Will I love A Shadow in Moscow?

Not one but two superlative women across two timelines, from the 1950s at the height of the Cold War to the 1980s, in this twisty tale of espionage under the noses of the KGB in Moscow.

I really appreciated the depth of historical research and the human insights as this evocation of Cold War tradecraft gripped my imagination. These are women of the highest courage: Anya’s role working in a military research lab prompts her to pass vital Soviet designs to the CIA in an effort to end the 1980s arms race.

This clearly draws on “the billion dollar spy”… show more.

Shadow Over Moscow was an immediate buy for this 1980s girl – the Cold War, 1980s spy intrigue, and a story of a mother and daughter set against the monolithic USSR.

As a teenager in the 80s, I visited East Berlin and East Germany twice before the downfall of the Iron Curtain. As a history major, I signed up for every Russian class my school offered. This compelling novel brought me back to the time when the USSR and the US dominated the world stage, and we teetered on the precipice of nuclear war. And the story itself resonated so… show more.

I grew up in the 1980’s so I’ve always found stories about the Cold War to be especially fascinating since so much of it occurred during a childhood in which I was blissfully ignorant.

Reay does a fantastic job humanizing the Soviets, helping the reader see them not as history paints them—shadowy, evil monsters—but as human beings, acting on what they believe is best for themselves and their country. I learned so much from this book, and it left me thirsty to know more, which is the hallmark of really great historical fiction.