The Starlings of Bucharest

Moscow Wolves, Book 2

By: Sarah Armstrong

Narrated by: Rupert Bush

Ted wants to be a proper journalist rather than a film critic, but at least the travel is good. He arrives in Bucharest to interview a renowned film director, but suspects the man he sees is an imposter. His guide, Vasile, has involved him in a more interesting story about a missing girl, a puzzled Ted aims to solve while he's in Moscow at the 1975 International Film Festival.

In Moscow, though, the mystery deepens and Ted finds himself asked to do more than a few dubious favours.

©2020 Sarah Armstrong (P)2020 W. F. Howes Ltd

Not outstanding, but worth buying

Definitely more of a thriller than a mystery as such. I haven't read the first book, but this one worked fine as a stand-alone. I was wondering about reading the first one after this book, but the final scene here pretty much killed that idea.

I didn't find the initial Bucharest scene particularly relevant to the story, but then again I didn't think it was all that interesting, so wasn't paying full attention. When Ted arrives in Moscow, meeting all the new people, was when the story came alive for me. Some of them are spies, and some of them may not be, it was difficult to tell who was who in that regard when I went back and thought about it afterwards.

The book's greatest strength is its main character, Ted, who comes across as a very likable fellow, who's naivete is actually necessary for the plot. Maybe it was the narration, but I did lose track that he was only 22 years old. As someone who has traveled internationally quite a bit, it was interesting to see his wide-eyed wondrous expression at his first big foreign city adventure.

It was interesting that the author includes KGB reports periodically, as a contrast to Ted's direct observations of events. I'd like to think that the agent who befriends him at the end, actually did grow to like him. Much is made of the surliness of the hotel and restaurant staffs, but I think I would grow to resent dealing with westerners every day who have unlimited access to western goods.

A note on the audiobook: I had a bit of trouble with Ted's accent at the beginning, but grew used to it as time went on. Christopher, the British diplomat, had an appropriately haughty upper class accent. The Russian accents were done well enough so as not to seem exaggerated.

Verdict: three stars means it's a perfectly adequate book, and I'd certainly be interested in another featuring Ted as the main character. Continuing the series with a new individual? Maybe.