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    The Secret Speech
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    The Secret Speech
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    The Secret Speech
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Secret Speech

    Written by Tom Rob Smith

    Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    It is 1956. Three years ago, Leo Demidov moved on from his career as a member of the state security force. As an MGB officer, Leo had been responsible for untold numbers of arrests and interrogations. But as a reward for his heroic service in stopping a killer who had terrorized citizens throughout the country, Leo was granted the authority to establish and run a homicide department in Moscow. Now, he strives to see justice done on behalf of murder victims in the Soviet capital, while at the same time working to build a life with his wife Raisa and their adopted daughters, Zoya and Elena.

    Leo's past, however, can not be left behind so easily, and the legacy of his former career--the friends and families of those he had arrested as a state security officer--continues to hound him. Now, a new string of murders in the capital threaten to bring Leo's past crashing into the present, shattering the fragile foundations of his new life in Moscow, and putting his daughter Zoya's life at risk.

    Faced with a threat to his family, Leo is launched on a desperate, personal mission that will take him to the harsh Siberian Gulags, to the depths of the hidden criminal underworld, and into the heart of Budapest and the Hungarian uprising.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateMay 19, 2009
    ISBN9781600245787
    Unavailable
    The Secret Speech
    Author

    Tom Rob Smith

    Tom Rob Smith is the author of the acclaimed Child 44 trilogy. Child 44 itself was a global publishing sensation, selling over two million copies. It was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Prize and won the CWA Steel Dagger Award. His most recent novel, The Farm, was a #1 international bestseller. Tom also writes for television and won a Writer’s Guild Award for best adapted series and an Emmy and Golden Globe for best limited series with American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. He is also the creator and executive producer of FX’s suspense thriller series Class of ’09.

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    Reviews for The Secret Speech

    3.5/5

    522 ratings63 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Great historically based story
    • 4/5
      A good, solid follow-up to 'Child 44'. Leo Demidov, former state security officer with the MGB) has used the leverage he gained from solving the child murders in the last book to create a homicide department. But things aren't so easily changed on the home front. Although he's gained the love and forgiveness of his wife Raisa, the two girls they adopted after Leo killed their parents are not so easily won over, especially the eldest Zoya. But when Zoya is kidnapped by a rebel organization determined to punish former MGB officers for their sins, Leo vows to do anything necessary to get her back safely, and maybe find redemption in the process.

      Smith makes you experience the dread and terror of the oppressive society that dared not speak against the state. And he has created in the main character of Leo a man who is sympathetic and likeable but who is, at best, imperfect. The scenes on the prisoner ship were especially riveting.
    • 3/5
      Less engaging than others in the series. Plot tends to sprawl, violence portrayed in detail and seems at times laid on with a trowel. I gave up caring somewhere in the middle of Siberia and then gave up reading.
    • 4/5
      almost as good as the first one, the plot gets a little convoluted and far-fetched, but still a fabulous read....
    • 4/5
      A much easier read than his first novel. Fast paced, well developed, interesting plot twists, an enjoyable book combining historical fact with a mystery plot.
    • 3/5
      I'm pretty sure I read the complete trilogy and that I liked all three books? But 2016 was a crazy year (mom had a heart attack, then she broke her hip so I moved to Arkansas and didn't even get a chance to pack up first) so I'm only guessing here.
    • 4/5
      In this continuation of the first novel, Leo is having trouble with his adopted daughter Zoya. Obsessed with revenge and consumed by hatred, Zoya creeps into Leo's bedroom at night with a butcher knife. Before Leo can decide what to do about it, a ghost from his past surfaces out of the nowhere and turns his life upside down. Next thing he knows, he's on a prisoner ship bound for Russian's most notorious Gulag. An exciting tale set in post-Stalinist Russia. Good old fashion fun!
    • 4/5
      This is a Detective Leo Demidov novel he used to be in the secret Police but now he investigates Murders, he wants to right some of his previous wrongs. The new President of the Soviet union delivers a secret speech denouncing Stalin and all the problems he caused.This story takes him from Moscow, Gulags and Budapest. He is trying to rescue his step daughterZoya who actually Leo for the death of her parents. Zoya ends up working with a gang Fraera is the leader of the gang she was the wife of one of the priests Leo betrayed. He uncovers a plot to infiltrate uprisings to strengthen the army's position. He also rescues and makes peace with his daughter. Well written book.
    • 4/5
      I loved Child 44 and liked his one almost as much. If you care about humans and sad truths of Soviet Communism this, like the previous book, will be painful to read.
    • 4/5
      His second after "Child 44." Starts in 1949, jumps to 1956. Difficult, difficult reading: torture, oppression, revenge, murder, prison ships, gulags, on and on. Very, very difficult.

      And, also a bit torturous with a complicated adopted 15 yr old girl gone very bad. How on earth is all this going to work out in the immediate post-Stalin, Hungarian uprising, Soviet world of ciminals, secret police, and general, utter mayhem?

      I would've put a little money down that it would not have worked out satisfactorily, and yet it did. Quite something.
    • 3/5
      Whilst I enjoyed this book, it certainly wasn't as good as "Child 44". For me it felt forced at times and lacked the gripping, psychological tension and page-turning action that made the first book such a winner. In fact near the end, I was becoming rather bored with the story and was wishing it would end. In this book Leo shares the limelight with his eldest, adopted daughter, Zoya, whom I never really engaged with, and Leo himself becomes a far weaker, less likeable protagonist. The plot lacks the complexity of the first book and the last part of "The Secret Speech," which is set in Hungary, is quite unbelievable. However, despite thisis book being a disappointing sequel, I will be reading the next book in the series in the hope that the author will recapture the unrelenting excitement and drama of "Child 44."
    • 4/5
      Not a pleasant book to read, but a very interesting one nonetheless. It explores the Soviet Union during the post-Stalin era and delves deeply into violence, political intrigue and manipulation, with foray into Hungary's uprising.
    • 4/5
      Strained my credibility at times yet was very enjoyable. Not as good as Child 44 I thought but it really is a wonderful read.
    • 3/5
      A reasonable sequel to Child 44, although I would have liked to re-write the ending. After recently speaking to a colleague whose heritage belongs in the Ukraine, this trilogy is becoming more interesting. Fact and fiction appear to be not that far apart.
    • 4/5
      If you liked Child 44, it's more of the same (in a good way).
    • 4/5
      Good read. Fast-paced and exciting with so many twists and turns I was on the edge of my seat. This is the second novel I have read by this author and enjoy the character of Leo Demitov, former MGB officer. This novel explores the horrific tension of those living in post WWII Russia. Not quite at the level of the first book, but still very good. I look forward to the third book in the trilogy.
    • 3/5
      i found this book difficult to follow , wasnt very impressed with this , lots of russian dialogue , maybe it was just me ?
    • 4/5
      A much easier read than his first novel. Fast paced, well developed, interesting plot twists, an enjoyable book combining historical fact with a mystery plot.
    • 2/5
      Kolyma beginnt recht spannend, auch historisch gesehen , denn der Kontext der Geschichte ist der Beginn der Post-Stalin-Ära. Die Hauptfigur finde ich gelungen, weil sie kein makelloser Superheld ist, sondern ein Agent mit ursprünglich relativistischer Moral und "Der Zweck heiligt jedes Mittel"- Einstellung.Leider verliert sich die Story dann aber in unnötig grausamen oder brutalen Szenen. Besonders nervt, dass der Protagonist kaum eine Strecke per Auto, Schiff oder Flugzeug zurücklegen kann, ohne jedesmal einer Beinahe-Katastrophe um Haaresbreite zu entkommen.Am Ende ist der Thriller dann doch nur ein eher langweiliger Action-Roman. Schade.
    • 4/5
      Book Description Tom Rob Smith-the author whose debut, Child 44, has been called brilliant" (Chicago Tribune), "remarkable" (Newsweek) and "sensational" (Entertainment Weekly)-returns with an intense, suspenseful new novel: a story where the sins of the past threaten to destroy the present, where families must overcome unimaginable obstacles to save their loved ones, and where hope for a better tomorrow is found in the most unlikely of circumstances . . .  THE SECRET SPEECH

      Soviet Union, 1956. Stalin is dead, and a violent regime is beginning to fracture-leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. A secret speech composed by Stalin's successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant. Its promise: The Soviet Union will change.

      Facing his own personal turmoil, former state security officer Leo Demidov is also struggling to change. The two young girls he and his wife Raisa adopted have yet to forgive him for his part in the death of their parents. They are not alone. Now that the truth is out, Leo, Raisa, and their family are in grave danger from someone consumed by the dark legacy of Leo's past career. Someone transformed beyond recognition into the perfect model of vengeance.

      From the streets of Moscow in the throes of political upheaval, to the Siberian gulags, and to the center of the Hungarian uprising in Budapest, THE SECRET SPEECH is a breathtaking, epic novel that confirms Tom Rob Smith as one of the most exciting new authors writing today.

      My Review This book is an excellent historical mystery that is gripping, well-written and intelligent. It tells about the intrigue and deception in Russia and Hungary in the mid 1950's. Leo Demidov is a well-developed character who has love of family and a sense of justice. This is the 2nd book in the trilogy and I look forward to reading the third book, Agent 6."
    • 3/5
      Instinctively, I must have known, there was a pretty damn good reason, I was avoiding this book. I read Child 44, five long years ago. I absolutely loved that debut. This one...well, it begins okay, as we revisit former MGB officer, Leo Demidov, the hero of Child 44. It is 1956. Stalin is dead and Khrushchev  is on the rise. He pledges reform but the horrific ghosts of the past, refuse to relent. Leo is drawn into hellish retribution, involving an uprising, putting his family in grave peril. The story, begins to bog down in grim tediousness, about halfway through and never recovers, like those avenging ghosts I recently mentioned.My last crime novel, The Marco Effect was also bloated and repetitive, but at least it had humor and engaging characters. I will not be reading the third book, which is sad, because I was crazy about his recent stand-alone, The Farm.
    • 3/5
      It is now 1956 and Stalin’s Police state is becoming a thing of the past. Khrushchev has written “The Secret Speech” delivered in written form to schools, the police, government officials and other people in the position of being able to quietly share it. Basically the speech identifies Stalin as a tyrant and murderer and promises that Khrushchev will usher in a more humane and peaceful regime. The result of the sudden government about face is that the police are now treated like criminals and the criminals are becoming heroes. Leo Demidov has felt that way in his own home since he and his wife adopted their two daughters. The eldest, Zoya, has come to love his wife Raisa but still can only see Leo as the man responsible for her father’s murder by the state. But Zoya is not the only one with a personal grudge against Leo, soon enough a person from his past surfaces and wants revenge. What better way to get revenge than to do to Leo what he did to her – put his family in danger – unless he salvages what is left of hers.

      This sends Leo on an almost impossible mission of trying to break in to a Gulag and then escape with the man he sent there. At the same time Raisa is taking a different path to saving Zoya that eventually finds all of them reunited in the middle of the Hungarian revolution.

      I can only imagine that the problem for an author deciding to write a sequel to a very successful and highly praised book would be whether to carry on the action or try to top it. I think in the case of The Secret Speech Mr. Smith may have chosen the wrong option. I loved Child 44 and was looking forward to reading this next book. I wasn’t disappointed as it had many of the qualities that I enjoyed in Child 44; the history was nicely interwoven into the story, I liked the continuation of the story of Leo’s family and even the intrigue was there though the action throughout the book felt a little bit forced. That is where the book dropped a notch for me. The suspense and apprehension when reading about the fear the characters felt in having to look over their shoulders at every turn was not there in this book. Yes, Leo and Raisa were once more trying to save their daughters as well as themselves but in Child 44 it was a “run for your life” feeling and in this book I felt that Leo had become a little bit of a super-hero figure.

      It was a good read and I enjoyed it – simply not as much as the first in the trilogy. (On I go to the third book, Agent 6)
    • 4/5
      This is a sequel to the author's very popular Child 44. It takes place against the fascinating political background of 1956 - Khrushchev's secret speech denouncing Stalin's crimes, the mass release of political prisoners, the Hungarian revolt against Soviet hegemony and its suppression. Nevertheless, I don't think the author made a wholly successful story out of the potential of these elements. The character of Fraera was simply not believable and I could not take her seriously as a real person, rather than a living symbol of the notion of the desire for revenge having completely taken over someone's life, destroying nearly all traces of the human being underneath. Leo Demidov is an interesting central character and there must have been many people like him in the mid 1950s, wanting to atone for their former actions. The novel is a great page turner and Smith is an accomplished thriller writer but I don't think this was quite as good as its predecessor. 4/5
    • 4/5
      I truly enjoyed Tom Robb Smith's Child 44 and have no idea why it took me so long to read the second in Smith's Leo Demidov series, but I am glad I did. The Secret Speech is face-paced, full of intrigue and I personally enjoy reading about the former Soviet Union. I would definitely recommend The Secret Speech, but I do suggest reading Child 44 first.
    • 4/5
      Three years after the events of Child 44, former MGB agent Leo Dimidov is working for a homicide unit in Moscow, the only one of its kind. Leo and his wife Raisa are doing their best to provide a good home for their two adopted daughters, who came with psychological and emotional baggage. Khrushchev has succeed Stalin as head of state, and the circulation of a speech he delivered in congress is turning the Soviet Union upside down. In his days with the MGB, Leo had been a willing participant some of Stalin's atrocities, but he had rejected that life before Stalin's death. When one of Leo's victims from his past sets out to exact revenge, Leo's fragile family may pay the price.I didn't find this book quite as suspenseful as Child 44. It got off to a slow start for me. The plot involved a lot of stage setting in regard to Khrushchev's speech, the gulag system, the vory criminal network, and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The pace picked up noticeably somewhere around 2/3 to ¾ of the way through and it became a page-turner. The villainess in the story reminded me of a character you might encounter in an action comic, and it probably wouldn't have surprised me if Superman or Batman had made an appearance. Even without super powers, Leo somehow manages to survive to return again in one more installment in the trilogy. How much more can one man endure? I'll have to read the last book in the trilogy to find out.
    • 4/5
      The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith is his second novel revolving around Leo Demidov. Although broader in scope than his first book, I found The Secret Speech lacked some the pacing and didn’t quite resound with the same atmospheric tension.This book delves into both Leo and his wife’s personal family life as well as their backgrounds. Leo must learn to forgive himself his past misdeeds as one of Stalin’s secret police. Raisa has her own issues from the past to work through. These two agree that the most important thing is their family which consists of two sisters, whose parents Leo was responsible for arresting. From the past, someone has surfaced who is seeking vengeance against Leo, and this vengeance puts his whole family at risk.The story is delivered with plenty of action and suspense. Smith writes with conviction and the plot is original and imaginative as Leo and Raisa meet the challenge and fight to keep their family together. While for me, not quite reaching the creative heights of Child 44, this is still a very good read and I will certainly be moving on with this series.
    • 3/5
      The Secret Speech. Tom Rob Smith. 2009. At the end of Child 44, Leo Demidov and his wife Raisa adopt the daughters of a couple Leo killed when he was in the secret police. Stalin is dead and Leo has position investigating crimes. A speech made by Khrushchev denouncing Stalin and his horrors circulates throughout Russia, and the police become the criminals when men jailed by Stalin are freed. Leo’s family is pursued by the wife of a man Leo sent to the Gulag. When she kidnapped Leo’s oldest daughter, Leo is races from Siberia to Hungary trying to locate his daughter. I don’t think I enjoyed this book as much as I did Child 44, but it is very suspenseful and the setting in Russia and the description of life in Russia during this time is fascinating.
    • 4/5
      Leo, Raisa and the two girls they adopted are now together in Moscow. Zoya, the older of the two girls is unable to forget or forgive that Leo was responsible for the death of her real parents and goes out of her way to ensure they don't become the happy family unit that the others crave. Leo, now the head of the newly formed Homicide division, begins a new investigation which points to events in his past. This is all set amidst the backdrop and fallout of Khrushchev's secret speech which admitted to mistakes made by Stalin's regime and it seems in some quarters that the fear of the system is being outweighed by the desire for vengeance on those who overstepped the mark that passed for justice in those days. Can Leo uncover who is responsible for this turn of events and how will he react when things take a more personal direction?Rather than being a criminal investigative story this sequel heads more towards the realms of thriller as an inexorable turn of events sees Leo head to the gulags and experience the Hungarian uprising first hand. Heavily researched and asking some very thought provoking questions this story does get quite bleak at times which doesn't make it a quick and easy read. Still a pretty good one though.
    • 4/5
      "The Secret Speech," while not as strong as Tom Rob Smith's debut, "Child 44," was still very good. This one, too, takes place in the Soviet Union in the mid 20th century with former state security officer Leo Demidov as the protagonist.Demidov now heads up a homicide investigative unit, which resulted from events in the previous book. In "The Secret Speech," Leo and his wife Raisa have adopted two sisters. Elena is young enough to be pretty content with her new family, but her older sister Zoya is well aware of the fact that their parents were arrested by Leo and eventually put to death. Zoya cannot overlook that, even though Leo was "following orders." Now that Leo no longer is a state security officer, he's trying to make amends--for he badly wants a family.Zoya, however, is defiant, which results in her abduction by a anti-Communist gang. Leo must go through hell to get her back.The head of this anti-Communist gang is someone else Leo wronged in his previous position. He took something from her, so she's forcing him to get someone back for her. He's got to get himself into a Gulag--as a prisoner--and rescue her husband. This part of the book was fantastic, horrific, and very well written. Part of my issue with the book, however, is the story continues beyond the events of the prison sequence. It's not bad, mind you, just a little anticlimactic.For whatever reason, Smith continued with the style of not using quotes or "he/she said" throughout. Each piece of dialogue starts with an em dash and is in italics. It was much less confusing this time around, but if you don't read "Child 44" first, it may be troubling to you at times.
    • 4/5
      I found Smith's first novel in this series, Child 44, to be wonderful. It engaged me as a mystery, as history and as the story of a man's attempt at redemption. This book suffered for being too action packed - a spy thriller rather than a mystery. There was little quiet. The setting of the Soviet Union and Budapest during the mid-1950s was vividly described, but there was too much coincidence and some of the characters didn't ring true.