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There are currently 26 member reviews
for The Darkening Field
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Gerald R. (pompton lakes, NJ)
Martin Cruz Smith wannabee.
This Russian police procedural, in the style of Martin Cruz Smith, was a bit disappointing. I found the plot to be pretty standard issue for the USSR in the late Thirties. The characters, although numerous, were not fleshed out. I never got the feeling that I knew any of them. Thank goodness there was a list of them at the beginning of the book that I had to keep referring to. I did like the author's way with words and his descriptions of life in Russia just prior to WWII. Captain Alexi Korolev has a way to go to be compared with Arkady Renko.
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William E. (Honolulu, HI)
Life With Stalin
Interesting read for the description of life with Stalin. The story was not much of a mystery. The characters were fairly stereotypical. If one happens to be interested in the particular period in Russia under Stalin, it is a good read. For mystery readers not so much....
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John W. (Clayton, Missouri)
Stalinist Russia - political intrigue, but not a mystery
The best part of this novel is the vivid description of pre-World War II Stalinist Russia. If you are interested in Soviet culture, this book will appeal to you. Captain Korolev is a likeable character and truly loves his country, but understands the realities of living in a dictatorship. If you are looking for a good mystery this is not the book for you – it’s more a good historical read with a lot of political intrigue.
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Loren B. (Appleton, WI)
political mystery
Actually this novel was less of a mystery and more political intrigue. I found it a little hard to follow, but the main character is deep and thoughtful-a different kind of man than what might be expected in Stalin's USSR.
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Gunta K. (Glens Falls, NY)
Old Tactics of Former Soviet Union
I did not like the book. Tactics of the old Soviet Union rehashed in a slow moving tale. Those readers who are of a certain age, know Soviet history, even they will not find the plot interesting enough to hold their attention. Readers born after 1960 will be put off by descriptions of incidents mired in Soviet history known only to those who are history buffs of that time or, have some familial connection to that area. The continuous plot within a plot is quite confusing as it is all built on Soviet politics, restrictions of the population, rules and regulations which change with each day or whichever military official is in power on any given week. The intent of the author is to show the Soviet undermining of the citizenry by various government threats, corruption, secret spying of and among families, creating constant fear. The author does not pull this feeling off in this reader. This is not a page turner
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