The Darkening Field by William Ryan

Title: The Darkening Field
Author: William Ryan
Did I listen or read?: paperback, gift from my son Jacob for Xmas 2012
When did I finish?: during holiday break December 2012
When was the book published: 2011
Main Characters: Captain Alexei Korolev, his boss Rodinov, female detective Slivka, Mushkin, bad guy secret police guy, Mushkina, his grandmother, Ezhov, head of State Security
What happens? In the budding Soviet Union in 1938, a film is being made near Odessa called "The Darkening Field."  A young lady working on the film is murdered, and it is made to look like a suicide by hanging.  Korolev is told to approach with caution, as the young lady is the mistress of Ezhov.  He quickly determines that it is murder.
How long was this? 319 pages
Did I like this? Wonderful story and great characters, but it also really gives a view into what they were trying to do in forming the Soviet Union and create a new way of governing and existing, and how flawed that attempt was.
Overall grade: A-