Told in alternating POVs and timelines, A Shadow in Moscow is the story of two brave women who become spies during the Cold War.

I’ve read a few of Katherine Reay’s books and each time I’m in awe of the story as well as the research that had to have been done to pull off the masterpieces she writes. Her characters are so well formed and the tension makes you want to continue flipping pages. Case in point, I listened to about 90% of the book in one afternoon!

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Read if you like:
Cold War era novels
Alternating timelines and POVs
Tolstoy references
Female spy stories

This was such a great story! I haven’t read a Cold War era books, and I loved the dual time period.

I love strong female characters and this book definitely did not disappoint there! I loved how the way the author explained the characters attachment to their country and how they came about choosing to become spies. These women sacrificed love, life, and comfort to make a difference!

I thought the setting was done very well. The author tied in enough real life places with a mix of some fictional towns.

The pacing created a great suspense as well. The risk of getting caught or completing assignments was nail biting!

Overall, I very much enjoyed this one. I will definitely be recommending to historical fiction lovers. Also— make sure to read the authors notes! She explains which characters are based on real people which I found so impressive!

Thank you to Harper Muse and to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to listen to the audiobook version of this wonderful book written by Katherine Reay. I absolutely loved this book, and the audio version was extremely well-done. It was easy to follow the two storylines and time frames while listening to Saskia Maarlevid and Lisa Flanagan narrate it. The book held me enthralled from start to finish, and the story itself kept me in 1950's and 1980's Moscow where the storylines are centred Ms. Reay combines real people with fictional people seamlessly. We slipped back and forth from time to time effortlessly. To my mind this is the perfect book. A real, gut-wrenching plot based on spy craft from the Cold War, and two indomitable women who risk their lives every day while trying to fix injustices and protect others. The KGB is portrayed so realistically that it appears to be another character in the book. Ingrid's life was forever changed when she lost two of the most important people in the world to her at the end of WWII. In her quiet and unassuming way, she sets out to change the course of history, and succeeds almost single-handedly in just that task. Anya is a Russian foreign studies student in the US in the early 80's, and she gets a glimpse of what true freedom is, and finds the love of her life while doing so. Both women set out, with no real thought for their own safety and in complete anonymity to try to rescue their beloved country from the clutches of KGB tyranny. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read gritty, true-to-life spy stories. This book is the ideal novel for just that. Step into the deep shadows with Ingrid and Anya, and stay one step ahead of the encroaching tyranny behind the Iron Curtain.

ALL. THE. STARS.

The narration was terrific. The vocal range, the accents, the pacing. It all was seamless. I listened on 1.75x speed and don't feel like I missed out on any emotion.

The story following 2 women--1 in 1950s and 1 in 1980s--and the story only soars because it that. The two timelines wind intricately around each other while crafting these unique worlds that are clearly embedded in unimaginable depths of historic research.

Every character was a draw and made the story magical. The insight into espionage techniques, double agents, and political games were so detailed and yet not overwhelming. The story never really ebbed, but continued to flow and then take off---constantly leaving me racing to listen to more!

One of my all time favorite books is *The Nightingale* by Kristin Hannah, and I can see this one right up there with it! BRAVO!

Overall: 5 stars

I'll tell my students about: alcohol, death, language mental health/trauma, violence

**Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I am a self-proclaimed lover of historical fiction and also a big fan of strong female characters, so A Shadow In Moscow was right up my alley! I was super excited to read a story about not one, but two female spies living behind the iron curtain. Let me just say that this book did not disappoint!

Be warned. This will likely be more of an incoherent ramble than a formal review, but I LOVED this book!

First of all, our two main characters were very believable. Their motivations for spying were realistic and the way that the pressures of the job affected them were realistic too. I also loved that they aren't molly sues who are naturally perfect at everything! We see impulsivity and recklessness. We see extreme caution and fear. We see two women who are very human.

I also felt like the plot really kept me engaged and at the edge of my seat! I could not wait to see what happened next and honestly, I finished the entire audiobook in one day because I just could not put it down. The pacing was masterful.

I will say that the surprise reveal of the story was fairly apparent to me at about the 50% mark of the story, but in this case knowing the twist didn't ruin anything. You don't know how the characters will react to what happens or what the repercussions of it will be, so it kept things quite interesting.

Also, an odd little note, but I am a professional chef, so I really appreciated the food description in this book. I love the way one of the characters thinks of the foods from her former home and how she can no longer safely cook them. I love the description of Russian dishes. It added a level of depth to the story and I'm so glad it was included.

And since I listened to the audiobook, I want to note that the narrator did a fantastic job as well! Her voice really fit the characters and I was able to follow the narrative easily.

All in all, if you are a fan of historical fiction, strong female characters, and post-WW2 politics, I feel confident that you will like this book.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Katherine Reay, and Harper Muse for the Audio-ARC of this book. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

I was blown away by this powerful historical account of two female spies at the height of the Cold War. A dual timeline romantic suspense that truly had me engrossed from start to finish.
I found myself rereading to take in so many of the quotes, thoughts, and reflections. I was immensely proud to be an American and gained a better insight into some of the communistic ideologies that blinded so many.
Both women, Ingrid and Anya, found their line in the sand moment and made the decision to fight for humanity and freedom. The risks they both took are not even fathomable and yet, Katherine Reay provides a beautiful tribute to how spies might have pulled it off.
There are twists and turns all along the way that will keep you turning the pages, holding your breath, and wiping tears from your eyes. There is some romance, but more so, different looks at deep, genuine, sacrificial love.
I had the amazing privilege of both reading the book as well as listening to the audiobook. This brought even more depth to the characters with accents and personalities.
I received complimentary copies from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I absolutely loved this historical fiction audiobook by @katherinereay💙 The story follows two female spies that are in Russia during the Cold War. The book is so well researched and the characters are well developed. I was pulled in from the beginning and did not want to stop listening. The narration was superb. This book is out now and I highly recommend it!

Thank you @harpermusebooks and @netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

*Many thanks to Katherine Reay, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review.*
I do enjoy a good spy novel, this one however did not deliver as far as I am concerned. At times I rolled my eyes and gave a sigh simply because it was too sentimental and in fact there was no feel of the imminent danger and threat the Cold War posed. Having read many books on this particular period and the world of spies, I was disappointed with this novel. The narrators are good but it is not enough for me.

This is my first novel by Katherine Reay and it will not be my last. As a fan of historical fiction, I was initially intrigued when I saw A Shadow in Moscow announced. I read a lot of WWII fiction, but haven’t found a lot of fiction that takes place during the Cold War. This was so eye opening and definitely a page turner of a read.
I loved the two storylines, each following a female spy in the Soviet Union during the Cold War and their reasons for risking everything to go against the government and world they were trapped in. There were some great twists, some I had hoped would happen, and just so many edge-of-my-seat and heart pounding moments; I did not want to stop reading.
I loved the questions this book had me asking. The sacrifices it highlights. The way humanity is represented. It was definitely a standout for me in this genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I read a mix of both the audiobook and physical copy of this novel (listening to the entire audiobook, the performance was so well done). I recommend both formats. The narrators were excellent with their emotions and accents, making it easy to differentiate who and what. I found it easy to listen to and follow along. Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Uplit read tours for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read this book before I listened to the audio version and let me just say that the two narrators nailed it!! Beautifully done.

And now for the story...
Beautiful prose, and wonderfully written. This book carried me back and forth from World War II at the end of the war into Moscow during the cold war with the Soviet Union.. The transitions from the time lines were seamless and I turned the pages effortlessly until the very end. In fact, I had a book hangover for days. I have picked A Shadow In Moscow as my next book club pick. If you are looking for a historical book about the cold war, spies, espionage and romance, then this book is for you.
This book is probably one of the best books I have read this year. I truly enjoyed it.
*I was given a copy of this book by Harper Muse and this is my honest opinion.

4.25 ⭐️

This dual-timeline story focuses on Ingrid Bauer in 1950’s Moscow, married to a suspected KGB agent, while secretly providing intel for MI6, and Anya Kadinova, a part of the Foreign Studies Initiative in the 1980’s, born to Soviet parents but studying at Georgetown in the US, and eventually working with the CIA.

It took me awhile, but I was eventually drawn into this fascinating spy story and the surrounding historical perspectives, as the story unfolded and the connections between timelines became clearer and more profound.

The audiobook is adeptly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and Lisa Flanagan. Make sure to stay tuned for the author’s note at the end, as it provides a bit of extra context.

Thank you Katherine Reay, NetGalley, and Harper Muse for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to listen to this book!

This was my first novel by this brilliant author. The amount of research she did for this novel was evident in her writing. The characters and plot was well researched and the story was rich with history about that time period. The suspense kept me hooked and the narrator did an excellent job bringing life to her characters.

I would highly recommend this audiobook to my bookish community and I can’t wait to read her backlist!

A Shadow in Moscow - A Cold War Novel by Katherine Reay
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Lisa Flanagan

I so appreciate the author's note at the end of this audiobook. As I've learned more about the Cold War through both nonfiction and historical fiction, I want to know when a story veers from fact and the author does a good job of letting us know where she took liberties with places, times, and people. Ingrid Bauer and Anya Kadinova are not real people but I felt like they could be real.

Vienna, 1954 Ingrid marries a Soviet embassy worker in 1954 and they move to Moscow where Ingrid begins to understand that her husband is so much more than he lets on. Ingrid's parents and others she cared about when she was younger gave up everything to fight against oppression and Ingrid realizes she can do the same in her own way. To do so, she must be almost invisible, a submissive housewife, with never a thought in her head of anything but serving her husband and her country. Ingrid wears her submissive cloak well as she begins passing intelligence to M16.

Washington, DC, 1980 Anya Kadinova, is reaching the end of her four years in the United States as a Foreign Studies Initiative student. Once she is back in Moscow working in a military research lab, having lost her best friend to the KGB, Anya can no longer be a faithful Soviet citizen. She's seen too much, she knows too much, and she has experienced too much in the United States to be able to accept the oppression of the Soviet regime. Anya is in the perfect position to pass on military plans and schematics to the CIA.

The oppression of every Soviet citizen is so well represented here. The ideal Soviet citizen will be a non thinking, non questioning, party bowing robot. But Ingrid, and later Anya, cannot accept this life and they cannot accept all the death that has come with being crushed by the leaders of their country. They both know too much and they will do their part to stand up to what is wrong.

The story is slow moving which is fitting. No one can move quickly or act suspiciously in a world where there are bugs and cameras everywhere, in one's home, at one's work, in shops, everywhere one goes. One wrong move, one wrong word, and a person can disappear forever. Each woman risks her life to try to make changes to a their oppressive world.

It was so interesting to hear the names of real people and events intertwined with the lives of these women. Yes, they were fictional but in this story they are a part of the real world and the danger and stifling pressure they live under daily is suffocating. The story leads to where it must lead and I was sad as one part ended but happy with where another part led. Having two narrators, one for each woman's POV, gives each woman a distinctive voice and was a very good choice for this book.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for this ARC.

Cold War insights with a hearty dose of espionage? Yes, please!

With high levels of intrigue and intensity this historical fiction never let me feel at ease. Being set mostly in Russia during the Cold War, where big brother was always watching, definitely added to that feeling of discomfort and unease. All of that actually enhanced my reading experience and made it very compelling throughout.

There is so much packed into this story thanks to dual-timelines. From being in Vienna at the end of WWII through turbulent times in 1980s Russia there was never a dull moment. The two female POV’s exuded a sense of immediacy and understanding that allowed me to feel strongly bonded to them both. It was a really interesting historical fiction that I can easily recommend to anyone who loves this genre!

I listened to this one on audio and, as always, Saskia Maarleveld crushed it! She’s my favorite historical fiction narrator so if you haven’t listened to her narrate a book go remedy that asap!

Thank you Harper Muse Audiobooks for the advanced listening copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

My thanks to Net Galley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy of this audio book.

With two timelines:
1954 Vienna - Ingrid, working for MI6, who agrees to marry a Soviet man whom she begins to suspect works for the KGB after they are in Moscow.
1980 Washington DC - Anya is finishing her degree at Georgetown University and leaving to return home to Moscow. She fell in love with an American but leaves him behind to be a "good Soviet" like her parents, until the KGB murders her best friend and she contacts the CIA.

Courageous women who are spies, espionage, danger, never fully knowing who to trust. It would be a dangerous way to live but these women fully believed in their work. Gut-wrenching angst! Don't miss the Author's Note.

I have to start out by saying that the narration of this book was superb. Kudos! 👏
I also want to give props to the blurb writer. They definitely hooked me with their description of the book! Unfortunately, the book itself fell a bit flat for me. I do struggle with books that go back and forth in time a lot and we don’t find out how they connect until the end. It wasn’t so much that not working for me with this book though. For a story that should have had these strong female spies, way too much of this book revolved around their romantic feelings about the various men in their lives. Why do male spy books have all the action and adventure but female spy books are so passive? I guess that could be a social commentary on the sexism and patriarchy in global intelligence agencies but they’re rarely written as feminist critiques and instead become a bit watered down as “women’s historical fiction”.
*Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for this advance audiobook for review.

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay was a gripping and suspenseful duel time line book about two strong female heroes that chose to spy on the former Soviet Union during the Cold War era. Katherine Reay’s research for A Shadow in Moscow was impeccable. A Shadow in Moscow was written with attention to detail and circumstances. It was well plotted and the characters were well thought out. I listened to the audiobook that was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and Lisa Flanagan. Their performances were great.

Ingrid had grown up in Vienna, Austria with two loving parents who chose to shield her from all the dangers that lurked around them. Her parents, unbeknownst to Ingrid, had been involved with the resistance movement. Ingrid arrived home one day to find the Gestapo at her parent’s home. She witnessed her mother’s death as a Gestapo struck her mother’s head. Her father was transported to a camp. Ingrid found herself alone and in danger. She had to disappear. Luckily, her father had forged new identity papers for her just recently. They stated that her country of origin was The Soviet Union. Ingrid was soon recruited by the British to spy for them. Then Ingrid met a young man from The Soviet Union and they were soon married. As Ingrid’s husband became more and more ambitious, he rose up in the ranks of the KGB. The higher Ingrid’s husband rose in the ranks of the KGB, the more their marriage suffered. It wasn’t long before Ingrid fell out of love with her husband. Ingrid was the perfect spy, though. She was quiet and unassuming. Ingrid learned when to be quiet and take things in and when to assert herself. Life in the Soviet Union during the Cold War era was dangerous. Homes were bugged, phone conversations were recorded, people were followed and you never knew who was listening to what you were saying. The consequences for any of these actions were dire.

Anya, Ingrid’s daughter, had been born in The Soviet Union. Upon graduating from High School, Anya was accepted into The Foreign Student Initiative program. Anya had chosen to pursue her studies in the United States at The George Washington University. She was a very good student and decided to study engineering and literature. Anya had met a young man named Scott and they had fallen in love. During her last year at George Washington University, Scott wanted Anya to remain in the United States but Anya knew that she had to return to her homeland and her family. Before she left, Anya was recruited by the CIA. Anya returned to the Soviet Union as a spy for the CIA.

A Shadow in Moscow was a fast paced book about spies, espionage, secrets, choices, dangers, romance and mother/daughter relationships. I can’t fathom what it must have been like to have lived in The Soviet Union during those times. Unfortunately, things have not changed a lot there. I was unaware of the many strong and brave female spies that were recruited during that time to serve both the United States and Great Britain. They certainly were remarkable women. I enjoyed reading A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay and recommend it to those that enjoy well researched historical fiction.

Thank you to Harper Muse for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love a good dual timeline, especially when I learn a lot while reading it! And add to the fact that it's a Katherine Reay book and I know that I'll be enjoying my reading time immensely!

I was hooked! Didn't want to set it down at all. And lucky for me, I actually had an audiobook that I was listening to. So I didn't have to set it down. I was working away at home prepping for visitors and a graduation party and had my little headphones in and listening away to this riveting book.

From 1954 to 1980, Vienna to Moscow and the USA, there was a lot happening. I've actually read a couple different historical fiction books over the last year or two about the Cold War. It was very interesting to read another one about women being spies and trying to survive and navigate in their lives with all of the mistrust, being watched at every move and so much more.

Ingrid's story was heartbreaking. But her strength was inspiring. I kept cheering for her and hoping that there would be some sort of out for her and her family.

Anya, I just wished she would find a way to stay in the USA and truly feel free and able to live her life to its fullest. But her love for her family and knowing that she would constantly be followed and hunted, she heads home to Moscow. When she sees more of the oppression and controlling of her life, she tries to find her why and reasons to do what she needs to do.

Both of these women were incredible. I absolutely loved how their stories wove together in the end. And all of the other characters were so well written. The little interactions they had that created their spy network was so fascinating. I was holding my breathe at my points in the story. And I'd find myself pausing what I was doing because I was so engrossed in the story.

The two narrators were fabulous! I loved how they brought to life Ingrid and Anya and the rest of the characters and their story! Very moving and captivating!!!

Content: This deals with war, post war, cold war and spies. There are deaths and moments of peril. The author was good at being sensitive to the topic and not being too graphic. I thought it was all written very well. I'd let my teenagers read it. There is no explicit content.

I received a copy of the audiobook through the publisher, Harper Muse, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading (or listening)!!!

I really enjoy historical fiction. I’m making more of an effort to read it lately and I’ve been loving it. I read a lot more WW2 than Cold War so this book taught me a lot and allowed me a glimpse into Soviet Russia and what it was like to live there during that time.

🕵️‍♀️Dual Timelines
🕵️‍♀️Female Spies in Russia
🕵️‍♀️Historical Fiction

Secrets, bravery and espionage. This book had it all and hooked me from the first chapter.

Anya was raised by the “perfect” Soviet parents. Their position allows her an opportunity to study abroad in America before going back to fulfill her duties to her country. But allowing a young mind to see the freedoms of the rest of the world was always a risk.

Ingrid was raised in a house of spies/intelligence work and without knowing it, learned how to be the ultimate tool of espionage. Living in danger behind the Iron Curtain she must be constantly be vigilant but she also cannot ignore who she is.

These two brilliant women used their skills to help stop wars and change the balance of powers during the Cold War. Their stories are beautifully woven together on different timelines. I was instantly gripped by this book. The narrators did an incredible job with the accents and characters. I learned so much about Soviet Russia and look forward to reading more.

What a beautiful story!! This is my first read by Reay, and I gotta say I’m becoming a fan. Reay did a beautiful job painting this world and the characters in it. Ingrid and Anya are two of the bravest and most courageous women I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. The romance was beautifully written. It’s don’t take away from the deeper meaning behind Ingrid and Anya’s story. If anything it enhances their story, gave more reasoning behind their actions. Excited to pick up another read by Reay.