The Roads Chosen in Self-Published Only Club

Mar 15, 2021 Mary rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, espionage, crime, thriller, suspense, spy-thriller, favourite

An underground network?
I’m impressed. The way in which the characters are developed and the scenes are set is captivating.
The core of this story is the abuse of Russian military conscripts. This vein runs throughout the entire book: it’s not shouted from the rooftops. Yet, it encompasses so much more.
This story takes you into a world of crime, politics, bravery, and an altruistic, underground network.
Halfway through this, I took a look on the Internet.
We will never know the true figures, but: so An underground network?
I’m impressed. The way in which the characters are developed and the scenes are set is captivating.
The core of this story is the abuse of Russian military conscripts. This vein runs throughout the entire book: it’s not shouted from the rooftops. Yet, it encompasses so much more.
This story takes you into a world of crime, politics, bravery, and an altruistic, underground network.
Halfway through this, I took a look on the Internet.
We will never know the true figures, but: somewhere between 2,000 and 6,000 military conscripts desert each year. Most are illiterate. The authorities search for them, year-in-year-out. I’ll agree: it’s a big country! If they’re dead – where are the bodies? If they’re not dead – where can they be? They’ve not gone home, because according to my research that is the first place the authorities go and they go year-in-year-out. Is there an underground network organising the removal of those in plight?
There is much, you have to dig for it, to back up the claims made here:
- Hazing, Suicides, and Unreported Deaths in the Russian Army
- Russia’s Armed Forces: The Power of Illusion
- Russia: Brutal Hazing Incident Rocks Army
- Dedovshchina in the Post-Soviet Military
This is not a Soviet Army problem; it did happen years back, but the plight of these young people continues. It’s an increasing and worsening situation.
In 2006, the Centre for the Study of Elites found that: ‘up to 78% of 1,016 leading political figures in Russia had previously served in organizations affiliated with KGB or FSB. Many are involved in the day to day running of business and regional government’.
This has complex plot-line, involves spies, mafia, government, drug trafficking and an itinerant who happens to be in the wrong town at the wrong time and foolishly decides he can expose money-laundering. This book took me into a little-known world, where I became absorbed with the idea of an underground network helping young conscripts.
What does the author know that we don’t? Is there an underground network operating in Russia? He’s spent years there, apparently. ...more

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Feb 29, 2024 David rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Mandy said:

"Want Goose Bumps? Read It!" ...more

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Mar 04, 2022 Beth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, thriller, espionage, historical, suspense, spy-thriller

A flyer describing this book was dropped in my mailbox. It mentions Goodreads Reviews, so I took a look and then donated my shilling; I'm jolly glad I did.
I've not read a fiction book quite like this, there is no one main protagonist. The story revolves around Sam Mitchell, but without a whole bunch of fellow schemers - girls and boys - the tale would not play out as it does. For me, the story is riveting and believable.
I watched a film a few months back. 'State of Play'; Russell Crow and Rachel ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 John rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, spy-thriller, espionage, thriller, crime, historical-fiction, suspense

My mother flagged this for me. I don’t read too much fiction, I hanker for stuff based on fact. With this yarn, however, the prologue lays claim to it being based on fact, so whet my appetite. Once the chase began, I found this hard to put down. The tale becomes even more convoluted once the family
of smugglers join the fray; and I enjoy a tale you need to think about.
My grandmother was Russian: as a young girl, she survived a harrowing journey across Europe to settle in Britain at the end of 19 My mother flagged this for me. I don’t read too much fiction, I hanker for stuff based on fact. With this yarn, however, the prologue lays claim to it being based on fact, so whet my appetite. Once the chase began, I found this hard to put down. The tale becomes even more convoluted once the family
of smugglers join the fray; and I enjoy a tale you need to think about.
My grandmother was Russian: as a young girl, she survived a harrowing journey across Europe to settle in Britain at the end of 1923. Yes, this is a fictional tale. Yet, it pulls together worryingly, true aspects of daily life for much of the populace within the former Soviet Union. It is a most intricate plot, told boldly and plainly, creating an ingenious spiral of events showing how organised crime overshadows much of society in those parts.
My grandmother spoke of White Russians living a secret life, unbeknownst to the Bolshevik state's security apparatus. With well-grounded historical fact throughout; the author so correctly accepts, that while his work reveals a few of the many myths relating to the Cossack knights and their ‘deeds of derring-do’, they are just bedtime stories.
We are told of the family book: a tradition rarely spoken of. The depiction of its use in ensuring that the life and the fate of past generations continues to survive, is strikingly spot-on. Today, many Russians have an all too vivid memory for such things as the merciless, unjust killing or imprisonment of their forebears. My mother has our family’s book, her children and grandchildren know, very well, of all that beset the family.
I enjoyed reading this, both for the reasons stated and that throughout, the outcome for the protagonist remains just a little out of reach and throughout there are subtle clues regarding the protagonist’s involvement with Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service. There are questions that remain teasingly unanswered: why did Rebecca’s father leave the house so suddenly, when she stated, “Sam’s not dead, Father.” And why did the author, as a sub-plot, draw Britain’s intelligence agencies into the story? ...more

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Jul 28, 2022 Helen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: espionage, favourite, soviet-union, history, russia, thriller, suspense, crime

This gem, is a gift from my husband. Hmm, I love him, but also, I know him too well. What's he up to? He'll be buying me flowers soon, and offering to take me away for a 'quiet' weekend. We've a cellar: it's a bit damp and dusty down there, but I know he's got his eye on turning it into a man-cave.

Sorry, he does distract me ... back to the subject at hand; so, თემო, here it is:

I don't tend to read reviews before I open a book, and go off the back page taster; which, in this case told me the plo ...more

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Mar 09, 2022 Rob rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, espionage, history, crime, thriller

I read Beneath a Scarlet Sky because of all the rave reviews on Amazon: that was an error (see my review).
This barely has a mention on Amazon: struck me as odd.
A few positive reviews on Goodreads: struck me as interesting.
Carlyle, I’d suggest, is an independent: without friends in the publishing world. Is there a group on Goodreads that pick up the work of independents; if so, they might be interested in taking a look at this? It’s a gem.
Organised crime within the Russian Federation with insinua ...more

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Jul 25, 2025 Izzy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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