Shadow Pass

A shadow pass allows its bearer to go pretty much anywhere, commandeer anything, even kill without consequences. Inspector Pekkala had one when he served the Romanovs. Next he did a stint in Siberia, and now he's back with a new shadow pass, this time from Stalin himself. Author Sam Eastland has done his history homework and uses it expertly; the same is true for narrator Paul Michael. The plot this time involves the suspected theft of a Soviet secret weapon, a terrifying tank Stalin hopes will win the coming war for him, and thickens when the inventor of the tank is murdered. Michael's Rasputin, encountered in flashbacks, is so vivid you can practically smell him, and the rest of the characters are equally alive in this witty and compelling performance. B.G. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine