FICTION

Hotel Moscow

Morrow. Jun. 2015. 448p. ISBN 9780062388599. pap. $14.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062388605. F
COPY ISBN
It's 1993, and investment executive Brooke Fielding has learned that a corporate takeover is endangering her job. When an opportunity arises to travel to newly capitalist Moscow to mentor businesswomen, she seizes it, knowing that insider knowledge of Russia's new economy will raise her stock in the eyes of her employer. But it's a harsh and dangerous time in Russia, as Brooke discovers when she's shaken down and manhandled by a customs officer at the airport. The country is collapsing without the rigid controls of communism, and Russian women entering the workforce are viewed as a threat and treated accordingly. Amid mafia conspiracy, pogrom-like raids, and unchecked corruption, Brooke is a target, not only as a female but also owing to her heritage as the daughter of Holocaust survivors.
VERDICT This tense thriller, based in part on author Carner's (Jerusalem Maiden) own experiences in post-Communist Russia, is an eye-opening exposé of life following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. While occasionally ponderous—the narrative too often lapses into business-speak and the dialog is occasionally stilted—Carner's novel of vividly drawn characters and taut suspense adds up to a real-life dystopian page-turner of the un-put-downable variety.
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?