The sequel to my second favourite novel of 2011 is almost as gripping as its predecessor. Almost, because although for the most part I found the pages of The Secret Speech turning just as fast as Child 44, there were a couple of sequences I would have happily left out in the cold.
Set a few years after the first book and shortly after the death of Josef Stalin, The Secret Speech finds Leo Demidov facing a very different Soviet Union. New leader Nikita Khrushchev issues a tacit apology for years of terror and oppression and the ensuing recriminations threaten to tear the country apart. Leo finds his past "crimes" coming back to haunt him, endangering the new family he's struggling to hold together. Forced into a desperate mission that finds him imprisoned in a Siberian Gulag then fighting for his life amidst the Hungarian uprising, Leo discovers redemption is hard to come by. Much of this is as breathlessly exciting as the first novel, though a couple of sections (notably the sequence about a sinking prison ship) seem tacked on with an eye to Hollywood. As with the second of Stieg Larsson's Millennium books, there's much less mystery and detective work here and far more action. A worthy sequel, nevertheless, and I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into the final book of the trilogy soon.
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5 rants and reactions:
I just finished reading this, too (I started reading it as soon as I finished Child 44, which I got out of the library shortly after reading your review). I agree with you. I enjoyed it but it wasn't as gripping as the first book, which had me from the very first page. This was a bit too action packed. I felt the same way about the last quarter of Child 44, but this one was action packed the whole way through, which got a bit boring after a while (I usually get bored towards the end of action movies, when the action and special effects really kick in, so maybe there is just something wrong with me).
I started reading the final book in the trilogy, Agent 6, a couple of days ago and so far that has been more gripping (and almost entirely action-free). It probably helps that the chapters I've read so far have been set back during Stalin's reign, and that fearful setting was what made Child 44 so special.
I loved Child 44 but found this one a real let down. Whereas Child 44 was action packed and gripping it still seemd to have one foot in reality. I just found the secret speech to be a blockbuster film but in page form with some plot devices annoyingly over the top with credability stretched to breaking point and beyond. It has put me off Agent 6 although Rob's comment has got me interested again
If I manage to wade my way through the pile of unread books beside the bed, I too shall read this (and part 1)
I read Child 44 last year, but I don't think I've read anything else by Tom Rob Smith. I'll have to check out this one, too.
In this same vein are two books that I really enjoyed that you may or may not have read: "Rosa" and "Shadow and Light" by Jonathan Rabb (who happens to live in my town, yay!). They take place in Germany in the years after WWI and are pretty brilliant. He's recently come out with the third in this series, called "The Second Son".
I always admire people who undertake writing this kind of historical fiction because of the HUGE amount of research it takes to do it right.
Rob - the 3rd one is on my shelf (Louise has already read it) but I want to read some other things first.
FoRW - I'm sure his agent told him, after the first one, "bump up the action and the film rights will be a goldmine!"
JJ - yeah, I agree, the thought of all that research terrifies me!
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