Cover Image: Our Woman in Moscow

Our Woman in Moscow

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Ruth hasn’t seen her twin sister, Iris, since 1940. Iris disappears with her American diplomat husband and two children in 1948. Four years later, after hearing from Iris for the first time in twelve years, Ruth embarks for Moscow, going inside the Soviet Union to help her sister. This wonderful multiple-time/multiple-point of view thriller is a story of mystery and espionage, but it is also a story of family, trust, and love. Individual and interesting characters test the definitions of strength and bravery. This is a great book for book groups. Wonderful narration!

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An alternating point of view novel about twin sisters who take very different paths in life during and after World War II. One is an independent career woman and one marries and travels the world with her diplomat husband and family. Add in the KGB and CIA and you have a fantastic read.

I loved the characters even though they were complicated and I found myself rooting for them. I was eager to get back to the book when I put it down. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were great.

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Beatriz Williams weaves together a story of espionage, love, and family set during the Cold War in her book One Woman in Moscow. Based partially on the Cambridge Spy Ring (or Cambridge Five), a ring of spies in London that gave information to the Soviet Union from the 1930s-50s, the book tells the story of Iris Digby and her husband, their defection to Russia, and her sister, Ruth’s, quest to rescue Iris and her family.

This book transports you through time. At times the back and forth through time and decades becomes unwieldy, and this may be more so in the audiobook than in print. Yet, Williams is a master of character development. She relays the complexities, turmoils, and struggles within the characters as they find love, fight for happiness and family, struggle with loyalty and betrayal to their country, and, ultimately, living within Soviet Communism.

This is the first book that I have read by Beatriz Williams, and will definitely read more! If you are searching for a book that will pull you into the plot and characters, add this to your TBR list.

**Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

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Beatriz Williams does not disappoint when it comes to historical fiction. This book is based on the Cambridge Spy Ring and ties to the USSR. It follows two sisters, Ruth and Iris, and alternates viewpoints as we are taken back in time to the Cold War. Suspenseful and gripping until the very last page!

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Our Woman in Moscow a great historical fiction with strong female protagonists. The character growth in this book is very well done. The story left me very curious about the real spies this story was inspired by.

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I think this title would appeal to fans of Kate Quinn. It takes place largely post-WW II, but has the same themes of strong female characters in a modern historical setting. A good entry into this genre.

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Beatriz Williams has been to our library several times, and I have always enjoyed hearing her speak. I always leave planning on reading the book she has discussed, but for some reason or another, that has never happened. I’m glad that I have finally read one of her books. The book had a compelling storyline complete with estranged sister relations, romance, espionage and intrigue, and strong familial bonds. The characters are well developed and believable. Even though the story shifts between points of view between the two sisters and shifting time periods, it is easy to follow. It is obvious that Williams did a good deal of research to write this historical fiction, but the book is not overloaded with information just to display the research. Although this was a work of historical fiction, it also was a page turning espionage thriller. I found myself on the edge of my seat toward the end of the book anxious about the outcome. I definitely recommend this book, and I will be going back and reading her previous books. Since I listened to the audiobook version, which was extremely well-narrated, I would encourage you to listen to the audiobook version.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to listen to in exchange for a review.

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Beatriz Williams work of historical fiction story was inspired by the true story of the Cambridge Five, British citizens who spied for the Russians and later defected to Moscow with several appearing as characters in the novel. Twin sisters Ruth and Iris make life choices that separate them for twelve years until Iris begs her sister to come to Moscow where her feckless American diplomat husband has defected to work for the Soviets. Told alternately by Ruth in the first person and by Iris in the third person, in the audio version narrators Nicola Barber and Cassandra Campbell brilliantly bring these strong women to life. The story moves back and forth from events that propel the sisters on their separate paths until they are brought back together in a compelling and fast paced conclusion. The “who” is the real Woman in Moscow” turns out to be an ironic twist only revealed at the end of the novel.

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I really enjoyed this. I listened to the audio and wished I had a physical copy so I could continue to read when I was out of my car. Loved the character development. I also appreciated the sister connection. No matter how much time passes when your sister calls you run to their side.

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Wow, I loved this book! It was one of the best historical fiction books I have read in a while. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were terrific. I was immediately intrigued by Iris and Ruth and their stories. I was often listening with bated breath as their stories went back and forth and through time.

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It's hard to know where to categorize this spy novel that is incredibly deftly woven together and read beautifully by Nicola Barber and Cassandra Campbell. (Incidentally, I'm not sure which reader voiced Lyudmila, but her Russian accent and dirge were spot on.)
It's so easy to fall into step with Ruth's story, evoking all the glittery glamor of societal fringes in New York in the 1940s. Everything about her is clever, sharp-tongued, red-lipstick-and-trousers, headstrong pain in the ass. She's amazing. It's so easy to fall into step with her, in fact, that nearly everyone falls to her orbit. It's not a cast of characters here, it's Ruth and the others around her. Thus making all the turns around her for which she has no persuasion all the more....insidious maybe?
All of which is to say, I know that this is the first Beatriz Williams book that I have finished and I suspect that I will now have completely re-begin forming my opinion of her.

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Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams.
Our Woman in Moscow is a historical fiction set during the cold war. It is a suspenseful drama involving a spy ring and a family separation. Beatriz Williams does a great job entwining historical details and suspense. The story takes place over different time periods and switches between character's points of view. It is easy to follow from the beginning and hard to put down. The narration is well done which makes the audio version enjoyable.

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What an intriguing book! It was even more intriguing, thanks to the right-on-target narrator who knew when to add that degree of emotion that kept the reader guessing. What especially stands out is the juxtaposition of family versus historical events, In this case, that event is the Cold War where the main character disappears from London with her diplomat family, not to be heard from for 4 long years.
The tension is palpable every step of the way. The era is described so well and just as you would imagine. The characters are so well-fleshed out and the drama keeps you on edge. A great thriller interspersed with that frightening Cold War plot!

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Throughly enjoyed the audio of Our Woman in Moscow. The narrators did a fabulous job of capturing and holding my attention. It kept me running further than normal and enjoying my household chores.
All of us was possible because Beatriz Williams wrote another great book.

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Awesome book! Great story. Well developed characters and historical fiction!! I love the role of women and family

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I read Beatriz Williams every chance I get! She writes amazing historical fiction … I love them all!

In Our Woman in Moscow each chapter flips back and forth between the lives of twin sisters Iris (in 1940) and Ruth (in 1952). They had a falling out in 1940 but when Iris writes to Ruth in 1952, Ruth is on a mission to help her. They have always been very different as sisters, but you can't help but want them to reconcile.

Lately there have been so many World War II books and I've loved a lot of them but it is nice to read of a different era. Once again Beatriz Williams has written a top-notch story!

The narrators were also amazing. I've heard Nicola Barber before and really liked her.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this amazing book! All opinions are my own.

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At the height of the cold war, an American diplomat defects to Russia with his wife, Iris, and their children. Four years later, Iris sends a postcard to her twin sister in New York begging for help.

Prepare yourself for mind-blowing twists and turns, unbearable suspense, and most likely a sleepless night. Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams plummets the reader into an unputdownable novel of Cold War spycraft, amazing, rich characters, and pulse-pounding action.

Kudos to Nicola Barber and Cassandra Campbell for brilliant audio narration! Characters are brought to life, pacing is pitch perfect, and the tension they create during the cat and mouse interplay between hunter and hunted is palpable. Absolutely incredible!

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For those who love historical fiction that takes place in Europe but may be a little tired of WWII stories, Beatriz Williams brings us Our Woman in Moscow. Although one timeline narrative in the book starts during WWII in Italy, the war is not a primary factor in the setting. Williams dips us into the Cold War with all the trappings of espionage, communism, and betrayal. Yet at the heart, this novel is a tale about family and betrayal. What are the effects on others of betraying your sibling, your lover, your country? Who has the strength to carry on? And who has the power to be the most deceptive? I enjoy how Williams gives very distinct voices to each of the twin sisters at the core of this tale. The reader will know who is who by how they speak and what they speak of … dreamy or sassy? Protective of self or protective of others? And yet, there are surprises in store for the reader in this suspenseful psychological tale. This was the first book I read by Beatriz Williams, but it won’t be my last. Also, it is an excellent audiobook.

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An enjoyable book to listen to without having to strain to follow the plot. The pacing is perfect. Again what makes historical fiction feel like you’re eating your favorite lasagna incorporating vegetables , is the fact that there are real life events upon which the author base the book. This is my first book by the author and I will gladly return to her writing in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review..

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Beatriz Williams has written yet another satisfying historical novel. She never disappoints! This time, it’s a Cold War thriller. Spies, KGB, and a fascinating story makes for the perfect trifecta.
I ‘read’ this arc as an audio, which isn’t best for me, but many love the format, so I didn’t take off for that, the reader was great.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

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