Synopsis:
Rasputin was a monk blessed by God, a malicious killer, a mastermind, a renegade, a fraud. Even the most lauded historians haven’t decided which of these descriptors best fit the illusive figure from Russia’s past. And no one can understand his incredible rise from a starving, degenerate peasant to the Tsar’s most trusted advisor. No one, that is, except Leo Sokolov. And so begins RASPUTIN’S SHADOW.
Khoury’s novel is filled with modern-day action as FBI Agent Sean Reilly and his unexpected partner Russian FSB Agent Larisa Sokolova, search to uncover a mysterious device that has led to the suicide of a Russian embassy attaché and the disappearance of a Russian physics teacher, Leo Sokolov. Their adventure leads them into an unexpected rendezvous with the lost journals of Rasputin’s confidant, and to the frightening realization that the device wreaking havoc on modern-day Manhattan may have been used for even greater destruction a century earlier in Russia.
Before we get to my review- here's a quick interview with the author!
Interview:
1. RASPUTIN’S SHADOW is a great mix of technology, history, and action, but there is a little romance too. How do you work to balance these in the novel?
I guess it just comes from practice, really. I’ve been a storyteller for years, whether in screenplays of in my previous five novels, and I suppose it’s just a personal preference for how to tell a story, for the pacing, for having a gut feeling about when those different aspects should pop up and not jar or crowd each other out. It’s not something I consciously map out, I don’t outline the books; I just spend a lot of time setting up the characters and their motivations, the triggers of the story, then I let them loose and the story—and all the elements you refer to—come in when it feels right.
2. In RASPUTIN’S SHADOW, there are two distinct story lines that are woven together: one in early Russia and the other in modern-day New York City. How important is it for you to have both the historical and contemporary story lines in your novels?
I’ve now done it in four our of my six novels (THE SIGN and THE DEVIL’S ELIXIR are the two only-contemporary books). So it varies. I do enjoy writing the historical story lines, though, and I feel the readers really love going back in time and living through a parallel (though secondary) story line, especially if it feels very “real,” which is my aim. But in books like THE SIGN, for instance, it was never part of the plan, and I love that book (which is actually my longest to date) as much as its siblings.
3. At this point in your writing career, what has been your most memorable moment as an author?
I guess I was spoiled early on. You have to remember that when I wrote THE LAST TEMPLAR (my first book), it was a personal challenge, I was just adapting the screenplay I had written in 1996 and I had zero expectation of it being a bestseller. So I remember vividly when, the week before it came out, my agent called and said “based on the numbers so far, we just might have a chance of breaking into the New York Times extended list (not the list itself). Which was amazing enough. Then that first Wednesday night after it came out, late at night, I got the call from Mitch Hoffman, my editor at Dutton, who told me we’re on the list, and #10. Which was surreal. Then the following week, I completely lost my voice from nervousness while waiting for the call which would inevitably tell me we were off the list. I was walking back from a football game when Mitch called again and said, “Guess what? You’re #5.” Which, I was told, never happens. And it just kept getting better from there.”
4. What is next for you?
There are 4 stories fighting to make it to the blank page on my laptop screen, I wish I could write all 4 at the same time. I’m deep into one of them, it’s a standalone, a bit of a departure from the Reilly books. Then as soon as it’s done, the next installment of Reilly.
5. What do you hope readers will take away from RASPUTIN’S SHADOW?
I hope they’ll have fun and not be able to put it down! I hope they’ll have enjoyed hanging out with Reilly, Tess, Leo, Rasputin, Misha, and the rest (maybe not so much Koschey). I hope they’ll be curious to find out more about Russian’s history in the first decades of the 20th century, the fall of the tsars and the brutal rise of communism. And I hope they’ll have learned a thing or two about how our brains work, what’s possible, what technologies are being researched out there and how horrific it would be if they were ever deployed…
Review:
Having read Khoury's previous Templar books, I had high hopes for his latest thriller, and I am very happy to say, I was NOT disappointed! Rasputin's Shadow, delivers just the right amount of back and forth, espionage and history, to keep the reader affixed to the pages! The novel twists and turns are sometimes expected, other times come out of nowhere and leave the reader wondering what will happen next! The juxtaposition between present day and Tsarist Russia was interesting, and having read most books about the end of the Tsar's family, Khoury did a great job in bringing that whole story of Rasputin's influence and murder to this tale. The whole time I was reading, I was thinking, what a great TV series this book would make, which is no surprise as he is a talented screenwriter! Hey USA Network- pick this series up and develop it, will you???? It also left me wondering whether a 4th book in the series would be forthcoming- I certainly hope so! You don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one, but it does help as far as knowing the back story better.
Having read Khoury's previous Templar books, I had high hopes for his latest thriller, and I am very happy to say, I was NOT disappointed! Rasputin's Shadow, delivers just the right amount of back and forth, espionage and history, to keep the reader affixed to the pages! The novel twists and turns are sometimes expected, other times come out of nowhere and leave the reader wondering what will happen next! The juxtaposition between present day and Tsarist Russia was interesting, and having read most books about the end of the Tsar's family, Khoury did a great job in bringing that whole story of Rasputin's influence and murder to this tale. The whole time I was reading, I was thinking, what a great TV series this book would make, which is no surprise as he is a talented screenwriter! Hey USA Network- pick this series up and develop it, will you???? It also left me wondering whether a 4th book in the series would be forthcoming- I certainly hope so! You don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one, but it does help as far as knowing the back story better.
About the Author:
RAYMOND KHOURY is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Templar, The Templar Salvation and The Sanctuary. Born in Beirut, Khoury and his family fled to Rye, New York when he was 14 to escape Lebanon’s civil war. Khoury worked as an architect and investment banker before becoming a successful screenwriter and producer for networks such as BBC. Today, he focuses on his writing career. Rasputin’s Shadow is his sixth book.
Ready to win this book?
Comments
Post a Comment