The Man From St. Petersburg (#1,248) is one of Ken Follett's early novels, written more than forty years ago. Even after I finished this book, I couldn't decide whether or not I liked it, though judging by the reaction of my other book club members, I seem to be in the minority.
In 1914, Europe appears to be on the brink of war. One man, a Russian anarchist, is determined to hasten things along by assassinating a Russian diplomat sent to London to negotiate an Anglo-Russian alliance. Prince Orlov is a relative of both the Czar and the Earl of Walden, so a social visit to his English family for the London Season provides a convenient cover for diplomatic negotiations. Although the twists and turns of the plot are relentless, this is very much a character-driven novel.
Long-held secrets and thwarted passions play a huge role in the plot. In fact, I was surprised by just how much sex drove the action. Without giving away too much, the Earl of Walden's entire family become thoroughly embroiled in the plot, from his Russian wife Lydia, to his debutante daughter Charlotte.
Honestly, other than the Earl himself, I did not like any of the main characters. I thought Lydia's character was the embodiment of male sexual fantasy. No wonder daughter Charlotte grew up so defiant! Feliks, the assassin, has a backstory which is supposed to make him more sympathetic, but I could only see him as an amoral master manipulator. But what bothered me the most were the incredible coincidences which kept popping up. It got to the point where you could see the reveals coming up way in advance.
I guess after writing this, I come down more on the side of not liking this book, as much as I admire Mr. Follett's later work, but if you are one of the legion of Follett fans, you may want to judge for yourself.
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