As I read this, the situation in Ukraine was getting worse, day by day. Crimea had voted to throw in its lot with Russia, and leaping out of the pages was a Tartar from Crimea who spoke Russian and Crimean, but no Ukrainian. As the pro-Russians were claiming their fight was with the fascists in Kiev, the brutality wreaked by the Nazis in Kiev was laid out before the reader. Why would the people in Kiev want to side with those who had caused so much suffering in  the city and Ukraine? Running through the book were the ugly wounds of history intertwined with the sad reality that Ukraine has a long way to go before it becomes a modern democratic state.

The story centres on Nadia, daughter of Ukrainian emigres who is tricked into searching for her uncle Damian and her cousin. the purpose is to bring her hitherto unknown cousin to America and safety.

Good read- yes

I a looking forward to reading the next book of the series,  The Boy who Stole From the Dead.