Reviews for After Image

The average rating for After Image based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-11-20 00:00:00 Adrienne Borders Blech. Outside of the fact that it introduced me to the concept of the "vor v zakone", it was just kinda... well, 'blech' says it all. Not recommended. I bought it cuz' I couldn't resist the title, for a dollar. It was worth a dollar, but it wasn't worth the time it cost me. Slogging through it was so unenjoyable that it took like nine times as long to read as it would have otherwise, because I kept finding anything to do other than pick it back up. Basically, chick goes to Russia to oversee a fictionalized version of the Russian transition from communist to capitalist. Simultaneously, the-one-not-corrupt-cop-in-Moscow starts investigating some murders. The two plots don't ever really tie in very well, the characters that aren't so widely caricatured they're laughable are kind of dull. There's an alcoholism subplot that pretty much killed it for me. There are better mediocre crime novels out there, and better books set in Russia.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-12-16 00:00:00 Duane Powell Unbelievably, the first book I've read for pleasure in months: uni seems to leave no time for casual reading. Set in contemporary Russia, the book is a stunning panorama of cities and characters. Starling is excellent at creating natural, three-dimensional characters and handles a large cast with skill. At points, especially early on, his descriptions seem somewhat too didactic; however, he soon eases into his style. The plot is convoluted but never clichéed, and holds the attention throughout. With only one or two exceptions - slipping Celine Dion lyrics into the mouth of a hard-as-nails mafiya boss four hundred pages in, for example - this is a truly excellent and gripping read.