathleen W. (New Brighton,, MN)
A gift that keeps giving...
BEAUTIFUL ASSASSIN by Michael White is a gift that keeps giving. From page one, the reader is presented with a top-notch plot, a protagonist who strongly resonates and an insider's view of the historically gritty, grim and manipulative era of U.S.-Russia relations involving Stalin, FDR and his wife Eleanor. Finish the book and finish the gift? Not on your life. I have now a book reader's dream: the wonderful find of a previously unknown-to-me author. White has written 6 other books!! As I say...the gift that KEEPS giving.
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Katharine K. (Alpine, CA)
Enjoyable Read!
This is probably not a book I would have found on my own, based on the spy/war theme. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this story. It isn't a "cliff hanger", action type book, but rather a well-developed story about one Russian woman caught up in both the despair and the politics of war. I think the author did a skilled job of presenting both the war experience and the bewildering politics of the time. I read this book slowly and carefully, and I enjoyed every page of the experience.
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Sandy P. (Gainesville, FL)
Overall, worth reading
A good story but a bit laborious to get to the more interesting part when she comes to the US to promote the Russian war effort. A bit implausible that Mrs. Roosevelt would 'take her under her wing' as she did and become so personal with her. I would have liked to see more development with the Manhattan Project. In the books' defense it moved at a good pace and kept enough questions unanswered that you had to read to the end. Very nice job tying up loose ends and completing the story. I'll definitely check out some of his other titles.
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Anne G. (Austin, TX)
Beautiful Assassin
Clear your calendar when Beautiful Assassin arrives because you won’t want to stop reading until you find out the whole story of beautiful Tat’yana Levchenko the Red Army sniper with 300 kills to her credit. The early scenes of Tat’yana stalking a German soldier are hold-your-breath intense and then the story gets really interesting when she visits the USA and is invited to join a youth tour with Mrs Roosevelt where Tat’yana becomes the spokeswoman for the Soviet cause. I enjoyed the interplay of fact with fiction and found fascinating the insiders look at the secrets and techniques of WWII espionage. Of course when you have a beautiful woman there’s always some romance involved and the handsome Captain Taylor adds an interesting dimension. This is a great book for anyone who likes their war story combined with a bit of romance.
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Mary Ann B. (Louisville, KY)
Beauiful Assassin
This book started a little slow , but after a few chapters, the gripping story of war and how it can change and shape us began to unfold. Stories of war are interesting to me, because such catastrophic events can change the way we see ourselves, creating opportunities (sometimes good, sometimes bad) to become a different person. This book takes us on a journey to discover who Taty'ana was and what she becomes.
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