I have always loved Cold War spy novels and couldn't get enough of them. The trend has fallen off in the past few years, so it was a nice treat to once again get immersed in spy novel where you just aren't sure who is on what side. The author successfully created the atmosphere of the USSR after WWII. It was an unsettling place and time. One never knew who to trust. While the character development was good, this novel is dialog heavy, which is my favorite. I found the "then and now" narrative format easy to understand and keep up with. This is a well- crafted story from an up and coming writer. I look forward to the next book! I"m not sure if I am supposed to say this in the review but here goes. While I am grateful to have received the ARC from the publisher, I found the Publishers logo embedded randomly onto every other screen page annoying and distracting. While I get that the Publisher wants it to be known who they are, randomly and frequently breaking up sentences, paragraphs, and sometimes even words, really does disrupt the flow of the narrative. And makes it hard to concentrate on the story. Embedding it at the beginning of each chapter would have been much more appropriate and far less distracting. Thanks NetGalley for this opportunity.

Forty years apart, two women choose to spy against the Soviets for the West.

In 1944, Ingrid is an Austrian whose parents are seized and killed by the Nazis controlling the country, and she can do nothing to help them. When Adam, the man with whom she has fallen in love, reveals that her parents had been working for Britain’s MI6 as in fact does he, Ingrid decides to exact her revenge on the Nazi regime by doing all that she can to continue to provide the Allies with information to defeat Hitler once and for all. When the war ends, she chooses to stay in Austria and provide intelligence against the Soviets who now occupy Austria rather than let Adam extract her and bring her to London. Time passes, and she marries a young but persistent Soviet man named Leo. All too quickly, they are moved back to Moscow, and Ingrid realizes that her life under the Soviet regime will be far worse than she could ever imagine. When she gives birth to a child she is determined to make the world a better and safer place for the next generation, and resumes her work for MI6. As Leo is promoted higher and higher, the quality of information to which she has access increases as well. Then in 1985 a list of names of those spying in Moscow for the West is leaked to the KGB and Ingrid must choose what she values most.

In 1980, Anya is a young Soviet woman who has been studying at Georgetown University in Washington DC for four years thanks to the Foreign Studies Initiative of her government. The KGB keeps tabs on her, as they do on all of the students in the program, to make sure that she behaves as the ideal Soviet while she earns her degree. She has excelled in her studies, but has also developed friendships and enjoyed freedoms that would be unheard of back in the USSR. One relationship in particular, with a young man named Scott, is almost enough to tempt her to stay beyond her graduation. Scott certainly wants her to do so, but she cannot imagine not going home to her friends and family….especially knowing what would happen to those people if she embarrassed her government by attempting defection. As her senior year draws to a close, she is called to the office of her professor and advisor and introduced to a man named Olivers. He attempts to recruit her to work as an agent for the CIA upon her return to Moscow. She refuses, but is advised to contact them in the future should she change her mind. Anya returns home to Moscow, and while she is happy to see her parents and lifelong friends again, she realizes that her time in the US has changed her and how she views Soviet life. She misses the freedom to offer her opinions even if they differ from others, the ability to just relax and be herself; in Moscow, someone is always listening, judging, and when necessary reporting on others. Anya’s closest childhood friend Dmitri, disillusioned and distressed by his work with the KGB, seeks to bring the spirit of rebellion brewing in neighboring Poland to the USSR. He attends underground meetings, and is drinking heavily. After a night out with Anya and other friends, an inebriated Dmitri heads out on his own and is found dead the next day. It appears to be a mugging gone bad, but Anya suspects that he has been killed by the same people for whom he works. It is the impetus she needs to reach out to someone at the US Embassy, sending a message back to Olivers….she is ready to do whatever is necessary to bring freedom to her country. She finds ways to take information and schematics from projects at the military lab where she works and send it through a handler to those in the West who can use it to counter Soviet military progress. She takes risks that are unwise, and is in a vulnerable position when that same list of spies is released to the KGB in 1985.
Two women choose loyalty to their homelands over love, and both risk their safety and their lives to contribute to the downfall of a communist regime when it costs them someone they love. Their lives are not the stuff of a 007 film, but what each is able to do has an impact on the Soviet regime nonetheless. Some chapters are from Ingrid’s point of view, spanning over forty years of her evolution in espionage; others are from Anya’s as she says goodbye to love and freedom at Georgetown, has to relearn how to live a circumspect life under continual observation and inspection, and finally must follow her conscience and act against her government without being discovered. Each woman comes to question past decisions made, struggles with the double lives they lead, and most of all never forget the men they chose to leave behind. In the canon of espionage novels, the spies whose lives readers are shown have generally been men. A Shadow in Moscow shows us that there were, and are, women taking the same risks and making the same sacrifices as well. The capabilities of women have been underestimated for so long, so it is no surprise that women have in fact been able to operate successfully in the shadows. Author Katherine Reay has done a wonderful job of creating two characters in Ingrid and Anya who act boldly and with conviction to achieve a measure of justice and peace for themselves and those they love. I highly recommend A Shadow in Moscow for lovers of espionage of any type, and especially those who have enjoyed books by Susan Elia MacNeal, Gayle Lynds, Paul Vidich, and Stella Rimington. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the advanced reader’s copy.

This was an awesome read!! I love a great spy story and this was no exception. The characters were great and the storyline was very well done. I was not a huge fan of all of the dialogue.

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay was superb and definitely added credence to her being one of my favorite authors. The stories of Anya and Ingrid were masterfully woven together and the story line kept me fascinated from the first to last page. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough at the ending, The novel not only drew me to the characters, but revealed facts about the cold war era that were enlightening and interesting for someone who remembers the headlines. The seemingly small details about different foods had me researching recipes for Kozuli and Vatrushki. Readers will be delighted when they dive into this historical fiction.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this. Great writing and a fabulous story. Set in various stages from WWII through the Cold War and then finally to today. Located in Vienna USA and Russia it follows a fascinating journey involving CIA and MI16 operatives and the creation of entirely believable women who bring history to life. It’s also a love story and an exploration of the cultural values of both USA and Russia. Katherine Reay’s research has allowed her to blend real people into her book and to make use of the changing winds of foreign policy in operation at different times. A very clever book and Avery enjoyable read. Thanks to @netgallery and the publisher for an advance online copy to review.

I loved this book. I live myself a good historical fiction and this one was one of the best I have read so far.
Such rich history and such a heart touching story.
I have not read any of Katherine Raey’s books before. But after this one I am surely going to read more of her work.

while “a shadow in moscow” has a very interesting premise, great details of popular russian dishes, and decent anglicized russian it ultimately was a novel that consisted mainly of dialogue. anya and ingrid have potential to be more than they are, but that is never realized in this novel. the endless dialogue makes this difficult to get through. while the dialogue is wonderfully written, it is overwhelming. maybe it’s because i’m russian, but there was a huge lack of russian culture and customs besides vodka and food. i expected more.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes you fall in love with a story. Sometimes you fall in love with the writing. Sometimes you fall in love with the character. A Shadow in Moscow captured me in all those areas. Katherine Reay’s writing!!!—so many sentences that I always want to remember. And the story—nothing like a good historical drama especially one that seems relevant today with the Russia/Ukraine saga. And A Shadow in Moscow also has great mother/daughter drama and love stories that last over time and will visit the reader in their dreams. A novel about history and freedom within one’s country and within one’s family. A novel of secrets and finding oneself, of love and strength, of contrasts between the US and Russia. May we find and enjoy the freedoms we have, to love and to be loved; to be brave and to be honest; and to pass on to or children the goodness of a life well-lived.

Thanks to the NetGalley and Harper Muse for the Advanced Review copy.

WHOA. I loooooved this book! I've been a Katherine Reay fan since her debut novel, Dear Mr. Knightley, and probably would've called that one my longstanding favorite of hers...but now A Shadow in Moscow might just top the list. Both time periods in this novel were completely enthralling and I was both intrigued and emotionally invested all the way through. I loved it so much that after reading the ARC I immediately pre-ordered a hard copy...and I've no doubt I'll reread it as soon as it arrives. A true masterpiece!

This book interested me because it dealt with the Cold War, the time from after WWII until the fall of the Berlin Wall and later, the breakup of the USSR. I remember well those years, and a classmate crying in the early 1960’s when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. It’s rare that a book of historical fiction takes place during those years. Lots of WWII books, not many Cold War books.

The two women who lived in different time periods in the story both lived double lives. More intriguing to me was Ingrid, a Soviet housewife who becomes a spy for her country via England’s MI6. It’s the 1950’s. . She believes her husband to be KGB, though with all the secretiveness going on she can’t be sure.

The other young woman, Anya, was privileged to attend university in America and struggles with conflicting feelings about her home country and America. It’s the 1980’s, before the fall of the Berlin .wall. She ends up working in Russia and for the CIA.

The way this story culminates was a great piece of writing. Very well done! I was not expecting the ending!

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Well written historical fiction with moral principles.
Set during a dual timeline beginning in 1945 Vienna, Austria and 1980's Soviet Union, this story alternates narrative between two woman. As another reviewer stated, I oftentimes prefer one narrator over the other, which presents a stumbling block in fully enjoying the story. Not the case here! I enjoyed both perspectives equally.
Definitely presents the Soviet Union and its socialist idea of the community over the individual in a readable way, while also delving into other ideas to consider.
It was refreshing to read this story.
I do have to say that the book started off slow for me and at times felt like it took more words than necessary, thus the four over five star rating.
I recommend this book and am excited to learn more about this time period.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the chance to read this title ahead of its publication date.

I enjoyed this book, and liked the characters of Anya and Ingrid a lot- they were well done, and the writing is solid.

I have read most, if not all, of Katherine Reay's books and this newest one is absolutely the best yet! My favorite part was how subtly complex the characters were. They didn't feel like predictable stereotypes and I could relate with them on many levels. There's just enough intrigue to keep you reading and it includes a fascinating look into the minds of people who lived in the USSR. I appreciated the deeper level this book brought by bringing up questions of freedom and personal choice. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Harper Muse for the eARC of this book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advance reader copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review. A Shadow in Moscow is a story told in dual timelines by Ingrid and Anya, two women living in the Soviet Union, shortly after WII and at the height of the Cold War in the 80s, respectively. We learn the story of how both women come to question the world they are living in and specifically, what they may be able to do to combat the USSR’s power and make the world a better place.

I don’t want to say much more, in order to avoid giving away any spoilers or details that I connected while reading. The way the two stories came together was one element that I thought was done so well by the author and the small details that connected the stories were cleverly placed! But, what I will say is that I absolutely LOVED this book. It was a huge five star win for me and I finished it in a few short sittings, broken up only because I physically couldn’t stay awake to keep reading! The author really brings to life the settings of our story and from my perspective, the paranoia/fear that came with life in the Soviet Union. Nothing was romanticized and I appreciated that the author brought to life these difficult experiences. I am not overly familiar with specific details of this time period so, I cannot speak to any historical inaccuracies but, the author does acknowledge in a note at the end that she took a bit of creative license while still trying to remain true to history.

Ultimately, I felt that this book was paced extremely well, kept me interested, and kept me invested in the lives of our characters. It made me feel nervous, anxious, excited, and hopeful which, I think is what makes a great read. I’d be interested to pick up any other work by this author and would recommend this book to historical fiction fans!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this eARC!

3.75 stars

I liked it, but sadly didn’t end up loving it.

A Shadow Between Us is a Historical Fiction Novel about two female spies within Moscow during the Cold War.
The book is written with dual timelines that slowly come together, so you really get a chance to connect with both of the main characters.

I really enjoyed the second half of the book! Finding out how the events connected to each other was very satisfying.
The ending kept me on my toes! And even though I guessed the plot twist rather early on in the book, it still managed to keep me invested after reaching a certain point.

The beginning was a little slow, since a lot of characters with backstories were introduced and it took me about a month to get through the first 130 pages. But that really paid out in the second half.
Sadly, there were two or three little mistakes when it came to cultural references (e.g. it has been repeatedly stated that Bauer is a typical Russian last name, but it‘s actually German. I am German, which made me notice this detail.) They were not very big though and I‘m only mentioning that because they (personally) completely took me out of the story.

All in all, the book was an interesting read, had strong female characters and, for me, started a deep dive into female spies during different eras.

This was an absolutely excellent historical fiction novel! Katherine Reay has written a compelling story about two Russian women who seek, in their own unique ways, to make their Cold War lives better. For me, dual plot-lines are usually frustrating as I prefer one over the other; but in this case, I loved Ingrid and Anya equally. If you’re looking to expand your understanding of the Soviet Union and its philosophy of the community over the individual, I must highly recommend this compelling book.

What a thriller! This book had my heart pounding so hard I had to put it down several times to compose myself. I loved learning about Russian culture and spy craft, but even more, seeing the growth and discovery in Ingrid and Anya. These strong women took huge risks to improve the future not only for themselves but the world in general. Their mutual love, their courage to “put out into the deep” was astounding. Men sometimes discounted them, even to the point of mispronouncing their names, but they proved their worth in the history (and family) they shaped. It made me re-examine motherhood and what I’m willing to invest. I received an early copy of this well-researched gem via Net Galley and was not required to post a review.

Everything about this book was so beautifully done. The heart-wrenching story and characters who will forever live in my heart. And that ending completely & utterly shattered me. What these men and women did for freedom—true freedom not just the illusion of it—is beyond amazing. They deserve to be remembered for the heroes they were.

This book was a wonderful read! I love when I’m reading a book and I find that teaser moment where I think ahead to what might be revealed later on about one of the characters. Then I enjoy the next 200 pages as a beautiful journey to get to that conclusion and that point where I can yell out “I knew it”! It’s a beautiful journey and I love those moments each and every time they happen.

Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorites to read and Katherine Reay does not disappoint in her details in this book. I've not read much from this perspective behind the Iron Curtain, but it was wonderfully researched and beautifully written. Love & sacrifice, loyalty & treason, this book has it all.

“We can do more than endure. We can and should thrive. This false peace of conformity has not saved us...”

I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Is there a genre that Katherine Reay cannot tackle? I haven't found one yet. She's brilliantly crafted contemporary and historical fiction, nonfiction, epistolary and now a riveting spy novel. I held my breath from the first sentence until the conclusion. Full of poignant moments, film, literary and nostalgic gems, A Shadow in Moscow lands deeply due to vivid details and characters to ponder long after the final page.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.