By elisabethelo
Natalie March is a successful surgeon enjoying a busy life in Washington DC. As her demanding career has left little time for friends or romance, her deepest relationship is with her mother, Vera March, a Russian immigrant and MS patient confined to a rehab center. Vera is still haunted by the fact that her Ukrainian parents were sent to the gulag, Stalin’s notorious network of labor camps, when she was just a baby. All her life she has presumed that they perished there along with millions of other Russian citizens. Natalie would do anything to heal her mother’s psychic pain: it’s the one wound that she, a doctor, cannot mend.
When a young Russian dancer comes to Natalie’s office claiming to be her cousin, and providing details about her family that no stranger could know, Natalie must face a surprising truth: her grandmother, Katarina Melnikova, is still very much alive. Natalie is thrilled to think that her Russian relatives are reaching out after so many years. In fact, her cousin has a darker motive for making contact. Suggesting that her family is in grave danger from Putin’s government, she pleads for Natalie’s help to defect, and Natalie soon finds herself caught in a web of shocking family secrets that will pit her against Russian security forces and even elements within her own government.
How far will Natalie go to find Katarina M. and satisfy her mother’s deepest wish? Masterfully plotted and beautifully written, FINDING KATARINA M. takes the reader on an extraordinary journey across Siberia–to reindeer herding camps, Russian prisons, Sakha villages, and parties with endless vodka toasts–while it explores what it means to be loyal to one’s family, one’s country, and ultimately to oneself.more
Enjoyed
Non-stop suspense in this riveting adventure–a strong smart woman searches for her lost relative–and it takes her to places she’d never imagine. Terrifying, compelling–and full of life decisions. No one does setting more beautifully than Elisabeth ELo–and in this book you will feel the fear, f share the emotion, and be frozen by the cold. SO good!
New to me author and so happy that I discovered her work.
Coming from an eastern-European country that was under the communist regime for a long time, as a child, I’ve heard a lot of stories from my grandfather and the neighbours when I was spending my winter holidays in the countryside with them.
I can only say that most of the situations presented in the book are real and I felt my heart breaking so many times for our heroine.
It’s a great writing style, a fast paced read with a lot of hard decisions to take and such a strong heroine. I loved how she tried to get over anything and make herself looking for an escape and also trying not to have a mental breakdown because honestly any other woman wouldn’t go as far as she did to find her lost grandmother in a country that you don’t know if you’re coming back from.
I loved this book and made me think about many decisions that I’ve taken in my life and if I would change anything.
My only complaint: I wanted a HEA for her , especially after she went back to her life , maybe even what she was feeling disappointed after a month, just like a consolation at least. I know I’m vague about this but you have to read the book and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
Smart spy thriller!
I’m often guilty of picking up books simply because I’m intrigued by the setting, and FINDING KATARINA M. delivers an exotic setting in spades–Siberia! Land of reindeer herders and vodka shots! I was completely transported by author Elisabeth Elo’s delicious descriptions. To add to the book’s appeal, Elo (author of another of my favorite thrillers, NORTH OF BOSTON), gives us a strong, conflicted female protagonist who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, a mystery involving a dead ballerina, and enough family secrets to fill a ship. I loved this book because it kept me tensely turning pages and taught me so much about a part of the world I knew little about. Bravo.
This is not just a book – it is an adventure!
When Natalie March, an American physician, travels to Russia to keep a promise for her mother Vera, she has no idea what is in store for her. Vera has always been haunted by the disappearance of her Ukrainian mother Katarina Melnikova who was sent to a gulag when Vera was only a baby. It had been assumed that Katarina died. Natalie has no idea that she will get pulled into a spider web of dangerous family secrets, murder, and deception, dodging Soviet security and going head-to-head with the US’s CIA. Natalie goes to amazing (and often shocking) depths to reunite the threads of her family, testing her courage and determination time after time.
I enjoyed reading of the day-to-day life in the remote parts of Siberia, along with the vivid images painted by Ms. Elo. The scenes with the Evenki people – the “Reindeer people” – were totally delightful. This had me off searching the internet for information and photos of the Evenki.
Elo’s writing quickly pulled me into the story. Her description of the geography of Siberia is totally breath-taking. She also delivered a heart-stopping international intrigue storyline reminiscent of James Bond – 007. I never knew what to expect. At times quite staggering, this story of survival had me on the edge of my seat. I am purposely staying somewhat vague as I do not want to spoil any of the surprises in the story. Just be prepared for a WILD ride!
It is beautifully simple writing, a style not often encountered today. First person narrative, told from only one character’s perspective, and only one timeline. What a relief from the two or three different perspectives with dual story lines. Truly masterful control of the story.
Thank you to GoodReads and Polis Books for the advance reading copy to review. All opinions are my own.