Archive 17
Inspector Pekkala series, No 3
Sam Eastland

Bantam
February 28, 2012/ ISBN 9780345525734
Russian thriller / 1939
Amazon

Reviewed by Bob Walch

This latest installment of the Inspector Pekkala historical thriller series finds Russia both on the verge of bankruptcy and close to engaging in hostilities with Hitler's Germany. In desperate need of money, Stalin orders a search be launched for the legendary treasure trove of Tsar Nicholas II.

What better man to head the search than the Tsar's former investigator, Pekkala? Unfortunately, to complete this mission, the clever operative will have to not only return to Siberia, but he'll have to go undercover in the notorious Gulag where he was once a prisoner.

The goal is to infiltrate a group of convicts still loyal to the dead Tsar and hopefully discover what they know about the whereabouts of the missing gold. As Pekkala digs into the past and the murder of an inmate who also was sent to the prison with a "special mission," Pekkala realizes that the mysterious Archive 17 holds the key to a number of state secrets.

Naturally there are those who are determined that the hidden documents do not shed light on a shocking conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the new Soviet state.

As the violence around him mounts, Inspector Pekkala will need all his skill and cunning to stay alive long enough to uncover the long-lost files and make it back to his Moscow home.

Sam Eastland has added a new, beguiling character and well researched plots to the ever expanding list of Russian thrillers. He's already been translated into over 16 languages and that fan base continues to grow. Eastland's incredible eye for detail coupled with numerous plot twists make the Pekkala novels a joy to read.