The Dissident

A Novel

By: Paul Goldberg

Narrated by: David Aranovich

"Crime and Punishment―for the Jews! Paul Goldberg's [work]…is a dead-serious, dead-funny, no-he-didn't marvel."―Joshua Cohen, author of The Netanyahus

A thrilling, witty, and slyly original Cold War mystery about a ragtag group of Jewish refuseniks in Moscow.

On his wedding day in 1976, Viktor Moroz stumbles upon a murder scene: two gay men, one of them a US official, are axed to death in Moscow. Viktor, a Jewish refusenik, is stuck in Russia due to the government’s denial of his application to leave for Israel; he sits “in refusal” alongside his wife and their community of intellectuals, Jewish and not. But then the KGB spots Viktor leaving the murder scene. Plucked off the street, he’s given a choice: find the real murderer or become the suspect of convenience. His deadline is nine days later, when Henry Kissinger is arriving in Moscow. Ax murders, it seems, aren’t good for politics.

A whip-smart, often hilarious Cold War thriller, Paul Goldberg’s The Dissident explores what it means to survive in the face of impossible choices and monumental consequences. To solve the case, Viktor ropes in his community, which includes his banned-text-distributing wife, a hard-drinking sculptor, a Russian priest of Jewish heritage, and a visiting American intent on reliving World War II heroics. As Viktor struggles to figure out whom to trust, he’s forced to question not only the KGB’s murky motives but also those of his fellow refuseniks―and the man he admires above all: the Secretary of State himself.

Immersive, unpredictable, and always ax-sharp, The Dissident is Cold War intrigue at its most inventive: an uncompromising look at sacrifice, community, and the scars of history and identity, from an expert storyteller.

©2023 Paul Goldberg. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“This post-Cold War thriller set in Moscow in 1976 is primarily a murder mystery with a cameo of Henry Kissinger. Its enjoyable listening benefits from David Aranovich's well-paced narration. The central character is Viktor Moroz, a Russian refusenik who stumbles on a murder scene and is given a choice: Find the murderer, or the KGB will name him the murderer. From there, the real pleasure begins. Aranovich has a blast creating characters, including Viktor's wife and a visiting American, each with a distinct personality and a range of interests that makes the listener anticipate every minute until the satisfying ending.”—AudioFile Magazine

“Russian American narrator David Aranovich provides an exemplary performance of Goldberg’s novel, fluently pronouncing Russian phrases and place names. His deft performance immerses listeners in Soviet political culture and the plight of Jewish refuseniks who were used as pawns to impress the West.”—Library Journal

"The Dissident is a murder mystery, a love story, a diplomatic thriller, and a glimpse into a pivotal moment in Soviet history. But most of all it is a joy. An incandescent conjuring of Moscow in the 1970s full of dark humor, vodka, smoked fish, and choices no one should be forced to make, The Dissident is a hilarious and erudite novel brimming over with life."—Michael David Lukas, author of The Last Watchman of Old Cairo

Very realistic tale

Loved how they immersed Russian quotes in the story. It's very difficult to find stories like this of Russian dissidents but this fit the bill!

Terrible waste of reading time

Nothing attracts me to continue reading this novel, Inane, perhaps only good for putting one to sleep. I've been a subscriber to Audible for years. Even so, Audible will not allow me to return this waste of time. Summary: don't waste your time on it.