Reviews

Coming soon

Fabulous story of intrigue, suspense, and courage.

I read Moscow Bound over a period of 4 days and evenings. I didn't want to put it down. I especially liked the building of tension all the way through the story with one event setting the stage for the next. The descriptions--locations, how long it would take to get from one crisis to the next by car, and problems such as parking or cars that would not start because of the cold--grounded the reader. Relief from tension was provided by mention of similarities between the situation and things familiar to the reader--Columbo, Law & Order, and tennis quotes. Throughout the story, the reader experienced the changes that occurred in two men--Pravda, a Russian, and Mitchell, an Englishman--as each struggled to do what he thought was right. The ending left the reader wanting more.

Eris Perese

5.0

2019-02-07T04:09:08+00:00

Eris Perese

https://adrianchurchward.com/testimonials/fabulous-story-of-intrigue-suspense-and-courage/

Excellent! The author’s grasp of the geography and culture …

Excellent! The author's grasp of the geography and culture of Russia is obvious from the first pages. This added realism draws the reader along in a fast-paced, rollicking plot. It was interesting how Adrian showed his protagonists slowly grasp the surprise outcome, then come to grips with it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Highly recommended!

Brinn Colenda

5.0

2019-02-07T04:10:40+00:00

Brinn Colenda

https://adrianchurchward.com/testimonials/excellent-the-authors-grasp-of-the-geography-and-culture-brinn-colenda/

Is the author a spy himself?

I was on a home bound flight from London to Moscow recently, when I saw a man reading a book called Moscow Bound. What a coincidence! Of course I wanted the book. After a whole month of waiting for it to be delivered I eventually got it. The wait was really worth it. From the first pages the author manages to create the scenery and the characters so vividly live that you practically can see them. The deep understanding of Russian psyche and Moscow geographical settings allows the author make a strong impression that he knows the subject from the inside out. The story itself is so unusual that it captivates you from the very beginning, but when the main twist happens towards the end it makes you jump with excitement and wonder if the author himself was a spy or still is? I never read a single spy story and now am very grateful to Adrian Churchward that he has ignited a burning interest in me for a political thriller. Can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

Grigoria

5.0

2019-02-07T04:12:05+00:00

Grigoria

https://adrianchurchward.com/testimonials/is-the-author-a-spy-himself/

Spellbinding! Accused of money laundering and betrayed by his government, can Scott Mitchell’s life get worse? Yes.

The reader is captivated from the beginning when Scott Mitchell, about to board his flight back to Moscow, is stopped at the check-in counter of British Airlines. We’ve all stood in that slow moving line, clutching our passport and boarding pass, and watching as someone is asked to step aside. We know we haven’t committed any crimes, but for a moment, we taste fear. From this point on, the reader becomes one with Scott Mitchell, and when his assets are frozen and his credit card becomes worthless, we are ready to go into battle with him. We are dedicated to proving his innocence, regaining all he has lost, and helping him stay alive.
As in the first novel in this series, Moscow Bound, the pace is breathtaking. We travel between London, Russian cities, Budapest, and Malta trying to prove that Scott was not involved in a 250 million dollar money laundering scheme with the Chechens. The staples of power--powerful Russian oligarchs, information hacking techniques, business investments designed to produce information and influence, and brutal treatment of those who get in the way--have become known worldwide and Scott encounters them all. Combined, they nearly overwhelm the reader but, the author anchors the reader with the inclusion of well-developed supporting characters and by incorporating beautiful old cities, well-known buildings and hotels, tempting food and drinks, and Scott’s nine-year-old cat.
Reading Dancing with Shadows is a compelling experience. It is hard to resist the drive to keep turning pages. When the end comes, the reader is already anticipating the next book in the series.

Eris Perese

5.0

2019-02-07T04:14:27+00:00

Eris Perese

The reader is captivated from the beginning when Scott Mitchell, about to board his flight back to Moscow, is stopped at the check-in counter of British Airlines. We’ve all stood in that slow moving line, clutching our passport and boarding pass, and watching as someone is asked to step aside. We know we haven’t committed any crimes, but for a moment, we taste fear. From this point on, the reader becomes one with Scott Mitchell, and when his assets are frozen and his credit card becomes worthless, we are ready to go into battle with him. We are dedicated to proving his innocence, regaining all he has lost, and helping him stay alive. As in the first novel in this series, Moscow Bound, the pace is breathtaking. We travel between London, Russian cities, Budapest, and Malta trying to prove that Scott was not involved in a 250 million dollar money laundering scheme with the Chechens. The staples of power--powerful Russian oligarchs, information hacking techniques, business investments designed to produce information and influence, and brutal treatment of those who get in the way--have become known worldwide and Scott encounters them all. Combined, they nearly overwhelm the reader but, the author anchors the reader with the inclusion of well-developed supporting characters and by incorporating beautiful old cities, well-known buildings and hotels, tempting food and drinks, and Scott’s nine-year-old cat. Reading Dancing with Shadows is a compelling experience. It is hard to resist the drive to keep turning pages. When the end comes, the reader is already anticipating the next book in the series.

https://adrianchurchward.com/testimonials/spellbinding-accused-of-money-laundering-and-betrayed-by-his-government-can-scott-mitchells-life-get-worse-yes/

Excellent

“Dancing With Shadows” is the second book dealing with state abuse of power featuring Scott Mitchell, a human rights lawyer. This sequel to “Moscow Bound” is a gripping and exciting read from start to finish. This time we have Scott on suspicion of laundering $250 million for the Chechen mafia and we follow him through a sea of untrustworthy characters from London, to different Russian cities, to Budapest and Malta in a cat and mouse game while he tries to prove his innocence.

Scott is the lead in this story but many characters we came to know in the first book are re-introduced and play important roles: Ekaterina, Gravchenko and Pravda. Ms. Churchward doesn’t shy away from introducing multiple new characters also. The plot has multiple threads to follow that need our attention and can be overwhelming but the author set the stage expertly by including a group of well-developed players, beautiful surroundings and a touch of gastronomy delights. No doubt, this gripping tale filled with unexpected twists and turns is well worth reading. If you enjoy a thriller rifles with conspiracy and danger and have a soft spot for some Anglo-Russian shenanigans, give this one a try.

My thanks to NetGalley and to Silverwood Books for the opportunity to read this book

Toni Osborne

5.0

2019-02-07T04:15:54+00:00

Toni Osborne

“Dancing With Shadows” is the second book dealing with state abuse of power featuring Scott Mitchell, a human rights lawyer. This sequel to “Moscow Bound” is a gripping and exciting read from start to finish. This time we have Scott on suspicion of laundering $250 million for the Chechen mafia and we follow him through a sea of untrustworthy characters from London, to different Russian cities, to Budapest and Malta in a cat and mouse game while he tries to prove his innocence. Scott is the lead in this story but many characters we came to know in the first book are re-introduced and play important roles: Ekaterina, Gravchenko and Pravda. Ms. Churchward doesn’t shy away from introducing multiple new characters also. The plot has multiple threads to follow that need our attention and can be overwhelming but the author set the stage expertly by including a group of well-developed players, beautiful surroundings and a touch of gastronomy delights. No doubt, this gripping tale filled with unexpected twists and turns is well worth reading. If you enjoy a thriller rifles with conspiracy and danger and have a soft spot for some Anglo-Russian shenanigans, give this one a try. My thanks to NetGalley and to Silverwood Books for the opportunity to read this book

https://adrianchurchward.com/testimonials/excellent/

Russian corruption

This is one of the best suspense novels I have read in awhile. The main character, Scott Mitchell, is a British human rights lawyer who has been framed as helping launder money for Chechnyans and the story focuses on his efforts to prove his innocence, which is a complicated process involving powerful figures in Russia and the British government, all of whom have their own agendas that they want Scott to assist with.

The story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you are piecing it all together, there is another surprise twist. The author does a great job of maintaining a complex plot with interesting and somewhat mysterious characters and plenty of action. The story is also very topical, with mention of events that actually happened in 2016, as well as references to doxing, use of Twitter as a source of breaking news and a source for personal attacks and defamation, and the Panama Papers. The story focuses on Russia and the powerful people around Putin, as well as issues involving Ukraine, Chechnya, Russian oligarchs, corruption, and money laundering.

I want to read the previous novel, as well as the third book in the series.

I received a copy of the e-book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

JReppy

5.0

2019-02-07T04:16:48+00:00

JReppy

This is one of the best suspense novels I have read in awhile. The main character, Scott Mitchell, is a British human rights lawyer who has been framed as helping launder money for Chechnyans and the story focuses on his efforts to prove his innocence, which is a complicated process involving powerful figures in Russia and the British government, all of whom have their own agendas that they want Scott to assist with. The story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you are piecing it all together, there is another surprise twist. The author does a great job of maintaining a complex plot with interesting and somewhat mysterious characters and plenty of action. The story is also very topical, with mention of events that actually happened in 2016, as well as references to doxing, use of Twitter as a source of breaking news and a source for personal attacks and defamation, and the Panama Papers. The story focuses on Russia and the powerful people around Putin, as well as issues involving Ukraine, Chechnya, Russian oligarchs, corruption, and money laundering. I want to read the previous novel, as well as the third book in the series. I received a copy of the e-book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

https://adrianchurchward.com/testimonials/russian-corruption/

The Links

Adrian Churchward