I have mixed feelings on this one. While historical fiction is probably my favorite genre, I had yet to read a book about this plot point-an American who choose to immigrate to Soviet Russia. It seemed so backwards to me, and something I definitely wanted to learn more about. Florence had felt let down by the America she had been born and raised in. It was post WWI and she was captivated by the revolution in Russia. Florence decides to leave her American family and become a revolutionary in Russia. It is then that her story takes a dark turn as Russia enters the dark Stalin era. The book alternates between Florence's story and her son Julian's story-which is basically present day. I felt like this book dragged and I would struggle to read even 20 pages at night. I very much cared for the characters, but the descriptions and plot moved very, very slow. There are still parts of Florence's story that I am not sure belong to what piece of the puzzle of her life. Overall I would give this work a try if you are looking for a different view of Russia during the Stalin regime. Thank you Penguin First to Read and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this work.

This was definitely a quick legal mystery-not quite a thriller. In fact, it was a more of a diatribe on how to conduct a case should you not understand anything about the law, justice system, or how the US courts work. I got tired of reading the explanations and wanted more 'meat' to the story. Carney Blake is pulled into a dirty case by the head of his firm. It quickly turns into more than Carney can handle. Lots going on, lots to keep track of and then at the end it seems like the author just wrapped things up too quickly forgetting the layers and layers he left for us readers at the beginning. I really enjoyed the parts of the story having to do with Carney's home life. Will there be a sequel? Thanks to First to Read for the opportunity to read and review this work.