ONE NIGHT IN WINTER

Simon Prebble narrates this chilly tale with an authority that draws listeners into the uncomfortable world of Moscow's elite as WWII draws to an end. The celebrations of peace in Europe are dramatically cut short with the shooting of two teenagers. The ensuing investigation could almost touch on farce but for the associated horror and the fact that most of the important plotlines are apparently based on fact. Prebble gives the characters a richness and depth that make it natural to connect with them or recoil in shock at their brutality. This is a story of contrasts in many senses, but Prebble’s narration ensures that at the conclusion we understand that love, not terror, is its theme. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2014]