Eye of the Red Tsar

Pekkala was once the Tsar's most trusted investigator — a man whose reputation inspired awe and dread across the Russian Empire. Now he is a gulag prisoner, until Stalin pulls him from obscurity to solve the case that has haunted the Soviet state for years: the location of the Romanov bodies and the rumored survival of a royal child. Sam Eastland's debut thriller moves between pre-revolutionary Russia and the brutal Stalinist present with striking atmospheric precision.

Paul Michael's narration brings crisp, measured authority to the Cold War-adjacent tension of 1920s Soviet Russia, handling the flashbacks to imperial splendor and the grim present with tonal clarity. His voice suits Pekkala's contained, watchful quality, and at nine hours the pacing keeps the historical intrigue and personal stakes in productive balance. A gripping debut that announces a distinctive historical thriller series.