Are you ready to get into the Cherkassky case?

To put the dots on the "i" from the beginning, Aurélie Ramadier's latest detective book, The Cherkassky Affair, is a masterpiece of realism and depth. Just that. The plot of the novel has its roots in the 80s, in Moscow, at the time of the Helsinki Accords that signed the respect of human rights in the Soviet Union… Sweet irony. The character on whom the investigation focuses, Nicolas Cherkassky, is a survivor of the gulags who perfectly embodies the mysterious and elusive legend. The Cherkassky case, by Aurélie Ramadier The book is told from the point of view of Camille, a bright and intelligent young woman who works for a newspaper. Having already lived in the USSR, Camille is responsible for writing an article on Russia and will eventually fall into obsession, focusing on the Cherkassky case. She will meet former spies and double agents who will help her investigate Cherkassky's life and discover the truth… Or maybe not. The author has managed to build a well-crafted plot, rich in emotions and dialogue. The flashbacks follow one another with ease, allowing the reader to better understand Cherkassky's story or perhaps lose him? Everything is blurry, but that doesn't make the reading experience unpleasant, quite the contrary. The heroine Camille is a very well written, courageous and intelligent female character, who evolves throughout the story. In fact, the plot issue is whether Camille will be able to find Cherkassky, who is supposed to be alive. This quest gives rhythm to the novel and encourages the reader to continue until the end… The Cherkassky affair plunges its reader into the world of spies, of real ones. The author has managed to realistically transcribe the daily existence of the Soviets and the paranoia of the time. A paranoia that does not seem to belong to the past. The book questions human rights and individual freedom, themes that remain relevant — as does the notion of truth and achievements. This book is particularly interesting to analyze since it privileges relations between humans not only relationships, friendly ties, but also professional knowledge as well as all the lies, all the betrayals that can be plotted that we can regret in particular. In the course of her investigation, Camille faces people who are unique: this is proof that the writer wanted to create authentic protagonists and who can be part of the process of a historical testimony faithful to reality. This novel of more than 400 pages contains very few descriptions with an emphasis on dialogue. Yet the reader will easily imagine each scene, since this text looks a lot like a movie script. The meetings between Camille and the individuals who frequented Nicolas seem so credible that one even wonders if, finally, this fiction inspired by real facts is not a biography, that of its author Aurélie Ramadier… This novel features a journalist as the protagonist, rather than a police officer. This originality in the narrative structure represents a wise choice, because it gives the opportunity to value a strong, courageous, determined and ambitious female figure. In reality, the importance of this choice is interesting, because male characters are often omnipresent in police officers, which can be a hindrance for many female readers. This makes it easy to identify with heroin, especially for women, who are more visible on social networks and book fans. Especially since the narration is very well paced: the reader does not get bored for a single second when discovering this investigation. This makes it a reading that is aimed at all people sensitive to history, including that of the Soviet Union, as well as espionage enthusiasts who wish to tackle a unique book and very accessible to all types of audiences. Be careful, however, to have basic knowledge in the field to fully enjoy the reading experience. Finally, the heroine's measured attitude is very insightful. The fact that she goes so far as to interview potentially dangerous individuals is also emphasized, which makes the protagonist all the more interesting, who is not afraid … The author's work is also to be commended, because she was able to lead her reader from beginning to end thanks to many twists and turns, impossible to predict. In other words, the solid historical reference shows the long-term study that went into writing this successful novel. Author's website: www.aurelieramadier.fr