"Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith

Read: 6/3/09

5/5 stars

Another murder mystery set in Russia that I love. Although the last one of this category was Gorky Park, which I read around 15 years ago.

In 2008, Child 44 made waves in the book world after a fierce bidding war over it during the London Book Fair. And, as a testament to its hype, director and producer Ridley Scott bought the film rights for the book even before the book fair. Child 44 made news again when it made the Man Booker Prize longlist last year. However, it wasn't all good news as a few critics decried the entry of what others term an "airport novel" into the prestigious list, thus edging out better written literary works.

Strictly speaking, it is an airport read. The book is fast-paced and engrossing, capable of being consumed in one sitting. But the book is not another Da Vinci Code (read: "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"). Set in the 1950s, the book's success lies in the fact that, amidst the murder mystery, Tom Rob Smith shows us the intricacies of Stalinist Russia, its institutionalized tyranny placed in contrast with the simplicity and strength of its people.

The book's protagonist, one Leo Demidov, is a member of the MGB, the Russian Secret Police. As an instrument of the state, his job is to arrest those merely suspected of crime, and torture them into confession. A true believer of the system, Leo, however, arrives at a point where he questions his actions and the presuppositions of the system. This happens because of two things: one - Leo arrests and tortures a man whom he believes to be innocent, and; two - he faces the grieving father of a murdered boy to convince the father that the boy was not murdered. Why? Because murder does not happen in Stalinist Russia, where everyone is equal, therefore no one is dissatisfied. Crime is an indicator of an imperfect society, and their society is perfect.

Eventually, after Leo falls from grace because of his changing belief system, he discovers that the murdered child is not an isolated case. Similar killings have been occurring across the Soviet. Leo discovers that for years, the murderer is allowed to continue his crime spree because of a government that refuses to admit that such a situation or criminal should exist. Leo then, together with a few reluctant helpers, tries to solve the crimes, in an obvious attempt to atone for his transgressions.

Leo Demidov is not the only interesting character in this story. His wife, the beautiful schoolteacher Raisa, starts out as seemingly one-dimensional. However, after Leo's demotion, Raisa reveals her true feelings towards her husband. The development of Leo's and Raisa's relationship, therefore, is superbly dynamic and illustrates how quickly the balance of power changes not just between husband and wife, but between oppressor and oppressed.

Though the ending might be too pat for the situation and the setting, as a whole, the book is a gorgeous read. Regardless of those who might criticize it as genre fiction, I believe it strikes a great balance between leisure and literary reading.