I'm a long-time fan of Katherine Reay's novels. A Shadow in Moscow, her new release, is a dual timeline story set in Cold War Moscow. Both stories feature strong women characters who make brave choices in the face of intense danger.
Alone after her parents' deaths at the end of World War II, Ingrid marries a man she doesn't know well who takes her home to Moscow. Over time, she learns more about her husband and his suspected role within the KGB. With the hope of creating a better future for her newborn child, Ingrid becomes a spy, giving the British government Russian military secrets she learns while acting the part of a perfect wife and hostess.
In 1980 Washington, DC, Soviet student Anya treasures the freedoms she experienced and people she met while studying at Georgetown University. With her degree earned, she's escorted back to Moscow by a KGB agent and struggles to reacclimate to her homeland. Her best friend's murder drives her to share Soviet military plans she's privy to due to her job with the US CIA to end the 1980s arms race.
Due to my lack of knowledge about Cold War history, the first chapters were somewhat confusing as I became familiar with the characters. But the plot quickly became very interesting as each women realizes her circumstances and uses her unique situations to pass along strategic information. I was amazed by the amount of planning required to safely share even the smallest bits of intelligence, and more than once, I held my breath while Ingrid or Anya were in a particularly dangerous setting.
The ending of this novel is very satisfying. Ms. Reay shares small clues that hint at the conclusion, but after I figured out the link between the timelines, there was a surprising aspect that I particularly enjoyed.
The audiobook was a meaningful way to read this title. Talented and prolific narrators Lisa Flanagan and Saskia Maarleveld each narrated a main character, making it simple to track whose story was being shared.
Thank you to Harper Muse, Uplit Reads, Libro.fm, and NetGalley for the print, ebook, and audio editions of this intriguing and inspiring novel.
Alone after her parents' deaths at the end of World War II, Ingrid marries a man she doesn't know well who takes her home to Moscow. Over time, she learns more about her husband and his suspected role within the KGB. With the hope of creating a better future for her newborn child, Ingrid becomes a spy, giving the British government Russian military secrets she learns while acting the part of a perfect wife and hostess.
In 1980 Washington, DC, Soviet student Anya treasures the freedoms she experienced and people she met while studying at Georgetown University. With her degree earned, she's escorted back to Moscow by a KGB agent and struggles to reacclimate to her homeland. Her best friend's murder drives her to share Soviet military plans she's privy to due to her job with the US CIA to end the 1980s arms race.
Due to my lack of knowledge about Cold War history, the first chapters were somewhat confusing as I became familiar with the characters. But the plot quickly became very interesting as each women realizes her circumstances and uses her unique situations to pass along strategic information. I was amazed by the amount of planning required to safely share even the smallest bits of intelligence, and more than once, I held my breath while Ingrid or Anya were in a particularly dangerous setting.
The ending of this novel is very satisfying. Ms. Reay shares small clues that hint at the conclusion, but after I figured out the link between the timelines, there was a surprising aspect that I particularly enjoyed.
The audiobook was a meaningful way to read this title. Talented and prolific narrators Lisa Flanagan and Saskia Maarleveld each narrated a main character, making it simple to track whose story was being shared.
Thank you to Harper Muse, Uplit Reads, Libro.fm, and NetGalley for the print, ebook, and audio editions of this intriguing and inspiring novel.
