I generally don't care for serial killer stories, I find that everyday "regular" crime holds plenty of drama and is much easier to connect with. However, the Soviet setting of this debut thriller intrigued me enough to dip into it for a few pages, and the writing on those first few pages swept me into the story very quickly. For the first 3/4, it's an excellent grafting of the serial killer genre onto the everyday horror of the early 50s Stalinist era Soviet Union. Unfortunately, Smith succumbs to the thriller writer's temptation of having a huge plot twist toward the end, which unnecessarily sabotages what had been a grim and realistic story to that point. It's one of those twists that comes out of nowhere, and really doesn't serve much purpose other than as a "gotcha" moment so I believe the story could have worked just as effectively without it.
Although the ending is a bit of a letdown, it still remains entertaining and absorbing because it's really a fascinating look at the Soviet Union during Stalin's rule, when innocent citizens were arrested and killed for crimes against the government and crimes they never committed, all so the government could uphold the appearance of a perfect society. It was actually quite disturbing to think this is how it really was at that time.
