EYE OF THE RED TSAR

Eastland’s debut is a gem of a historical mystery, and narrator Paul Michael does it full justice. The hero, known only as Pekkala, was Russian Tsar Nicholas II’s investigator—the only person the ruler ever trusted. After the Romanov family was killed, Pekkala spent 11 years in a Siberian labor camp, thanks to Stalin. Now Stalin has brought him back to determine if any of the Romanovs are still alive (rumors to that effect have abounded since the revolution), who killed the tsar, and where his wealth is hidden. Deftly alternating between the time of the revolutionary murders and the hunt for the truth (1929), Michael has a lot of material to juggle. He's stolid as the unfazed Pekkala—even in the face of Joseph Stalin, wholly believable as the humane tsar, and even gives the monster Stalin some humanity. This listener waded through the production without stopping. If there's another Pekkala story in the works, this listener can't wait to hear it. A.L.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2010]