What do readers think of The Darkening Field by William Ryan? Write your own review.

From the very first I was engrossed in this story. It certainly helped refresh my memory of post revolution Russian history and set it on a more human level. The main character was well developed, and the interaction with the new young female detective will be worth reading in future books.

Yes, the mystery does seem like a minor part of the bigger political intrigue. But, I for one want to go back and read the first Captain Alexei Korolev book, and will eagerly await the next.

Book started off as a typical foreign who-dun-it but the characters and the plot expanded nicely. The lead Soviet era investigator took on a full life and the plot had enough twists to keep the interest. Especially well written details about how some factions in The Soviet Union must have viewed their lives add an interesting historical touch. Not a great book but worth the time.

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.

This is the second book in the series featuring Captain Alexei Korolev. My pleasure in reading it was somewhat dimmed by not having read the first book in the series. However, the book captured my imagination, and raised all sorts of interesting questions about the strength of individuals’ loyalties and the compromises that must be made in oppressive societies. It would make a daring, but rewarding book club selection.

I liked this book very much. It had a good plot with lots of twists and turns, and the Russian detective is a fascinating protagonist.

I like the list of characters at the beginning of the book, just like in an Agatha Christie novel; it helped me with the Russian names.

Overall, this was a good read, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

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....

I really enjoyed this book by William Ryan. It's a basic murder mystery, but set in pre-WWII Soviet Union and that makes all the difference. A Moscow detective gets sent to Odessa to investigate a murder on the set of a Soviet propaganda movie. Because the dead girl's lover is a highly placed Soviet officer he must tread carefully. The depictions of Odessa are evocative and the characters live in an atmosphere of paranoia and that make me very glad to live in the USA. The pace is a little slow, but I think that's the lack of technology so it just takes a little getting used to. This is the second in what looks to be a series. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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.