I really enjoy historical fiction. I’m making more of an effort to read it lately and I’ve been loving it. I read a lot more WW2 than Cold War so this book taught me a lot and allowed me a glimpse into Soviet Russia and what it was like to live there during that time.

🕵️‍♀️Dual Timelines
🕵️‍♀️Female Spies in Russia
🕵️‍♀️Historical Fiction

Secrets, bravery and espionage. This book had it all and hooked me from the first chapter.

Anya was raised by the “perfect” Soviet parents. Their position allows her an opportunity to study abroad in America before going back to fulfill her duties to her country. But allowing a young mind to see the freedoms of the rest of the world was always a risk.

Ingrid was raised in a house of spies/intelligence work and without knowing it, learned how to be the ultimate tool of espionage. Living in danger behind the Iron Curtain she must be constantly be vigilant but she also cannot ignore who she is.

These two brilliant women used their skills to help stop wars and change the balance of powers during the Cold War. Their stories are beautifully woven together on different timelines. I was instantly gripped by this book. The narrators did an incredible job with the accents and characters. I learned so much about Soviet Russia and look forward to reading more.

What a beautiful story!! This is my first read by Reay, and I gotta say I’m becoming a fan. Reay did a beautiful job painting this world and the characters in it. Ingrid and Anya are two of the bravest and most courageous women I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. The romance was beautifully written. It’s don’t take away from the deeper meaning behind Ingrid and Anya’s story. If anything it enhances their story, gave more reasoning behind their actions. Excited to pick up another read by Reay.

A historical fiction read with dual timelines going back and forth between 1982 and 1957 during the Cold War. Ingrid, an Austrian in the 1950’s marries Leo, a soviet who won’t admit, but Ingrid thinks, he works for the KGB. They must keep her mother’s heritage of bring British a secret. Anya, a student in DC in the 1980’s, is forced to return to Russia after she finishes school. When her childhood friend is killed by the KGB, Anya joins the CIA and becomes a spy. I learned so much about the Cold War when reading this. I love historical fiction. It is one way that different historical events can be introduced or explored deeply. There are not too many books I have read about the Cold War. It was a nice refresher. I thought that each of the characters were extremely developed. The plot at times was hard to follow – only that I wasn’t always 100% sure which timeline I was in. Parts of the story felt like an information dump and at times was dragging. For a story like this, I wanted more action.

This was kind of a struggle for me, but I think that may be due to my own ignorance on certain aspects of history, The Cold War, KGB, etc. The narration was fantastic, and the story was intriguing even tho I did struggle to follow.

3.5 intriguing stars, rounded up to 4
“At the most basic level, the best stories are love stories. And despite my myriad mistakes, mine has been one too – a love story I only recognize now in its final pages…He knows I am not brave. He also knows everyone breaks and everyone talks.”

The prologue yanks the reader into the story. (note about the audiobook - pay attention in the beginning or you won’t know what’s going on.) After the fabulous prologue, the spy thriller is off to a slow start (no James Bond skiing down the hill being shot at) Two women characters are introduced, Ingrid, during WWII and Anya, a Soviet student studying in the US in the 1980s. Ingrid did not realize her parents were spies, working against Hitler. A friend who was working with them advises her, “Pretend it’s a game so the reality of life doesn’t terrify you every moment of every day. Then learn to play and live within that game better than anyone around you.” Of the two characters, I enjoyed Ingrid’s story more; it seemed more plausible and had more forward momentum.

I liked the little ‘spy tips’ the author throws in – coughing (because people avoid sickness), then ducking into a doorway or shop. I also appreciated the description of a Klimt’s The Kiss painting that stops Soviet citizen, Anya. “It is a poignant expression of longing, giving, surrendering, and possessing…a true gift of love…It’s the heartbeat before the kiss. The glorious moment when all dreams can be fulfilled and nothing is out of reach, and when vulnerability and surrender don’t feel treacherous but intoxicating.” Sometimes Reay’s writing is very strong. Anya always loved music. “I truly believe it captures the best essence of a culture. It helps you grasp massive ideas in a compressed time frame. Music seeps into your soul and molds you.”

I liked that Reay delves deeper into the psyche of being a spy and not just the drops and safe houses and crayon lines. The end dragged a bit after the climax. The epilogue didn’t add to the story.

The audiobook was a convenient way of ‘reading the book’ while walking. It was fine but didn’t really add to my enjoyment of the story. Narrators voices are clear and easy to understand.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

1954-1985 Vienna, Moscow and Washington DC

What a journey! Intrigue, history and love are central to this time slip novel.

Ingrid's tale begins in 1954 Vienna as her world falls apart and she chooses which path to take next. Was the path she chose the best one? Perhaps not, but Ingrid made the most of what she had for herself and others.

In 1980, Anya is a Russian student blessed with a study abroad opportunity. She's educated at Georgetown University getting a taste of a different life. Yet it's her home in Moscow that she yearns to return to.

There is a ton of history and culture woven into the pages and the author's note at the end elaborated on that as well as her own motivation in writing this novel.

Spectacular! Many more thoughts are surfacing, but I don't want to include any spoiler comments. If you enjoy historical fiction, add this to your list.

Both narrators were wonderful.

The story is set during the Cold War with female spies. It is filled with espionage, danger, family and love. I enjoyed this book so much that I listened to it in one day. The narration was done well too.

Thank you#NetGalley, #HarperMuse, #KatherineReay, #SaskiaMaarleveld, #LisaFlanagan and # AShadowinMoscow for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

This new historical fiction encompasses so many aspects I love in a book. Spy stories are always fascinating to me and I love reading about strong women making a difference. Having this book set around the Cold War rather than the oft covered WWII was refreshing as well.

The story follows two alternating points of view of female spies in 1954 and 1980 and delves into the complexities of the Soviet Union, loyalty, and fighting for the future you want. I will say that I feel like the synopsis of this book spoils some things, so if the basic premise sounds good to you already, going in blind might be the best option.

The audiobook is very well done. There are different narrators for the two perspectives and I was already a fan of both women’s work so it was so fun to hear them narrate together.

Trigger/content warnings: grief from death of loved ones

✨ Review ✨ A Shadow in Moscow: A Cold War Novel by Katherine Reay; Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, Lisa Flanagan

I read this entire book in one sitting! I was so caught up in it that I literally couldn't put it down. I did alternate between the print book and the audio, and both were great ways to experience this book!

The book is a dual timeline/POV book that follows Ingrid Bauer, starting in 1954 Vienna to her life married to a (likely) member of the KGB, and Anya Kadinova in 1980 who returns to Moscow after finishing her degree at Georgetown University as part of the Foreign Studies Initiative.

NOTE: I recommend going into this book without reading the description on the back of the book -- more fun to leave this one mysterious.

Both Ingrid and Anya have a strong commitment to their own personal ethics, and are a delight to follow through their lives. Talking more about what I enjoyed would be spoiler-y I suspect :(

I do wish this had been a bit more directly critical of "The West" rather than pinning it as the ideal; while a critical reader could find criticism of capitalism, the CIA, and other markers of the West, sometimes this felt a little lost under a celebration of the free choice available in the West. I also wish it had dug a little more into Soviet culture and life, though I really appreciated the insight that this book did give me.

Overall, this was an exciting historical fiction that read a bit like a spy thriller. I really enjoyed this one, and appreciated how it placed women in an important role of international diplomacy during the cold war. I wished perhaps for even more commentary on what was based in fact.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction, women's fiction, Cold War spies & international relations
Setting: Washington D.C., Vienna, Moscow - mostly between 1950s through 1980s
Reminds me of: Ruta Sepatys, Kate Quinn
Pub Date: June 13, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ historical fiction set in the East -- reminded me a bit of Ruta Sepatys and Kate Quinn
⭕️ spy thrillers featuring women
⭕️ Cold War intrique
⭕️ love stories across continents

Thanks to Harper Muse, Uplit Reads, and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!

I really enjoyed this one. It was a tiny bit difficult to follow the stories at first but once I got them figured out I was completely engrossed. I definitely didn’t see it coming how the stories were intertwined and I loved that as well as the ending. This was a very well written book that I highly recommend!

3.5 stars

A unique Cold War espionage story, featuring two Soviet women who spy for the West. This book has believable, meaningful characters in it, even though some of the events seemed unlikely to me.

[What I liked:]

•This book has good character work. Ingrid and Anya are complex, emotional, & think deeply. Even the side characters, like Dmitry & Leo, have complexity. No one is purely good or purely evil, and I appreciate that this Cold War story avoided that.

•I learned some stuff I didn’t know, such as what Vienna was like after WWII and the amount of Soviet influence there for years after.

•This is a well written book, with lots of setting & historical details. The story did feel immersive.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•My main complaint is that this story is just too unbelievable. Two spies in the same family, operating unbeknownst to each other? That’s possible, I suppose. But one spy operating for 30+ years with very few close calls? Not to mention, that one spy being single-handedly responsible for most of the major intelligence wins for 30+ years, & solely credited with preventing nuclear war twice? That just seems contrived, especially since this isn’t based on a true story.

•The switching back and forth between timelines was confusing, especially since how the characters & events fit together wasn’t clear for a good long while. I’d prefer a more linear storyline, or at least more context clues earlier on.

•Why couldn’t the two of them leave Vienna together at the end? That wasn’t explained & really bothered me.

CW: murder, war/WWII atrocities, bombing deaths, sexism, torture

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

In this dual timeline slow=burning thriller, the stories of Ingrid and Anya are told. In 1954, Ingrid Bauer finds herself married to a Russian man and living in Moscow. She is told to keep her British mother a secret and begins to suspect that her husband is working for the KGB.

In 1982, Anya has graduated from Georgetown and is immediately forced to return to her home in Soviet Russia, where she is expected to be a loyal comrade in the arms race against the United States. Then her best friend is killed, and it may have been by her own government.

The first twenty percent or so of this intriguing spy thriller is a bit of a slow burn, but as suspense builds it becomes more and more captivating. In both timelines, the innermost thoughts of both women indicate love, loss, and the decision to make tough choices. The difficult, dangerous, harrowing life of a spy is well described, and the reader learns what it might have been like to live behind the Iron Curtain.

The audiobook narration is done well by Saskia Maareveld and Lisa Flanagan, and both of the women in this story are definitely brought to life. The cast of characters with varying accents was well portrayed.

The ability of the author to delve deep into the innermost thoughts of her characters is admirable.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in U.S. and Russian history.

📖 Book Review 📖

🎧 “A Shadow In Moscow” by Katherine Reay

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication June 13, 2023

Thank you NetGalley (@netgalley) and the publisher for the audio 🎧

A heavy historical fiction novel that had me googling events and timelines from The Cold War. Two courageous women spies: Ingrid, who lost everyone dear to her in the last days of WWII and is hiding her own ethnicity. She agrees to marry a Soviet embassy worker and relocates to Moscow. Ingrid is shocked at life behind the Iron Curtain in the 1950s, with the constant suspicion and recording devices, finally realizing her husband works for the KGB, Ingrid knows she needs to do something. So she reaches out to the one country she understands and trusts--Britain, the country of her mother's birth--and starts passing along intelligence to MI6.

The other is Anya, a young woman who grew up in Moscow only to get her college education in the States at Georgetown in the early 1980s. However this experience in the US gives her more respect for America than seeing the bad capitalism that the Soviet officials want one to see. Anya is forced to return home with many questions regarding the oppressive, paranoid and controlling government even though everyone around her follows along. Her final straw is when the KGB murders her bestfriend, by torture and covers it up, so she chooses the CIA. Working in a Soviet military research lab, Anya is able to pass along military plans and schematics in an effort to end the 1980s arms race.

Such a well-paced, interesting story about drama, tension, and the history of Cold War. I love a good spy novel where the women are underestimated and unvalued. I can’t imagine living a life where I could trust no one - not even my husband. And the story showed me the value of true, honest friendships.

#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

Loved this book! I loved the dynamic between characters stories and how it woven together. This is a fabulous historical fiction pick for any reader! Thank you #netgalley for the #arc!

I love historical fiction and this book is unlike anything I have read recently. It hooked me from the beginning and didn’t let go.

This book is about the Cold War and goes back and forth between Vienna in 1954 and Moscow in 1980.

We get to know Ingrid Bauer, who after losing her family at the end of WWII, married a Soviet embassy worker. As she begins to see that things are not what they seem, she reaches out to Britain and begins passing information to Mi6. Not only was this incredibly risky, it wasn’t common for women to be doing this during this time. Add to it her living in the Soviet Union and the risk was even higher.

We also get to know Anna Kadinova. She was in the United States via the Foreign Studies Initiative which a strict directive that at its completion she would return to the Soviet Union. Once back, she begins to see things that do not add up. Then the KGB murders her best friend and she is determined to do whatever she can. She begins passing into to the CIA, at very great risk to herself and those she is closest to.

I was very young during the Cold War and this novel helps me understand so many things about it, about the efforts of the different agencies to help and stop the Cold War.

Ingrid and Anna are two strong women driven by the need to answers and to understand. What follows is a story that keeps me engrossed the entire time.

As with all dual-timeline stories, the past and the present collide and I still remember my jaw dropping when I put the pieces together. Katherine Reay wrote and incredible story and this just might become my favorite book by her. I loved everything about it. The mystery, the intrigue, the history, the espionage.

If you like historical fiction and want to read about a time period not often explored in the genre, I highly recommend this one.

Saskia Maarleveld and Lisa Flanagan are quickly becoming my favorite narrating duo. Their voices and talents complement each other and do an excellent job brining this story and the characters to life.

Thank you to Harper Muse for the ALC. All views are my honest opinion.

I love a good spy thriller and "A Shadow in Moscow" has risen high on my list of favorites. This is a dual timeline, dual character study set in the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1980s. The twist is the characters are women who live in the shadows on the fringes of Russia's KGB elite but are actually much more complex and important than they appear. Their characters unfold slowly at first until we think we really know them, then the story races toward an unexpected (though perfect) conclusion; along the way we come to understand life and spycraft in Soviet Russia. I am a new Katherine Reay fan! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a review copy of this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC of A Shadow in Moscow.

Many of the historical fiction books I read don't go into the Cold War in detail. This book was very interesting to see the experiences from the perspective of people living through Communism. I thought both of the narrators did an amazing job. Seeing the dual timeline gives everyone a great perspective of the duration of the Cold War and how things were unfolding. I thought this book was amazing!

Wow! I love hearing about the resistance of people during WWII and the cold war! Who doesn't love a good spy story where the good guys are making a difference? But I did not see the twist coming near the end and it just made the story SOOOO much better but also more sad. If they had all be able to speak freely and able to tell the truth so much heartache and strife would have been avoided! I can't wait to read another book by Katherine Reay!

#AShadowinMoscow
#NetGalley

A Shadow in Moscow is a great dual-timeline Cold War spy novel. The audio book was very well-narrated. Saaskia Maarleveld is my favorite historical fiction/foreign accent narrator and she doesn’t disappoint.

Ingrid and Anya were very compelling, strong characters and their growth is really evident.

I thought the book could have been a little tighter. It felt longer than it needed to be and could have done with some additional editing. So my 4 ⭐️ is rounded down to 3.5

This novel is EVERYTHING and I absolutely LOVED it. If you disagree, I’d need to know exactly why. Any historical fiction has liberties taken when written; that would be the fiction part…if that bothers you be sure to read/listen to the author’s note in the end. Ms. Reay addresses what parts were fiction and fact and why. She also discusses her research and time developing a novel in the midst of the Cold War Soviet Union. The audiobook version is excellent. Both narrators brought every detail of Ingrid and Anya to life through tone, inflection, and accent.

The novel switches between two timelines in two very different worlds. Vienna, Austria in the midst of World War II begins Ingrid’s story and Washington, D.C. in the 1980s begins Anya’s story. Both women find themselves in conflicting situations between faith to their country and family and the desperate desire to create a better world.

Ingrid’s story is very slowly built over time, this is done intentionally as part of her character development. Upon the death of both of her parents, who were secretly working with the British during Nazi controlled Austria, Ingrid finds herself alone and without a rudder. Listlessly she marries Leo who she believes is a soft-hearted embassy worker; he is not. Upon moving to Moscow, she realizes how deep in the KGB her husband is and his reasons for marrying her are far from what she thought. This leads Ingrid to contact someone from her past and begin her incredibly important work for MI6. Her story follows the historical realities of misogyny and sexism, as who would ever expect the greatest spy in the Cold War was a “housewife”.

Anya’s story was more difficult for me, progressing incredibly quickly with all the angst and impetuousness of youth. Though I found this tedious, it was also incredibly important to her character development. Who but the youth could want changes now, in the present, and at that very moment. Anya has also been heavily impacted by her time studying in America at Georgetown. My favorite realization Anya comes to about America is underneath the colorful consumer culture the real heartbeat of the country is inherent personal rights and liberties. This initiates a great change in how she views her native country and the future she wants.

This is NOT another spy novel set in the Cold War, those belong to male authors like Tom Clancy. This novel is a feminist embrace of the work of real women who were undervalued and continue to be underrepresented in history. Their love, faith, anxiety, family and a myriad of other emotions that evoke criticism from male counterparts are the exact reasons they were far more successful as spies and revolutionaries. Well done Ms. Reay! You have successfully written a novel with two incredibly strong female protagonists, their passion and purpose for creating a better world for future generations was never deterred.