It's a beautiful story about a personal connection to the uncovering of the Romanovs' bodies that spans the ages, and the journey to confirm those bodies. As someone fascinated by the Russian revolution, and the downfall of the Russian monarchy, I find this book riveting and hard to put down because it pieced together the parts that other stories didn't really express or touch upon, so I learned more from reading this book than any other Romanov book before. 5/5, highly recommend.

This book gave a unique look into one of the greatest mysteries of Russian history, because the author is a Russian himself, whose relatives were closely acquainted with the Romanovs. The story explores not only the immediate family of Tsar Nicholas II, but also gives Russian history extending back to the late 15o0s. Details of the Romanovs' imprisonment and murder are given, as well as the abdication and murder of Nicholas' younger brother, Mikhail Romanov. I learned about the difference between Bolsheviks and those loyal to the tsar(the White and Red Armies). The author is a reader, and references several books about the Romanovs for further study.
The only thing I didn't love about the book was one sentence in which the author makes a reference to his sub conscience. This seemed like an anti Christian phycological statement, but again, this was my only complaint.
Very informative account of the search for the Romanov corpses that started in the 1920s and ended in the early 2000s. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Net Galley for giving me this book in advance.

In Search of the Romanovs is a biographical memoir of one families pursuit to find the truth of what happened to the famed Romanov family.

The story follows Anna from Childhood to adulthood, as she leaves behind her home to flee from the Russian Revolution.

In a unique way of combining historical events with forensics, diaries, and recollections of his family’s history, Peter Sarandinaki uncovers this incredible mystery.

I will admit, while I’ve always been intrigued in the Romanov family and the mystery behind their story, I was not super knowledgeable about the factual history.

This was a fascinating tale about one family’s legacy to find out the truth.
The beginning, where we are learning about Anna, her history, and the connection to how her family would help solve the case was a little hard to follow. However, I do not think that was any fault of the author. I believe it was from my own lack of understanding on the matter.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Potomac publishing, and Peter Sarandinaki for the arc!

In Search Of The Romanoffs, A families quest to solve one of history‘s most brutal crimes by Peter Sarandinaki is a great book that turns from a mystery to an autobiography to a biography to an investigation that all makes for one great read. When Zar Nikolai Alexander and his family were murdered they were all buried together but when the bodies were found two were missing his only son Alexi and one of his daughters either opal or Anastasia but what I didn’t know is there were also two other bodies missing, that of the grand Duke Mikal Alexander in his secretary and Long time friend an English man named Nikolai Johnson. The author is a relative of the family and when he talks about his grandmother Anna’s remembrances of Russia it shows you a whole new landscape besides the communist rigid unforgiving country most Americans have come to know. Instead we are treated to the beautiful landscape the museums the quaint little villages of her childhood and so much more, including her and her mother‘s bravery in there final escape from the country they love. We also get to learn things about the victims and we get to hear from the Murderers and last but not least Mr. Sarendiniki’s and many others long time quest to find the lost bodies. Since the day the victims were murdered people have been trying to make money off of their brutal murders in Mr. Sarendiniki spent almost as much trying to set things right. This is a great book and one I definitely recommend to any history fan it was so good I absolutely loved it and totally totally recommend it. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.#UniversityOfNebraskaPress, #NetGalley, #PeterSarandinaki, #InSearchOfTheRomanovs

Thank you Netgalley & Potomac Books Publishing for an eARC ♥️

I've always been fascinated by the Romanovs, and this book totally drew me in. Born in the Soviet Union, I'm super familiar with Russian history, and I've watched tons of documentaries about the Romanovs dynasty. But this book still managed to surprise me with its unique perspective and personal touch.

Peter Sarandinaki’’s family connection to the Romanovs makes the story feel personal and real
. I loved how he wove together history and mystery to create a narrative that's both informative and engaging. The author's got some valuable insights into Russia's complex past, and their passion for the subject shines through on every page.

Even with my background knowledge, I found myself learning new things and seeing the Romanovs in a new light. This book's a must-read if you're into the Romanovs, Russian history, or just a good story. It's a personal and powerful look at a pivotal moment in history that resonates deeply with me.♥️

DNF. This read more like biography than true crime to me. Maybe that changes as the book goes on, but I wasn’t interested in reading about the Russian revolution from the perspective of a little girl.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A famed general’s young daughter, Anna, crosses the globe to escape the Russian Revolution and carries a box with her. The box held evidence of what became of the Romanovs’, the Russian Royal Family. Anna’s grandson, Peter Sarandinaki, set out to find the truth. He has the help of an international team of searchers and scientists.

While I say the only royal family that intrigues me is the Romanovs, I had no idea that 18 family members were killed, including the Tzar’s brother..whose body is still missing. Nor did I recognize how controversial in Russia, the church, and immigrant communities, identifying the bodies was (still is).

Thank you NetGalley and University of Nebraska Press | Potomac Books. I always enjoy learning!

I really enjoyed the first half of the book and wish that historical content about the Romanovs and Russia featured more thoroughly in the second half. The first half was well-written and engaging, while the second half I admittedly just flipped through vast sections due to the dry writing.

Mystery, history, revalations--what happened to the last Russian tsar and his family?? Fascinating discussion of the search to discover what happened to the last of the Russian , and where they are finally buried.

I would say I'm a casual reader of Russian history, as it's not my particular field of study or deep zone of interest. This book was interesting in how it relayed the fall of the Romanovs and the scattering of the White Russians, but there was something about it that just couldn't engage me entirely. The forensic aspects of the narrative were interesting, but I think I just wasn't as invested in the personal family history. All in all, it was a new way to approach the subject, so I do appreciate that.

My husband and I lived in Finland from 2010-2012 on a job assignment and were fortunate to travel to St. Petersburg while it was still relatively easy to do so. I have long been fascinated by the history of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and after them, the Romanovs. This book adds to our understanding of the terrible fates of the Romanovs, and the author’s due diligence in adding to the knowledge of the era and his family’s legacy. This is a well-researched and interesting book, although the reader should probably have an interest in Russian history to fully appreciate it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Potomac Books for the ARC to review this interesting book,

I absolutely could not put this book down. I know next to nothing about Russian history so I find this book fascinating. I do not know about the last Russian royal family Czar Nicolas II and his wife and daughters who were brutally murdered by Bolsheviks under Lenin’s direction. Communism was in the rise and society was in shambles at the time and the monarchy was a target that the peasants were angry at, which made them the perfect target for Communism to attack and gain power. How they were able to keep their burials hidden for so long is amazing. Most people would not have been able to stay silent, but to seems that the Communist leaders were very powerful at the time and to speak out would have been too dangerous. Even 80 years later, when most of the excavating was done, many people still didn’t find themselves able to believe that this was truly the royal family. There was much arguing amongst Russian and Russian-American groups b/c of long-held beliefs and bitter rivalries. The author had grown up hearing about this his story through his grandmother, who had escaped not long before the fall of the monarchy and had helped guard a small box containing evidence of the crime. This led him on a lifelong journey for the truth. This noon read like fiction at times, it was so fascinating and so fantastical. It’s also quite sad to think about the tragic and brutal end that so many people came to during this time. There was much trouble and turmoil in the country in the early 20th century and you really come to feel sympathy for those who struggled through those terrifying times. Very well written and a fascinating read.

The mystery of the Romanov family has captivated the world for over a century. For Sarandinaki the fate of the Romanov family was personal - he grew up hearing his grandmother's harrowing escape from the Bolshevik Revolution and guarding the evidence from the original investigation into the family's disappearance. Sarandinaki does a masterful job weaving his family's life story with the history of Russia and what happened to the Romanovs. The book was slow to start - the story lacked cohesion at the beginning - the recollection of his grandmother Anna's time escaping with Anna's father (a general in the Russian military fighting for the tsarists) but once the family settled in France, it was less convoluted. Overall this is a very fascinating story - one that many are familiar with, but from a different aspect than previously explored. This was a behind-the-scenes look at the discovery of the Romanov burial site (the initial and then Alexei and Maria), the DNA confirmation, and the reasons confirmation took so long - and why some still dispute the scientific findings. While Romanov mystery was solved, Sarandinaki still hopes to find the remains of Tsar Nicholas II's brother Michael Alexandrovich and his secretary Nicholas Johnson. whose deaths predated Nicholas II, his family and their servants. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Russian history or the Romanovs.

This was really fascinating, particularly the sections on White Russians migration post-Revolution. I think I had expected this to be a bit more straight history as opposed to familial memoir which was my own failing. I also really liked the insight on the search for the bodies of Grand Duke Michael and his secretary as that is a portion of the story that often gets glossed over. As ever though, the tragedy of this story really gets to me.

Lots of information and lots of details. Clear, concise and easy to read. My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Thank you to the author and publisher for making this book freely available via NetGalley. My review is my honest opinion.

I chose In Search of the Romanovs because the topic of the Romanovs and the Russian Revolution interested me since reading/watching books and movies that were directly based on those topics. I tend to prefer nonfiction told in a more narrative style, so the start of this book was satisfying. However, the chapters that detailed the background (lead up to the revolution) were dryer and more like a history text book. As the investigation began, it became more narrative, but also repetitive. It did present a lot of information in a prose that was relatively easy to follow except for some of the detailed scientific explanations.

Overall, it was informative but I think I was looking for a book that went into more detail about the revolution itself. Still, it would probably be of interest to someone specifically interested in The Romanovs and forensic investigations. If I could use half stars, I would rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I had huge hopes for this book. Perhaps the description is what set my expectations askew. After going through a full history of the narrators connections with a relative we find their connection with the Romanoffs. This part was intriguing but read very text book and dry. That's okay though as I saw this as a lead up. I was woefully disappointed to real the approximation of 3rd party accounts. I was hopeful when the author became involved. Then disappointed. I understand the authors want, even need to write this book, but the story left a lot to be desired.

Wow, this is packed with information and so much detail! I am not extremely knowledgeable on this subject but have always been interested. The writing can feel a little choppy and doesn’t have that overall polish of a mass marketed book. But I quickly became absorbed in the story and actually ended up feeling this added to the charm! It’s incredibly touching what great lengths the author went to, in order to tell his grandmother’s story and not have it lost. The history can be complicated but feels accessible and is balanced with emotion and personal impressions. It does get bogged down in parts but overall I learned a lot and enjoyed this exclusive perspective.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a gift this book is to those interested in the Romanovs. Author Peter Sarandinaki's ability to intertwine his family's history that is related to the Romanovs with that of his search for their remains leads the reader on a truly gripping journey. The exhaustive research presented grounds the reader in an understanding of the key players and all of the moving parts (and obstacles overcome) in order to allow for a proper burial of the family. Absolutely fascinating and a book that will stay with me!

History is one of my loves and I have always been enamored with the assassination of Czar Nicholas II and his entire family by the Bolsheviks during the revolution.

This account reads like a crime novel told from the point of view of a family that had ties to the Romanovs and stories passed down through generations about the murders. The author, the recipient of those stories, takes on the task of discovering the bodies buried unceremoniously by their killers and identifying them so there would be no doubt to their identity. Along his journey he will dispel the rumors of a surviving daughter and bring to rest what really happened.

Science is the winner here, where strides in DNA research has made it possible to identify remains from so long ago. An interesting read.