Reviews for South Of The Red

The average rating for South Of The Red based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-01-25 00:00:00 Simon Spence Expatriate American author Olen Steinhauer's five part Iron Curtain series gets better with every book, every decade he showcases, and every character he focuses on. 36 Yalta Boulevard is no exception. Brano Sev, the enigmatic apparatchik who played supporting roles in The Bridge of Sighs and The Confession, finds himself at the heart of a conspiracy to overthrow his unnamed country while on assignment as rezident in Vienna, Austria. Weaving his way through a sixties Europe populated by the Beatles, Christian sponsored CIA groups, the Austrian secret service, double dealings and betrayals, hash smoke, too much drink and just a hint of free love, Sev remains a loyal party man and devout socialist, fighting for what he believes is right. Sev's politics (not to mention his advanced age and tenuous health) make him a strange protagonist in a novel of intrigue, but it is refreshing to imagine the Cold War struggle from the other side, and with an agent as loyal to his cause as we expected the agents of our side to be. It makes an otherwise familiar spy story something entirely entertaining because -- despite the Soviet flavour of Steinhauer's setting and the unique point of view of his protagonist -- Steinhauer's tale is one that we've read before. Sev is that classic Cold War agent trying to root out a nasty Mole in his own organization while being framed as the Mole himself. His boss is helpful and caring; his boss's boss is angry, unreasonable and under suspicion; and there are even the obligatory love entanglements and family ties to corruption that throw Sev's loyalty even deeper into question. Without the moody setting of Steinhauer's Cold War Europe and Comrade Major Brano Olesky Sev, 36 Yalta Boulevard would have been a pedestrian, though still enjoyable, spy yarn. But Steinhauer's characters and setting elevate the third installment of his Eastern European series into the realm of real excellence. If you are a nostalgic leftist or just a fan of Cold War spy fiction, Steinhauer's work is well worth a read.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-05-11 00:00:00 Cynthia Villeneuve Just finished blitzing through Olen Steinhauer's 5-book crime & espionage series set in a fictional Soviet-bloc country during the Cold War. Each book is set during a different decade (1940s - 1980s) and revolves around a cast of recurring characters working for the Ministry of State Security. Any resemblance to Romania is intentional as Steinhauer began writing as a Fulbright Scholar there. But then he moved to Budapest and there's a heavy Hungarian shade as well. 36 Yalta Boulevard (3rd in the series) gets attention here because early on you realize this book is a huge progression from the previous two and its exciting as a reader to see Steinhauer finding his voice and coming into his own as a writer. You'll nod and smile and concur with the New York Times' comparisons to Le Carre.