9781848874541
The fact the A D Miller was the Economist magazine's Moscow correspondent from 2004-2007 and that he travelled widely across Russia and the former Soviet Union adds an air of authenticity to this his first novel.
He filters his familiarity through his main character Nick, an English lawyer, who acts on behalf of a consortium of western banks lending money to developers in Russia. Nick has enough Russian, enough cultural sensitivity and enough disenchantment with his old life in England to fancy finding himself in a permanent relationship with a Russian. Herein lies the nub.
What makes the book memorable for me s the wat the story is told, or more precisely, the way Nick tells it. He is about to be married and had decided to come clean to his intended and give a written account of his time in Russia. In doing so, Miller has created a powerful and poignant narration. The starting point is, "I smelled it before I saw it." As this follows the definition of 'snowdrops' in Moscow slang as being the corpses that come to light in the thaw, you could be forgiven for thinking you're in for a typical thriller. This novel has much, much more to offer.
Books in Print staff review by Sue
