GJ

Murder investigation | Totalitarian regime
I had to constantly remind myself that this is not a dystopian fiction. Inspired by a real-life investigation, it is set in the USSR under the rule of Stalin – Moscow, 1953.
The story follows Leo Demidov, a high-ranking State Security operative, a believer. The politics of that time is portrayed in the most not boring way possible in the first few chapters. As Leo is forced to investigate an officer's son's death on the railway track which has been reported as an accidental death, he notices something off. To disregard an official report is not an easy task for Leo. He is a believer. A believer in the party, a believer in the society the leaders have formed. In this society there is no crime. To believe that a murder has occurred is to have lost faith. That is blasphemy. “An elaborate charade that fools no one”
There is constant threat to life looming over every citizen's head, as soon as they are twelve years of age. Children are obedient, adults are law abiding, everyone is wary, like prey in a forest. There is no forgiveness, no trust. And it is imperative to catch one spy even if it costs innocent lives. There is a uniform love for the leader in all – children and adults, officials and housewives. It is an unusual combination of fear and pride. Or more likely it is just fear masquerading. It is an unforgiving story and pulls no punches. The reality must have been equally horrifying if not worse. A gripping story, each sentence pulling my eyes to the next.
As the story moves forward and when the façade unravels before Leo's eyes, the hunter becomes the hunted. On realizing that public opinion as well as law is not on the side of truth, but on the side of the Party, Leo is forced to embark on his mission to solve a string of child murders, with only his wife by his side; and even that relationship is hanging by a thread.
There is a calmness to the brutality in the story. It comes unexpected and makes the least noise. The act of violence is never elaborated. There are never descriptions of murder dragged out. All quick and efficient like any job well done, a routine – nothing to be made a fuss about. This further adds to the bleakness of the environment.
The colors in a book sets a mood. What are the colors in this book? There is bright red, excessively red, a little too much just to be safe. The is red on the white snow. There is grey in the sky and dark brown bark in the mouths of dead little children.

It would be a shame for you to miss this book.

Bunch of 30yr olds, behaving like teenagers.

A county prosecutor's complicated past is dug up, during a trial involving a loaded defendant.

Engaging writing as far as thrillers are concerned.
Humor✅️
Not too macho, lots of practical women ✅️
For some reason all women are hot. It felt a little unnecessary, to mention how his jaw dropped every time. Anyway feminine beauty is art for him. So, it's... fine. I guess.

You do see some of the twists coming earlier in the story, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

A good light read.

Few lines into the book, I was racking my brains, as I absent mindedly read through a few more lines, trying to put a face to Elinor Oliphant, who seemed really familiar. And then all of a sudden she fell into place. This is Amy from the Big Bang Theory. Though I do not have vivid enough imagination to read a whole story with an image of a character in my head, at certain moments her face pops in; it fits just right.

I am pretty sure, the number of high ratings this book has a direct correlation to readers who can relate.

“If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadn't spoken to another person for two consecutive days. FINE is what you say.”

Loneliness has certainly had its share of portrayal in many books. This is the first one I read where it takes the center stage. Every moment I am struggling, to not make this review personal. Precisely because there isn't a ‘Loners' club', none of the loners know what their kindred feel. This is a brave attempt(given how completely Eleanor disregards the conventions of polite society, thereby creating a character slightly leaning over to the area of ‘unlikability') to unite the loners at some level, to remind that we are not alone in being lonely.

Eleanor holds one her hands in the other to feel how it feels when someone holds your hand. Eleanor realizes that there is no Eleanor shaped slot in the society for her to fit in. Standing alone staring into the middle distance, is a ‘familiar social scenario' for Eleanor. It was ‘absolutely fine'. And she means it.

The whole thing is all too familiar. I feel too close to this that I can't analytically review. I can see only what I want to see, and there's plenty for me to look at here. There are metaphors and word plays, it's all very nice. That said, it's not a sob story. Eleanor is funny, rudely pragmatic often upto a point of hilarity and a woman of her mind, who finds her way in the world, with little acts of kindness from people surrounding.

Raymond, like a ray of sunshine, tenderly opens the shy and obscure little bud into
a beautiful flower, confident and proud.
(Okay maybe that was a little over the top.)

If you feel lonely too often, read it.

Amazing character development. Impeccable, yet believable plotline.
It does take about the first 30% of the book, to actually get into the story, which was kind of annoying. Still, it was a decent thriller. The drama is what I enjoyed more than the plot twists. I never knew I could admire someone like Salander. Thankfully, there's more of her left. Yay!