I found this novel to be gripping and suspenseful. I liked the author's writing style. I gave it a 3 star due to the foreignness of it. I found myself getting lost at times. I would be totally absorbed, then have to stop and look up the meaning of things.

This book really relates to some events in today's world, it's kinda scary how stuff like this is still happening. I enjoyed the story so much and had to look up what happened in Josef Stalin's Great Terror. It not only had a great mystery to it but it also had a great insight on the time period of this historical novel. Alina Adams has a great writing style that hooks you in from the first page.

"She didn’t ask right away. She spent days avoiding the subject. She told herself it was none of her business. She told herself Cecilia didn’t owe Regina any explanations. She told herself Comrade Stalin’s credo: The less you know, the sounder you sleep."