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To Kill a Tsar
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Review
'Williams contrives an appealing blend of Doctor Zhivago, Conrad's Under Western Eyes and Boris Akunin's 19th-century crime fiction. His ability to bring a past world to life matches Furst's'
(John Dugdale, Sunday Times )'This is a dense, meaty affair which pulls off the trick of gripping the reader and bringing a complicated, alien world to life'
(Guardian )'He blends historical fact and fiction in a vivid recreation of the world of The Idiot and Crime and Punishment'
(The Times )'Elegantly serpentine plotting and finely etched characters confirm his place in the front rank of the new English thriller writers'
(Daily Mail )'A very accomplished novel which can be enjoyed as a gripping and moving thriller. Yet it is more than that, for it invites us to reflect on questions of morality, and on that age-old question of when, if ever, violent means may be held to justify worthy ends; whether, indeed, such ends can ever be achieved if the means are inescapably criminal'
(Allan Massie, Scotsman )'Exciting . . . an important book for devotees of the spy story'
(Shots Magazine )'A gripping thriller set in a world of treachery'
(British Fantasy Society )'To Kill a Tsar . . . had me biting my fingernails with the suspense'
(Andrew Roberts, Daily Telegraph )'Bravura story-telling... Andrew Williams is the real thing; a writer who can marry popular genres to the sophisticated treatments of political arguments'
(Independent )'Williams has done his homework and each setting rings true . . . a well-constructed period thrilller . . . you will get caught up in conspiracy and counter-plot'
'Sheer escapism . . . To Kill a Tsar is a bold portrait of revolutionaries seeking to assassinate Tsar Alexander II in St Petersburg . . . gripping authenticity'
(Oxford Mail )'Authentic, moving, though-provoking, gripping ... as good as historical thrillers get. Don't miss it'
(Beverley Guardian )'I was totally absorbed in this very gripping, sensational historical mystery, with a factual basis and with the nail-biting tension of whether the protagonists will be arrested or not. This is only the author's second novel and yet it was shortlisted for both the Walter Scott Prize and the CWA Ellis Peters Award. The depth of research that the author undertook with this book is to be applauded. I was completely captivated by the very tightly plotted depth of this story which I think is the best historical romantic mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I hope to include it in my top five books of 2011. If you enjoy a marvellously evocative historical mystery then this is the next one to buy if you have not done so already'
(Eurocrime )Product Description
2 April 1879, St Petersburg. A shot rings out in Palace Square. The Tsar is unhurt, but badly shaken. Cossack guards tackle the would-be assassin to the ground. And in the melee no one notices a pretty, dark-haired young woman in a heavy coat walk purposefully away from the scene.
Russia is alive with revolutionaries and this is just one of many assassination attempts on the unpopular Tsar Alexander II. For Dr Frederick Hadfield, part of the Anglo-Russian establishment with a medical practice dependent on the patronage of the nobility, politics is a distraction. But when he meets the passionate idealist Anna Petrovna, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous double life.
Set in a world of stark contrasts, from glittering ballrooms to the cruel cells of the House of Preliminary Detention, from the grandeur of the British Embassy to the underground presses of the young revolutionaries, To Kill a Tsar is both a gripping thriller and a passionate love story.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can recommend it to anyone who loves a gripping tale of suspense in an authentic historical setting. Andrew Williams has moved from World War II, the focus of his earlier writings, to late 19th century Russia and the events around the assassination of Alexander II in 1881, a period with which many English readers are less familiar than they are with 1917. It tells of the romantic involvement of Frederick Hadfield, a Doctor from a respected Anglo-Russian family, with Anna Kovalenko, a young teacher who is a member of The People's Will, a small but influential band of revolutionaries.
It is a story of conflicting passion and principle, as Frederick's love leads him inexorably, if unwillingly, into association with terrorism. Mixing fiction skilfully with accurate treatment of historical facts and people, Andrew Williams also gives a fascinating insight into the merciless but ultimately inefficient corrupt and informer-led government in St Petersburg at a time of autocratic but creaking imperialism, and into the motivation and activities of early resistance leaders. He also throws light on the situation and influence of the small but powerful Anglo-Russian community.
Once you have assimilated the sheer number of characters met in the early chapters, and despite the plethora of complicated Russian names, this novel deserves the accolade of all the best thrillers -it is just hard to put it down!
It is a story of conflicting passion and principle, as Frederick's love leads him inexorably, if unwillingly, into association with terrorism. Mixing fiction skilfully with accurate treatment of historical facts and people, Andrew Williams also gives a fascinating insight into the merciless but ultimately inefficient corrupt and informer-led government in St Petersburg at a time of autocratic but creaking imperialism, and into the motivation and activities of early resistance leaders. He also throws light on the situation and influence of the small but powerful Anglo-Russian community.
Once you have assimilated the sheer number of characters met in the early chapters, and despite the plethora of complicated Russian names, this novel deserves the accolade of all the best thrillers -it is just hard to put it down!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Williams brilliantly evokes this chapter of Russian history which, for me, was completely unknown. The backdrop is 1880s Moscow and a deeply divided society which harbors a group of terrorists desperately trying to overthrow an increasingly unpopular and tyrannical regime. Williams expertly conveys the danger, the excitement and the hope of these people as they fight against an ever more determined and violent secret police. By following the lives of characters from both sides Williams conjures a tense and desperate game of cat and mouse which draws to a dramatic - and historically unprecedented - conclusion.
At the centre of it all is a romance between two people irresistibly drawn together but whose vastly different backgrounds seem destined to keep them apart. Their characters and circumstances are believably and sympathetically conveyed making this not just an historical thriller but a poignant look at the futility and self destructiveness of a certain kind of love.
For anyone who loves Robert Harris and historical fiction, 'To Kill a Tsar' is the next one to put on your reading list. Like Williams' first novel, it's unputdownable. Highly recommended.
At the centre of it all is a romance between two people irresistibly drawn together but whose vastly different backgrounds seem destined to keep them apart. Their characters and circumstances are believably and sympathetically conveyed making this not just an historical thriller but a poignant look at the futility and self destructiveness of a certain kind of love.
For anyone who loves Robert Harris and historical fiction, 'To Kill a Tsar' is the next one to put on your reading list. Like Williams' first novel, it's unputdownable. Highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed Andrew Williams debut immensely. This is even better. The author is able to blend plot, period detail and characterisation to produce a wonderfully evocative story. One of his particular strengths is his ability to convey period detail so skilfully - in a way that strengthens the novel. This is in stark contrast to many lesser novelists who tend to insert, somewhat clumsily, sections of description that seem little more than extracts lifted from historical/travelogue sources. If you enjoy well written page-turning thrillers then do buy this. Its a great read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A book to recommend
I enjoy reading history and historical novels that are based on fact and well-researched. This is one I am now recommending to all my friends and colleagues. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Dianam
Both enlightening and enthralling!
Having little knowledge of this important and pivotal era of history I was looking for a book that would inform and educate me in my inadequacy. Read more
Published 4 months ago by HZuckermann
Too Many Characters
I read voraciously particularly historical novels and really thought I would enjoy this book but could not get into it at all. Managed 20 chapters but gave up.
Published 6 months ago by Mr. I. M. Ballingall
Not quite for me
To be honest whilst I do enjoy a thriller, this one was a little too political for me, yes the author did a good job of presenting the themes within the book but when you start... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
"To Kill a Tsar" by Andrew Williams
Stepping back two generations from his gripping debut novel "The Interrogator", Andrew Williams evocatively recreates the tensions and chill of 19th Century Tsarist St Petersburg. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Anne Bridie
A fascinating and compelling story
I enjoyed this for its pace, its sense of place and time and the window it opened onto a killing I knew very little about. Read more
Published 20 months ago
Compelling thriller
This fascinating historical thriller focusses on a relatively little-known period of Russian history, the 1880s and the Anglo-Russian community of St Petersburg. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Kerry
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