CHILD 44 by Tom Rob Smith

[Ali]

Last year whle I was at the London Book Fair - all the talk was about Child 44 - a debut novel that came from nowhere, Film rights were snapped up by Ridley Scott, and Clive Owen has been cast to star - later while in NY, Lee Child told me to look out for it -

I got a copy today - it's out March 8th in UK and April 30th US - I just read the first 3 chapters - and it's ABLSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, and hey it's Friday night, late, and after speaking to my wife and kids etc - I'm curled up on the sofa and in heaven.....Sheesh what a year for debuts...first Stieg Larsson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and now Tom Rob Smith and his Child 44 - My wife thinks I've finally gone mad......

Keep you posted - and sorry for getting a tad excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God, I REALLY love well written books

Ali
http://www.januarymagazine.com/fiction/dumakey.html

[Sandra Ruttan]

Don't I feel out of the loop. Never even heard of it.

[Ali]

Hey Sandra - it's 30 mins after midnight on page 100 and just can't stop - moving, scary, shocking, compassionate, iit brings me to tears - UNBELEIVEBALE I can see why everyone went nuts and all the pre-emptive bids went on!

BLOODY HELL CRIME FICTION THIS GOOD IS SCARY

More coffee and back to CHILD 44

Ali

PS Sarah W emailed me - she's read it and agrees and wants to dee what I think of it when I finish man it's gonna be a long night......................

[Karen Dionne]

How utterly cool! Thanks for the uber-enthusiastic heads up, Ali!

[Sandra Ruttan]

Well Ali, your word is enough for me. Don't know when it's coming out here but I'll keep an eye out for it.

You'll be tired tomorrow!

[Ali]

Unbelievabele..................just made more coffee..........As much as I loved Larsson's DRAGON TATTOO.......this novel CHILD 44 is utterly astounding................Now I understand all the whispers last year at the LBF when this debut book sold into 22 languages......Ridley Scott grabbed the rights....wow.....the setting....the compassion....It is a really emotional book.......and a voice so fresh it screams..........I know I get excitable........... but hell this is one remarkable book.....Sarah W said it's out in April in the US......now back to the nightmare world of CHILD 44.....SORRY i gotta go the prose is so beautiful............

I'm so glad that I love books so much, and one of such narrative power.....sometimes I think I need to see a psychiatrist........


Ali

[Sandra Ruttan]

Nah, you just have enthusiasm for great books, which is a wonderful thing.

I'm in Canada though.

[Barbara Fister]

Ali, when are you going to tell us what you really think? This stiff-upper-lip restraint of yours is so difficult to interpret.

[Ali]

Hiya

Had to stop, about 1/3 the way through, made some tea and sat in the silence of the house contemplating what I just read and everyone is asleep but my thoughts circle and scream at me, and the time is 0145 hours and just can't get the book outta my head, think Gorky Park, think Thomas Harris, think George Orwell, think.....a really unsual book, so sad and tragic, people traped in the machinations of a society gone mad, Stalin's Russia, children being murdered, amphetamine fueled cops, secret police trying to say 'Hey in Communism there is no crime' and a narrative that drives through the artic chill that blows through the pages and freezes your mind.

CHILD 44 is ...well it just is.....

More later, back to Russia and death and despair..........

Ali

[I. J. Parker]

Maybe you need the proverbial 50 years' distance to see this clearly. :)

I'm having problems with some of the hc Edgar nominations: can't get through them. I must be out of touch.

[John McFetridge]

secret police trying to say 'Hey in Communism there is no crime'

This is interesting, as some people are saying that right now a lot of officials are claiming there's a lot more crime here than there really is, using fear-mongering to claim it's a bigger threat to individuals than it really is.

What goes around, eh?

[Ali]

A remarkable thriller - moving, unusal, very well researched - thinK Thomas Harris, Robert Harris, George Orwell and Martin Cruz Smith - Fresh, characters so well delineated that they make you weep -

A bravo peformance - will make a remarkable film under Ridley Scott's guiding hand - gotta be with Stieg Larsson' GIRL WITH THE DARGON TATTOO, Nick Stone's Mr Clarinet one of the best finest debuts I've read -

Out May 2008 in UK and April 2008 USA - Will be writing a full review and will track down the writer Tom Robb Smith for an interview - but first gotta sleep

Ali
www,therapsheet.blogspot.com
www.shotsmag.co.uk
www.deadlypleasures.com
www.crimespreemag.com
www.mysteryreaders.org

[Tanja]

Wow... makes me want to read both Girl with the dragon tatoo and Child 44. As soon as I cacth some time I'm off to bookstore to look for it....On second thought let me see on the web if they have it...

........

naaah... of course they don't. Damn, I will have to wait for it, my guess is, quite a long time.