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Title: The Secret Speech

Author: Tom Rob Smith

Narrator: Colin Mace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-06-09

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

Publisher's Summary:

The catalyst comes when a secret manifesto composed by Stalin's successor, Khrushchev, is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant and a murderer. Its promise: The Soviet Union will transform. But there are forces at work that are unable to forgive or forget Stalin's tyranny so easily and demand revenge of the most appalling nature.

Meanwhile, former MGB officer Leo Demidov is facing his own turmoil. The two young girls he and his wife Raisa adopted have yet to forgive him for his involvement in the murder of their parents. They are not alone. Now that the truth is out, Leo, Raisa and their family are in grave danger from someone with a grudge against Leo. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance.

Members Reviews:

the secret speech

great book, you want to keep reading just to find what is happening next.

Sadly not a match for Child 44

As a sequel to the excellent Child 44 ,The Secret Speech was a disapointment. The whodunnit (or whoisit?) element that worked so well in the first book was missing here, and I often found myself tuning out of lengthy passages of description or action that weren't as gripping as they could have been. A shame, as there were elements such as the criminal gang structures and activities that made for interesting listening - but not enough for more than 3 stars.

Not bad, but not the best

I didn't enjoy this book as much as Child 44 which I thought was an excellent and well-narrated story. It is certainly action-packed, but I found some of the plot developments rather hard to swallow. My main gripe, however, is the narrator, as mentioned by another reviewer. All those strange pauses in the middle of sentences eventually proved to detract from the story itself, and in the end made finishing the book rather a trial.

great book poor narrator

Because i loved Child 44 so much I bought this without listening to the reader. I found him too slow and his style of reading broke my attention away from the book. So make sure you are ok with the narration before you buy.

Engrossing thriller

As good as his first book, but far more emotional.

The action sequences can feel a bit un-ending at times, and like the first book I suspect there will be some critisism of his "Dicken's" like approach to co-incide driven plot.

But overall; Intelligent - grown-up - engrossing - thrilling - fascinating - very violent - great dramatic - great dialogue - unpredictable plotline - life affirming - tragic - cliche and stereo-type free writing.

But still, my joint favourite read of 2009. (Child 44 was my other favourite.)

I hope there will be more of Leo, though I cannot imagine how his story can be developed further ... but then I couldn't have imagined this fantastic story either.