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

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

I enjoyed this book and liked the main character. A good solid police procedural in an unusual setting in a time period and place I am unfamiliar with, and about which I would now like to learn more. Will definitely be reading the author's first novel and look forward to the next.

I really enjoyed the combination of murder mystery and political intrigue. We got to follow the leads as the detectives uncovered them. The pre-World War II setting in Russia was well described along with the conflicts some people felt with their government. The distrust of others, the fear of appearing disloyal to the government, the worry of the detectives about how high in the government the leads would take them, all were ever present in the story. I will read the author's first book now and definitely recommend this book to others. It would provide many avenues of discussion for a book club.

The Darkening Field by William Ryan is a wonderful murder mystery set in 1937 Soviet Russia. When Captain Alexi Korolev of Moscow's Criminal Investigation Division is sent to Odessa to investigate the murder of a young actress, he uncovers a plot much more twisted than he could have imagined. This is a first-rate mystery that perfectly captures the overriding fog of terror in Stalin's Russia, where even an innocent mistake or mishap is enough to doom you, your coworkers, and your entire family.

Thanks to Book Browse's First Impressions for a chance to read this advance readers' edition.

It was very difficult to get through this book. I wanted to like it; mystery, Russian History. Sounded good. Two issues; I had a hard time figuring out the detective, Alexei Korolev. Maybe if I had the first book staring him. Not sure his motivations and what he feels. The second issue is the idea of the murder itself. Hard to feel sympathetic towards the dead woman in the mist of so much other tragedy and depression. Looking for the culprit of one murder when the book mentions the mass killings. Not that the death of one is less important, but it feels that way in the book. Some interesting facts on Russia.

The USSR in the 1930's is the main character of this story of murder and political intrigue. Trying to solve a crime and keep the different entities from putting the detective in prison or the gulag. Very insightful into the suffering of the people in the name of a political system.

The Darkening Field gave me an insight into the transitioning period of Soviet culture through a well-written mystery with believable characters. I enjoy books that take an unusual view of a historical period. I recommend this book to others who like a suspenseful read with some historical perspective.

I enjoyed the book, quick read. Character development was well done. Not a book that I would have picked up at the store, but am glad that I had the opportunity to read about historical Russia. Solving the murder takes very interesting turns through rural Russia, with the help of a Moscow detective.