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Inspector Akyl Borubaev #2
A Spring Betrayal
We uncovered the last of the bodies in the red hour before dusk, as the sun stained the snowcaps of the Tian Shan mountains the colour of dried blood and the spring air turned sharp and cold . . .
Inspector Akyl Borubaev of Bishkek Murder Squad has been exiled to the far corner of Kyrgystan, but death still haunts him at every turn.
Borubaev soon finds himself caught up in a mysterious and gruesome new case: several children's bodies have been found buried together - all tagged with name bands. In his search for the truth behind the brutal killings, Borubaev hits a wall of silence, with no one to turn to outside his sometime lover, the beautiful undercover agent Saltanat Umarova.
When Borubaev himself is framed for his involvement in the production of blood-soaked child pornography, it looks as though things couldn't get any worse. With the investigation at a dangerous standstill, Borubaev sets out to save his own integrity, and to deliver his own savage justice on behalf of the many dead who can't speak for themselves . . .
Inspector Akyl Borubaev of Bishkek Murder Squad has been exiled to the far corner of Kyrgystan, but death still haunts him at every turn.
Borubaev soon finds himself caught up in a mysterious and gruesome new case: several children's bodies have been found buried together - all tagged with name bands. In his search for the truth behind the brutal killings, Borubaev hits a wall of silence, with no one to turn to outside his sometime lover, the beautiful undercover agent Saltanat Umarova.
When Borubaev himself is framed for his involvement in the production of blood-soaked child pornography, it looks as though things couldn't get any worse. With the investigation at a dangerous standstill, Borubaev sets out to save his own integrity, and to deliver his own savage justice on behalf of the many dead who can't speak for themselves . . .
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2016
8 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Tom Callaghan
4 books31 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Tom Callaghan was born in the North of England and educated at the University of York and Vassar College, New York. A creative group head at Saatchi & Saatchi for many years, he has worked in London, New York, Singapore and Dubai.
He attended the 2011 Emirates LitFest Crime Workshop given by Mark Billingham: the result is A Killing Winter, the first novel in a series featuring Kyrgyz Murder Squad Inspector Akyl Borubaev, published worldwide in English by Quercus. Publishing director Stef Bierwerth said of it: “Right from the very beginning, A Killing Winter hits you like a steam train. It’s an incredibly polished debut thriller which convinces through its originality and timeliness.”
An inveterate traveller, Tom divides his time between Bishkek, Dubai, London and Prague.
Tom Callaghan was born in the North of England and educated at the University of York and Vassar College, New York. A creative group head at Saatchi & Saatchi for many years, he has worked in London, New York, Singapore and Dubai.
He attended the 2011 Emirates LitFest Crime Workshop given by Mark Billingham: the result is A Killing Winter, the first novel in a series featuring Kyrgyz Murder Squad Inspector Akyl Borubaev, published worldwide in English by Quercus. Publishing director Stef Bierwerth said of it: “Right from the very beginning, A Killing Winter hits you like a steam train. It’s an incredibly polished debut thriller which convinces through its originality and timeliness.”
An inveterate traveller, Tom divides his time between Bishkek, Dubai, London and Prague.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 21, 2016
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, “A Killing Winter,” and was delighted to read the second. I will say that many of the characters that appeared in the first novel also appear in this, so it makes sense to read the first book before this one. After his previous case in “A Killing Winter,” Inspector Akyl Borubaev has found himself exiled to the far east of Kyrgystan. In such a remote area of a fairly remote country, you would think that he would simply be biding his time. However, when the bodies of seven young children are unearthed, all wearing orphanage identity bands, he finds himself once again called to investigate under the personal orders of Mikhail Tynaliev, the Minister of State Security.
In this book, we learn more about Akyl and also Saltanat, who also appeared in the first book. Akyl is still mourning his wife, Chinara, although he is obviously attracted to Saltanat. They pair up to investigate and we learn something of their childhoods; especially that of Akyl and his time spent in a state orphanage.
The author paints a picture of Kyrgystan as a wild and hostile place, rife with corruption. When it becomes clear that someone with a lot of power and wealth is involved in the abuse and killing of children, it is more than just another case – but something personal. I will be honest in my review and say that I found this a realistic, somewhat upsetting novel; but that I did not enjoy it quite as much as the first book in the series. However, although it fell short of a five star review for me, the unusual setting and lead character are both good and I would certainly read on if there is another in the series.
In this book, we learn more about Akyl and also Saltanat, who also appeared in the first book. Akyl is still mourning his wife, Chinara, although he is obviously attracted to Saltanat. They pair up to investigate and we learn something of their childhoods; especially that of Akyl and his time spent in a state orphanage.
The author paints a picture of Kyrgystan as a wild and hostile place, rife with corruption. When it becomes clear that someone with a lot of power and wealth is involved in the abuse and killing of children, it is more than just another case – but something personal. I will be honest in my review and say that I found this a realistic, somewhat upsetting novel; but that I did not enjoy it quite as much as the first book in the series. However, although it fell short of a five star review for me, the unusual setting and lead character are both good and I would certainly read on if there is another in the series.
April 18, 2016
I cannot tell you how much I wanted to get my hands on this book. I had absolutely adored A Killing Winter, and I was nervous that the sequel would not live up to its promise and my expectations. I had nothing to worry about, this is a hell ride into the darkest of deeds that humans perpetrate. The taking of vulnerable orphan children and subjecting them to sexual abuse, torture, killing and filming it for the most depraved to view as movies. Inspector Akyl Borubaev who has "learned over the years that every good deed earns you enemies" is in Karakol, the far east of Kyrgyzstan. He is at a gruesome scene where the bodies of 7 young children are discovered. Soon after, his good friend, Gurminj, a one armed Tajik head of a orphanage is murdered.
To ensure that Akyl does not investigate, he has been framed as a paedophile who has incriminating DVDs featuring young children. This only makes Akyl more determined, as he says "..Murder Squad; it is my job to get myself in trouble by asking the right questions". Once again, he is aided by the one woman army that is Saltanat with whom it transpires he has many historical connections. The trail leads to a rich outsider who is ruthless, well connected and with fingers in many pies in the country. Morton Graves is supported by Albina Kurmanalieva, an old foe of Saltanat. The blood spattered, gory investigation has a growing body count, insurmountable obstacles and life threatening dangers. Akyl knows that love and justice is important in life but comes close to seeing both slip beyond his grasp.
Tom Callaghan conveys the beauty of Kyrgyzstan, whilst at the same time painting a picture of a morally compromised country. Akyl, in a damning indictment, says "I don't have friends, only suspects". Like so many poor nations, it cannot keep its vulnerable children safe from the grasping tentacles of foreign sharks. The money bought in by these people guarantees they are beyond the law. The only justice we get is of a extra judicial nature which just might bring love and a family to Akyl in the future. Tom Callaghan's writing is eloquent and lyrical, this is a superior literate thriller that I loved. Cannot thank Quercus enough for an ARC via netgalley,
To ensure that Akyl does not investigate, he has been framed as a paedophile who has incriminating DVDs featuring young children. This only makes Akyl more determined, as he says "..Murder Squad; it is my job to get myself in trouble by asking the right questions". Once again, he is aided by the one woman army that is Saltanat with whom it transpires he has many historical connections. The trail leads to a rich outsider who is ruthless, well connected and with fingers in many pies in the country. Morton Graves is supported by Albina Kurmanalieva, an old foe of Saltanat. The blood spattered, gory investigation has a growing body count, insurmountable obstacles and life threatening dangers. Akyl knows that love and justice is important in life but comes close to seeing both slip beyond his grasp.
Tom Callaghan conveys the beauty of Kyrgyzstan, whilst at the same time painting a picture of a morally compromised country. Akyl, in a damning indictment, says "I don't have friends, only suspects". Like so many poor nations, it cannot keep its vulnerable children safe from the grasping tentacles of foreign sharks. The money bought in by these people guarantees they are beyond the law. The only justice we get is of a extra judicial nature which just might bring love and a family to Akyl in the future. Tom Callaghan's writing is eloquent and lyrical, this is a superior literate thriller that I loved. Cannot thank Quercus enough for an ARC via netgalley,
May 22, 2019
The second of a four part series featuring detective Akyl Borubaev of the Bishkek Murder Squad in the far regions of Kyrgyzstan. The first story being set in winter, we now have the spring thaw revealing bodies for our detective to investigate. I’m hoping it follows on from A Killing Winter which was a grand opening book for the author & very much enjoyed by me with it’s noir themes.
Indeed it follows on with characters from the first episode playing roles in this follow up although the murder mystery aspect is fresh but particularly gruesome. I must add at this stage it revolves around the murder of children & gives description of autopsies which aren’t very palatable as it becomes clear they are sexually motivated. Not what I like to read about if i’m honest (I always cast aside the Nordic Noir books that cover child abuse) but having enjoyed the characters immensely from prior I continued with the book hoping the depravity was finished with, which it mostly is with only reference to it being drawn upon latterly.
It’s a fast paced story in terms of events & actions, we also learn more of Inspector Akyl Borubaev’s life as well as that of his colleague Saltanat, she of the Uzbek secret service. The story never drags & for me the author infill’s with back-story at jus the right time giving the reader further insight into his characters. The bad guys are jus that...... pure eviiiiil.
A small niggle... there are one or two Hollywood style escapes but for the whole the story is plausible, even though the ending is perhaps a little bit of a fizzle.
Really enjoyable second venture into Kyrgyzstan & highly recommend for those that enjoy a gritty detective novel, very much reminds me of Pierre Lemaitre in style/content.
Giving it 4 stars.
Indeed it follows on with characters from the first episode playing roles in this follow up although the murder mystery aspect is fresh but particularly gruesome. I must add at this stage it revolves around the murder of children & gives description of autopsies which aren’t very palatable as it becomes clear they are sexually motivated. Not what I like to read about if i’m honest (I always cast aside the Nordic Noir books that cover child abuse) but having enjoyed the characters immensely from prior I continued with the book hoping the depravity was finished with, which it mostly is with only reference to it being drawn upon latterly.
It’s a fast paced story in terms of events & actions, we also learn more of Inspector Akyl Borubaev’s life as well as that of his colleague Saltanat, she of the Uzbek secret service. The story never drags & for me the author infill’s with back-story at jus the right time giving the reader further insight into his characters. The bad guys are jus that...... pure eviiiiil.
A small niggle... there are one or two Hollywood style escapes but for the whole the story is plausible, even though the ending is perhaps a little bit of a fizzle.
Really enjoyable second venture into Kyrgyzstan & highly recommend for those that enjoy a gritty detective novel, very much reminds me of Pierre Lemaitre in style/content.
Giving it 4 stars.
April 15, 2022
Kyrgyzstan... landlocked former Central Asian Soviet socialist republic... mountainous, majestic, mysterious, chaotic, corrupt, crazy. Kyrgyzstan is, in my opinion, the main and outstanding character in Tom Callaghan’s ‘A Spring Betrayal’, second instalment of the Inspector Akyl Borubaev series.
Following on from the first book in the series, ‘A Winter Killing’, ‘A Spring Betrayal’ witnesses Inspector Borubaev of the Bishkek Murder Squad exiled to the far flung eastern region of the country, taking a policing post in a remote location after the events of the previous book. Stumbling on a gruesome discovery of a shallow grave of seven orphaned children in the remote north east, Borubaev is set on another relentless chase to uncover the most hideous criminals, responsible for unspeakable acts of terror on children and to clear his own name after being framed as a perpetrator.
Tom Callaghan has written a series that ticks all the boxes for me. I love nothing more than a strong setting that drives me to find out as much as I can about the land and the people, diving into atlases, various internet sites and other books. As a parallel read, I picked up Erika Fatland’s Sovietistan, commencing on the chapter on Kyrgyzstan to read about this fascinating and incredibly rich part of the world.
As she records in Sovietistan about Kyrgyzstan, “Our society is extremely aggressive,” Banur says. “For all its generosity and warmth, Kyrgyz society is hard. It doesn’t take much for people to flee up and shout and scream at each other, or to start a fight”. This statement pretty much sums up the Kyrgyzstan that Callaghan introduces us to in ‘A Spring Betrayal’.
I also love a damaged detective, where I am privileged to get inside his thoughts, motives, past, behaviours, influences and personality. Akyl Borubaev is exactly that character, continuing to process his wife’s untimely death, racked by cancer. Callaghan allows us to understand more and more of the circumstances around this and the way that Borubaev processes this - in a way that is authentic for the man he is, not cliche or trite.
We also glimpse something of his childhood too, the period that he was left in a children’s home, abandoned and forgotten for a period and the impact that has had on who he is as an adult male. A Spring Betrayal is a book with multiple layers. The ending is neither complete nor wanting. Betrayal is a multilayered notion and as the last few words of the book indicate...
“We create rules to live by, to tell us how to act, to help us sleep at night. And when life shreds them into fragments thrown into the wind, all we can do is carry on. But there’s always a price, because betrayal comes in many disguises. First, we betray our friends. Then we betray those who love us. And finally, inevitably, we betray ourselves. Maybe it’s love that redeems us. Or when we do what we know what’s right, whatever the consequences.”
I’m going to give this one 5 stars.
Following on from the first book in the series, ‘A Winter Killing’, ‘A Spring Betrayal’ witnesses Inspector Borubaev of the Bishkek Murder Squad exiled to the far flung eastern region of the country, taking a policing post in a remote location after the events of the previous book. Stumbling on a gruesome discovery of a shallow grave of seven orphaned children in the remote north east, Borubaev is set on another relentless chase to uncover the most hideous criminals, responsible for unspeakable acts of terror on children and to clear his own name after being framed as a perpetrator.
Tom Callaghan has written a series that ticks all the boxes for me. I love nothing more than a strong setting that drives me to find out as much as I can about the land and the people, diving into atlases, various internet sites and other books. As a parallel read, I picked up Erika Fatland’s Sovietistan, commencing on the chapter on Kyrgyzstan to read about this fascinating and incredibly rich part of the world.
As she records in Sovietistan about Kyrgyzstan, “Our society is extremely aggressive,” Banur says. “For all its generosity and warmth, Kyrgyz society is hard. It doesn’t take much for people to flee up and shout and scream at each other, or to start a fight”. This statement pretty much sums up the Kyrgyzstan that Callaghan introduces us to in ‘A Spring Betrayal’.
I also love a damaged detective, where I am privileged to get inside his thoughts, motives, past, behaviours, influences and personality. Akyl Borubaev is exactly that character, continuing to process his wife’s untimely death, racked by cancer. Callaghan allows us to understand more and more of the circumstances around this and the way that Borubaev processes this - in a way that is authentic for the man he is, not cliche or trite.
We also glimpse something of his childhood too, the period that he was left in a children’s home, abandoned and forgotten for a period and the impact that has had on who he is as an adult male. A Spring Betrayal is a book with multiple layers. The ending is neither complete nor wanting. Betrayal is a multilayered notion and as the last few words of the book indicate...
“We create rules to live by, to tell us how to act, to help us sleep at night. And when life shreds them into fragments thrown into the wind, all we can do is carry on. But there’s always a price, because betrayal comes in many disguises. First, we betray our friends. Then we betray those who love us. And finally, inevitably, we betray ourselves. Maybe it’s love that redeems us. Or when we do what we know what’s right, whatever the consequences.”
I’m going to give this one 5 stars.
January 25, 2018
First and foremost, readers need to read A Killing Winter before reading #2 A Spring Betrayal as it is full of references of the previous novel. That said, I read this disturbing well written novel in 3 days.
It is a very violent novel about the rich and powerful getting their way. It is an electrifying and horrifying plot about disgusting, vomit inducing sexual violence against children. Akyl and his partner fight corruption, criminals and for their lives to get to the bottom of this case. Kyrgystan is not portrayed kindly with her crime, alcoholism, poverty and bleakness within every page. However Despite everyone around him seemingly out to destroy him and his country, Akyl also describes his country with incredible beauty and pride.
Tom Callaghan also has an incredible knack of using Kyrgyz words while defining them also in English without a glossary.
"One of the things I like about Tom Callaghan's writing is his smooth way of using Kyrgyz words while deftly defining them with the nearby sentences. The reader does not need a glossary. i.e. the Inspector orders a local cop to help carry a body, the cop refused. " I repeated the order, and he simply said Pashol na khui. If I were in his place, perhaps I'd have told me to f*** off as well.""
It is a very violent novel about the rich and powerful getting their way. It is an electrifying and horrifying plot about disgusting, vomit inducing sexual violence against children. Akyl and his partner fight corruption, criminals and for their lives to get to the bottom of this case. Kyrgystan is not portrayed kindly with her crime, alcoholism, poverty and bleakness within every page. However Despite everyone around him seemingly out to destroy him and his country, Akyl also describes his country with incredible beauty and pride.
Tom Callaghan also has an incredible knack of using Kyrgyz words while defining them also in English without a glossary.
"One of the things I like about Tom Callaghan's writing is his smooth way of using Kyrgyz words while deftly defining them with the nearby sentences. The reader does not need a glossary. i.e. the Inspector orders a local cop to help carry a body, the cop refused. " I repeated the order, and he simply said Pashol na khui. If I were in his place, perhaps I'd have told me to f*** off as well.""
January 6, 2021
So many clichés it's laughable. Good writing,awful plot.Plot?
November 14, 2017
I think I maybe missing something. All the other readers seem to be raving about this book and I found it brutal and a bit bland. Our police inspector Akyl Borubaev is either being tortured or injured, and his female companion Saltanat Umarova would make a great Bond villian (strong silent and smoking). I think the body count was upto about 14 but I may have missed a couple. Not for me.
April 16, 2016
A Spring Betrayal – A Journey into a Dark Heart.
A Spring Betrayal is Tom Callaghan’s second book in the Inspector Akyl Borubaev series, which takes us in to the dark heart of Kyrgyastan, a former Soviet Republic in Central Asia. With clear and precise prose Callaghan describes the beauty of a country that will be not very well known in most places in the world, while portraying its darker side.
Inspector Akyl Borubaev of Bishkek Murder Squad has upset some powerful people in the Kyrgyastan Republic and has been sent out in “exile” to one of the furthest corners of the country, beautiful it may be, exciting it isn’t.
When a number of bodies are found buried together in his corner of the country, he does not realise how gruesome and dangerous this case will become. To make matters worse the children are tagged with name bands from orphanages across Kyrgystan in a country where orphans really count for nothing.
As Borubaev starts to investigate the children’s murders he hits a wall of silence across the country he has to visit an old friend who runs an orphanage, Gurminj, who paints a picture that does not bode well for either of them. Even the pathologist, Usupov, advises him to leave the case a lone as the people involved are far too powerful, connected and very dangerous.
The only person that Borubaev can really trust is Uzbeki agent and occasional lover Saltanat Umarova as life becomes ever more dangerous for him. When he is then framed by others, who accuse him of being involved with the production of child abuse videos, and other forms of extreme pornography. He knows that he must be along the right track in his investigation but at the same time he needs to save his own reputation and career, while making sure he delivers justice for the children, whatever that may look like in Kyrgystan.
Tom Callaghan has written an exciting crime thriller that takes the reader to a country that is unfamiliar, so we get an interesting glimpse of an unknown country. He makes Kyrgystan, through his prose, sound like a beautiful if harsh country, where nothing can be taken at face value. Callaghan is an excellent story teller who draws the reader in then holds him until the last word.
In spite of the horrible crimes that have been committed and hinted at being on going, this is still an enjoyable read, while discovering a new detective in a country we know little about. A great new crime writer who we shall be hearing more of in the near future.
A Spring Betrayal is Tom Callaghan’s second book in the Inspector Akyl Borubaev series, which takes us in to the dark heart of Kyrgyastan, a former Soviet Republic in Central Asia. With clear and precise prose Callaghan describes the beauty of a country that will be not very well known in most places in the world, while portraying its darker side.
Inspector Akyl Borubaev of Bishkek Murder Squad has upset some powerful people in the Kyrgyastan Republic and has been sent out in “exile” to one of the furthest corners of the country, beautiful it may be, exciting it isn’t.
When a number of bodies are found buried together in his corner of the country, he does not realise how gruesome and dangerous this case will become. To make matters worse the children are tagged with name bands from orphanages across Kyrgystan in a country where orphans really count for nothing.
As Borubaev starts to investigate the children’s murders he hits a wall of silence across the country he has to visit an old friend who runs an orphanage, Gurminj, who paints a picture that does not bode well for either of them. Even the pathologist, Usupov, advises him to leave the case a lone as the people involved are far too powerful, connected and very dangerous.
The only person that Borubaev can really trust is Uzbeki agent and occasional lover Saltanat Umarova as life becomes ever more dangerous for him. When he is then framed by others, who accuse him of being involved with the production of child abuse videos, and other forms of extreme pornography. He knows that he must be along the right track in his investigation but at the same time he needs to save his own reputation and career, while making sure he delivers justice for the children, whatever that may look like in Kyrgystan.
Tom Callaghan has written an exciting crime thriller that takes the reader to a country that is unfamiliar, so we get an interesting glimpse of an unknown country. He makes Kyrgystan, through his prose, sound like a beautiful if harsh country, where nothing can be taken at face value. Callaghan is an excellent story teller who draws the reader in then holds him until the last word.
In spite of the horrible crimes that have been committed and hinted at being on going, this is still an enjoyable read, while discovering a new detective in a country we know little about. A great new crime writer who we shall be hearing more of in the near future.
April 13, 2016
We've all walked down the fictional mean streets of LA, NY, London, or these days even the capitals of Scandinavia.
But Kyrgyzstan? Most of us would stumble over the spelling, let alone find it on a map. But this is the beat that author Tom Callaghan has made his own with his second Akyl Borubaev thriller ( the first being A Killing Winter).
A Spring Betrayal does what strong narratives often do – it brings alive interesting characters and an unusual setting, in this case one that few of us have any experience of and, most probably, little desire to visit. However, few devotees of hard-btitten crime fiction will regret visiting this thriller.
Our protagonist is Inspector Borubaev of Bishkek, who we encounter as he's called in to investigate the discovery of the graves of seven murdered children on a remote hillside. In his bid to find out what has happened he hits a wall of omerta, but once he links up with his one-time lover and all-round hardcore hitwoman, Saltanat Umarova, the fireworks really get going.
Borubaev is a troubled man who is haunted by the loss of his wife to cancer and the fact that if he puts a foot wrong, sinister government forces will destroy him.
While he makes a winning protagonist, the backdrop of child porn and torture cellars is bleak, and the criminal mastermind is rather underdeveloped. I also found the plot a little repetitive and lacking in forward momentum. Several times, for example, Borubaev and Umarova fall out over his hot-headedness and we learn more than once that he is motivated by a need for justice for the dead, a slightly abstract and flat incentive.
But A Spring Betrayal is certainly a fresh thriller, with plenty of intrigue and enough firepower to start a war. And all this in what Tom Callaghan describes as a ‘beautiful country with friendly people’. Anyone contemplating a visit might want a little more reassurance after reading this.
But Kyrgyzstan? Most of us would stumble over the spelling, let alone find it on a map. But this is the beat that author Tom Callaghan has made his own with his second Akyl Borubaev thriller ( the first being A Killing Winter).
A Spring Betrayal does what strong narratives often do – it brings alive interesting characters and an unusual setting, in this case one that few of us have any experience of and, most probably, little desire to visit. However, few devotees of hard-btitten crime fiction will regret visiting this thriller.
Our protagonist is Inspector Borubaev of Bishkek, who we encounter as he's called in to investigate the discovery of the graves of seven murdered children on a remote hillside. In his bid to find out what has happened he hits a wall of omerta, but once he links up with his one-time lover and all-round hardcore hitwoman, Saltanat Umarova, the fireworks really get going.
Borubaev is a troubled man who is haunted by the loss of his wife to cancer and the fact that if he puts a foot wrong, sinister government forces will destroy him.
While he makes a winning protagonist, the backdrop of child porn and torture cellars is bleak, and the criminal mastermind is rather underdeveloped. I also found the plot a little repetitive and lacking in forward momentum. Several times, for example, Borubaev and Umarova fall out over his hot-headedness and we learn more than once that he is motivated by a need for justice for the dead, a slightly abstract and flat incentive.
But A Spring Betrayal is certainly a fresh thriller, with plenty of intrigue and enough firepower to start a war. And all this in what Tom Callaghan describes as a ‘beautiful country with friendly people’. Anyone contemplating a visit might want a little more reassurance after reading this.
October 4, 2016
Akyl Borubaev has been sent to exile in Karakol, one of the remote villages of Kyrgustan part of the former Soviet Union. While there he is called in to investigate the discovery of seven children’s bodies that have been discovered in a shallow grave. They have all been brutalized and murdered but the one thing they all have in common is that they have an orphanage identification band.
Akyl starts looking in the deaths and is warned away by several people. Those that have killed the children are powerful. When he keeps digging, Akyl finds that he has been accused of being a pedophile and having videos of abuse of children and worse. But he is going to keep digging until he can find the killers and clear his name.
I really enjoyed this story. There was a lot going on, a great mystery, and a brutal, realistic story. When I mean realistic be prepared to hate people. But it was well written and kept me turning pages to see how it was going to end.
I have not read A Killing Winter but I don’t think this really affected my reading of A Spring Betrayal. I enjoyed this book enough that I will definitely be reading A Killing Winter. If you like a great mystery/thriller this is one book that you need to check out.
I received A Spring Betrayal for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Akyl starts looking in the deaths and is warned away by several people. Those that have killed the children are powerful. When he keeps digging, Akyl finds that he has been accused of being a pedophile and having videos of abuse of children and worse. But he is going to keep digging until he can find the killers and clear his name.
I really enjoyed this story. There was a lot going on, a great mystery, and a brutal, realistic story. When I mean realistic be prepared to hate people. But it was well written and kept me turning pages to see how it was going to end.
I have not read A Killing Winter but I don’t think this really affected my reading of A Spring Betrayal. I enjoyed this book enough that I will definitely be reading A Killing Winter. If you like a great mystery/thriller this is one book that you need to check out.
I received A Spring Betrayal for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2018
This book was equally as good as the first one.
Welcome to the second book in the series, and the continuing adventures of Inspector Akyl Borubaev of the Bishkek Murder Squad in the North of Kyrgyzstan. Although now, he has been transferred to Karakol, located in the North-East of Kyrgyzstan, just East of Lake Issyk Kul.
Spring has come to Kyrgyzstan, and with it, a new brutal crime that Inspector Borubaev is pulled into. This one equally as dangerous as his previous case from the first book in the series.
As I stated in my review of the first book in the series, if you are easily offended, or squeamish about the descriptive details of killings and injuries, then this might not be the book for you. The writer tends to get very descriptive at times.
But, I would like to also add, for this book, there is subject matter and descriptions of horrific crimes (crimes against children) that may be disturbing to some readers. The author has stepped it up a notch from the first book. Just as a warning.
Just as with the first book, once I started reading this one, I had a hard time putting it down at night so I could get some sleep. I have Book 3 in the series primed and ready to go!
Welcome to the second book in the series, and the continuing adventures of Inspector Akyl Borubaev of the Bishkek Murder Squad in the North of Kyrgyzstan. Although now, he has been transferred to Karakol, located in the North-East of Kyrgyzstan, just East of Lake Issyk Kul.
Spring has come to Kyrgyzstan, and with it, a new brutal crime that Inspector Borubaev is pulled into. This one equally as dangerous as his previous case from the first book in the series.
As I stated in my review of the first book in the series, if you are easily offended, or squeamish about the descriptive details of killings and injuries, then this might not be the book for you. The writer tends to get very descriptive at times.
But, I would like to also add, for this book, there is subject matter and descriptions of horrific crimes (crimes against children) that may be disturbing to some readers. The author has stepped it up a notch from the first book. Just as a warning.
Just as with the first book, once I started reading this one, I had a hard time putting it down at night so I could get some sleep. I have Book 3 in the series primed and ready to go!
January 23, 2022
First off, I profess an interest, I had travelled in Kyrgyzstan so was looking forward to a book about a place that doesn't appear in much English language fiction. If you want to know about Kyrgyzstan read the Bradt guide, now revised in a 3rd Edition 2015 and a much better read than this crock. I read the first book, which I thought was thin on detail of Kyrgyzstan and unnecessarily graphic but though I would give the author the benefit of the doubt as it was set in the east of the country where I had travelled. Again I could not believe how thin the descriptions of the places were. A quick read of a guide book would have at least given the impression the author / hero had visited places like Karakol and had travelled along the road passing by Issyk Kul (its a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve not some insignificant pond for goodness sake). There are better authors of detective fiction and if you are expecting to learn anything about Kyrgyzstan, other than the odd soviet era cliché, look elsewhere. Avoid at all costs
December 16, 2016
Brutal and haunting, as expected.
September 23, 2018
Nachdem er bei seiner aufsehenerregenden Mordermittlung im vergangenen Winter für einige Unruhe gesorgt hatte, wird Inspektor Akyl Borubaew von der Hauptstadt Bischkek in die kirgisische Provinz strafversetzt, doch auch dort scheint der unbequeme Mordermittler nicht von brutaler Gewalt verschont zu bleiben: In einem abgelegenen Feld werden die Leichen von sieben Kindern gefunden, wie Abfall in Plastiktüten verpackt und achtlos in der kalten Erde verscharrt. Die sterblichen Überreste befinden sich jeweils in unterschiedlichen Stadien der Verwesung, doch eines haben alle Opfer gemeinsam: am Arm jedes ermordeten Kindes findet sich ein dünnes Plastikarmband, das auf einen Aufenthalt in einem der Waisenhäuser Kirgisistans hindeutet. Borubaew macht diese Entdeckung besonders schwer zu schaffen, denn er selbst hat einen Großteil seiner Jugend in einem der unerbittlichen Kinderheime des Landes verbracht und ist daher über das tragische Schicksal der Toten besonders wütend. Er setzt alles daran, die Verantwortlichen für diese unfassbaren Gräueltaten zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen, muss dabei aber schnell feststellen, dass er sich mit seinen rigorosen Ermittlungen offenbar mit einigen sehr einflussreichen und gefährlichen Leuten anlegt…
Inspektor Borubaew ermittelt in seinem zweiten Fall
Mit seinem Kriminalroman „Blutiger Winter“ entführte der Engländer Tom Callaghan seine Leser im vergangenen Jahr zum ersten Mal ins unwirtliche Kirgisistan, wo sein Ermittler Akyl Borubaew den brutalen Mord an einer jungen Frau aufklären musste. Seitdem sind einige Monate ins Land gegangen, in denen sich die Lage für den eigenwilligen Inspektor nicht gerade verbessert hat: In seinem Hauptstadt-Bezirk hat Borubaew durch seine Ermittlungen zu viel Dreck aufgewühlt und sich in die ein oder andere dubiose Machenschaft verwickeln lassen, sodass ihn seine Vorgesetzten in die kirgisische Provinz abgeschoben haben, wo Akyl selbst mit seiner forschen Art vermeintlich keinen weiteren Schaden mehr anrichten kann. Das klappt aber nur in der Theorie, denn schon kurz nach seiner Versetzung ins Exil wird der Ermittler mit den grausamen Morden an mehreren Waisenkindern konfrontiert, sodass Borubaew auch gleich zu Beginn des zweiten Bandes „Tödlicher Frühling“ wieder auf Konfrontationskurs mit Kriminellen und Autoritäten geht.
Erschütternde Ermittlungen zwischen Korruption und Kinderpornografie
Dabei wird schnell klar, dass auch Callaghans zweiter Kirgisistan-Thriller wieder nichts für zartbesaitete Gemüter ist, denn schon auf den ersten Seiten schockt der Autor mit den grausigen Kindermorden, bei denen wehr- und hilflose Waisenkinder wie Müll entsorgt wurden, nachdem man sie zuvor qualvoll missbraucht hat. Die Spur führt schnell in Richtung Kinderpornographie und es dürfte selbst für abgehärtete Thriller-Leser erschütternd sein, wie viel Menschenverachtung und Kaltblütigkeit die Täter an den Tag legen und welch unfassbares Leid die Opfer vor ihrem Tod durchmachen mussten. „Tödlicher Frühling“ ist also alles andere als ein Wohlfühl-Krimi, wozu auch das unwirtliche Setting wieder viel beiträgt: Zwar spielt die Handlung (wie der Titel schon verrät) nicht mehr im eisigen kirgisischen Winter wie noch der Vorgänger, doch auch bei steigenden Temperaturen zeigt sich das zentralasiatische Land in diesem Buch wieder alles andere als von seiner Sahneseite: Tod und Gewalt lauern anscheinend an jeder Straßenecke, von dem korrupten Polizeiapparat dürfen Bürger keine wirkliche Hilfe erwarten und wer in Städten wie Bischkek, Karakol oder Osch eines natürlichen Todes sterben „darf“, hat in seinem Leben anscheinend das ganz große Los gezogen – zumindest wenn man der Darstellung Tom Callaghans glauben darf, der sich mit dieser Region einen meiner Meinung nach hochinteressanten Schauplatz für seine knallharte Reihe ausgesucht hat.
Ein Ermittler mit bewegter Vergangenheit und unerschütterlichem Gerechtigkeitsgefühl
Mit seinem Inspektor Akyl Borubaew hat der Autor jedoch einen Charakter erschaffen, der sich in diesem Moloch zu behaupten weiß, wie er auch bei seinem zweiten Fall eindrucksvoll unter Beweis stellt, denn ohne Rücksicht auf das eigene Wohlergehen stürzt sich der Ermittler mit vollem Einsatz in die Jagd auf die Kindesmörder – wohl auch deshalb so kompromisslos, weil er seit dem Krebstod seiner geliebten Frau einen gewissen Hang zur Lebensmüdigkeit entwickelt hat und sich durch die ihm auferlegten Torturen anscheinend auch ein Stück weit selbst geißeln will. Im der Fortsetzung feilt Callaghan dabei weiter am Profil seines Protagonisten und man erfährt viel über die Vergangenheit Borubaews, die sich bis in eines der harten Waisenheime Kirgisistans erstreckt. Fans des Vorgängers dürften sich zudem über den erneuten Auftritt von Akyls mysteriöser und nicht weniger toughen usbekischen Mitstreiterin Saltanat freuen, die gemeinsam mit ihrem Kollegen in ihrem Nachbarland mal kräftig aufräumt.
Spannend, düster, knüppelhart
Was die Story betrifft, so bleibt „Tödlicher Frühling“ meiner Meinung nach zwar leicht hinter dem Auftaktband zurück, da manche Entwicklung für mich zu sehr dem Zufall geschuldet war und so mancher Hinweis dem Duo Borubaew/Saltanat eher in die Hände gefallen zu sein schien, trotzdem konnte mich auch die Fortsetzung wieder mitreißen. Tom Callaghans düstere Thriller sind aufgrund des doch recht ausgeprägten Gewaltanteils (der hier nicht nur durch die grausigen Morde, sondern z.B. auch durch eine ziemlich nervenzehrende und detailliert beschriebene Folterszene in die Höhe getrieben wird) sicherlich nicht für jeden Hobby-Ermittler die geeignete Lektüre, wer aber knallharte Thriller mit spannendem Setting, komplexen Charakteren und schockierenden Geschichten sucht, ist bei der Akyl-Borubaew-Reihe sicherlich bestens aufgehoben – das gilt trotz im Vergleich zum Vorgänger kleinerer Abstriche bei der Story auch für „Tödlicher Frühling“.
Inspektor Borubaew ermittelt in seinem zweiten Fall
Mit seinem Kriminalroman „Blutiger Winter“ entführte der Engländer Tom Callaghan seine Leser im vergangenen Jahr zum ersten Mal ins unwirtliche Kirgisistan, wo sein Ermittler Akyl Borubaew den brutalen Mord an einer jungen Frau aufklären musste. Seitdem sind einige Monate ins Land gegangen, in denen sich die Lage für den eigenwilligen Inspektor nicht gerade verbessert hat: In seinem Hauptstadt-Bezirk hat Borubaew durch seine Ermittlungen zu viel Dreck aufgewühlt und sich in die ein oder andere dubiose Machenschaft verwickeln lassen, sodass ihn seine Vorgesetzten in die kirgisische Provinz abgeschoben haben, wo Akyl selbst mit seiner forschen Art vermeintlich keinen weiteren Schaden mehr anrichten kann. Das klappt aber nur in der Theorie, denn schon kurz nach seiner Versetzung ins Exil wird der Ermittler mit den grausamen Morden an mehreren Waisenkindern konfrontiert, sodass Borubaew auch gleich zu Beginn des zweiten Bandes „Tödlicher Frühling“ wieder auf Konfrontationskurs mit Kriminellen und Autoritäten geht.
Erschütternde Ermittlungen zwischen Korruption und Kinderpornografie
Dabei wird schnell klar, dass auch Callaghans zweiter Kirgisistan-Thriller wieder nichts für zartbesaitete Gemüter ist, denn schon auf den ersten Seiten schockt der Autor mit den grausigen Kindermorden, bei denen wehr- und hilflose Waisenkinder wie Müll entsorgt wurden, nachdem man sie zuvor qualvoll missbraucht hat. Die Spur führt schnell in Richtung Kinderpornographie und es dürfte selbst für abgehärtete Thriller-Leser erschütternd sein, wie viel Menschenverachtung und Kaltblütigkeit die Täter an den Tag legen und welch unfassbares Leid die Opfer vor ihrem Tod durchmachen mussten. „Tödlicher Frühling“ ist also alles andere als ein Wohlfühl-Krimi, wozu auch das unwirtliche Setting wieder viel beiträgt: Zwar spielt die Handlung (wie der Titel schon verrät) nicht mehr im eisigen kirgisischen Winter wie noch der Vorgänger, doch auch bei steigenden Temperaturen zeigt sich das zentralasiatische Land in diesem Buch wieder alles andere als von seiner Sahneseite: Tod und Gewalt lauern anscheinend an jeder Straßenecke, von dem korrupten Polizeiapparat dürfen Bürger keine wirkliche Hilfe erwarten und wer in Städten wie Bischkek, Karakol oder Osch eines natürlichen Todes sterben „darf“, hat in seinem Leben anscheinend das ganz große Los gezogen – zumindest wenn man der Darstellung Tom Callaghans glauben darf, der sich mit dieser Region einen meiner Meinung nach hochinteressanten Schauplatz für seine knallharte Reihe ausgesucht hat.
Ein Ermittler mit bewegter Vergangenheit und unerschütterlichem Gerechtigkeitsgefühl
Mit seinem Inspektor Akyl Borubaew hat der Autor jedoch einen Charakter erschaffen, der sich in diesem Moloch zu behaupten weiß, wie er auch bei seinem zweiten Fall eindrucksvoll unter Beweis stellt, denn ohne Rücksicht auf das eigene Wohlergehen stürzt sich der Ermittler mit vollem Einsatz in die Jagd auf die Kindesmörder – wohl auch deshalb so kompromisslos, weil er seit dem Krebstod seiner geliebten Frau einen gewissen Hang zur Lebensmüdigkeit entwickelt hat und sich durch die ihm auferlegten Torturen anscheinend auch ein Stück weit selbst geißeln will. Im der Fortsetzung feilt Callaghan dabei weiter am Profil seines Protagonisten und man erfährt viel über die Vergangenheit Borubaews, die sich bis in eines der harten Waisenheime Kirgisistans erstreckt. Fans des Vorgängers dürften sich zudem über den erneuten Auftritt von Akyls mysteriöser und nicht weniger toughen usbekischen Mitstreiterin Saltanat freuen, die gemeinsam mit ihrem Kollegen in ihrem Nachbarland mal kräftig aufräumt.
Spannend, düster, knüppelhart
Was die Story betrifft, so bleibt „Tödlicher Frühling“ meiner Meinung nach zwar leicht hinter dem Auftaktband zurück, da manche Entwicklung für mich zu sehr dem Zufall geschuldet war und so mancher Hinweis dem Duo Borubaew/Saltanat eher in die Hände gefallen zu sein schien, trotzdem konnte mich auch die Fortsetzung wieder mitreißen. Tom Callaghans düstere Thriller sind aufgrund des doch recht ausgeprägten Gewaltanteils (der hier nicht nur durch die grausigen Morde, sondern z.B. auch durch eine ziemlich nervenzehrende und detailliert beschriebene Folterszene in die Höhe getrieben wird) sicherlich nicht für jeden Hobby-Ermittler die geeignete Lektüre, wer aber knallharte Thriller mit spannendem Setting, komplexen Charakteren und schockierenden Geschichten sucht, ist bei der Akyl-Borubaew-Reihe sicherlich bestens aufgehoben – das gilt trotz im Vergleich zum Vorgänger kleinerer Abstriche bei der Story auch für „Tödlicher Frühling“.
September 2, 2018
The way justice is brought in such stories is purely subjective, which needs to be reconsidered in such stories with such endings (which was quite obvious).
On the other hand, Callaghan is real writer, I found myself deeply submerged in the story in several chapters, I could literally build a connection with the charachters and live the story.
I noticed that the 1st half of the book had a pessimatic approach, whereas the 2nd half wasn’t, as if hope managed to sprout amongst the ashes.
A good story worth reading, but I regret not reading ‘A Killing Winter’ first.
On the other hand, Callaghan is real writer, I found myself deeply submerged in the story in several chapters, I could literally build a connection with the charachters and live the story.
I noticed that the 1st half of the book had a pessimatic approach, whereas the 2nd half wasn’t, as if hope managed to sprout amongst the ashes.
A good story worth reading, but I regret not reading ‘A Killing Winter’ first.
June 15, 2019
New author for me.
Set in an imaginary ex-USSR country this novel tells the story of Akyl a murder squad detective who is in exile in a rural backwater following the end of his last case.
He is called to the site of burial of 7 children which leads him & his secret services sometime girlfriend into a murky underworld of child pornography & snuff movies.
An easy read though it can be a bit too braggardly in places (Akyl is THE best detective/shot/lover/honest guy/grieving widower/etc)
Set in an imaginary ex-USSR country this novel tells the story of Akyl a murder squad detective who is in exile in a rural backwater following the end of his last case.
He is called to the site of burial of 7 children which leads him & his secret services sometime girlfriend into a murky underworld of child pornography & snuff movies.
An easy read though it can be a bit too braggardly in places (Akyl is THE best detective/shot/lover/honest guy/grieving widower/etc)
April 7, 2025
It’s a good story, quite an unsettling topic. But the writer drops in words in the local language, maybe to make it more interesting, or to show he’s done some research on Google Translate, but I found it irritating.
I’ve not read the others in the series and this dropping words in has put me off reading them
I’ve not read the others in the series and this dropping words in has put me off reading them
December 18, 2018
Even though I've joined this series second book in, I found the main characters all too believable. The sick crimes the villians were committing is a true reflection on today's warped society. An excellent if somewhat distressing read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2017
This is a great series - hoping for Book 3!!!
October 23, 2018
Shades of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther here with Callaghan's anti-hero Borubaev. Very good read.
November 22, 2018
Very plain detective story.
July 7, 2019
Very plain detective story.
May 31, 2020
Good book
June 30, 2020
Good read.
December 28, 2020
Morton Graves; Albina Kurmanalieva; the villainy is well-written on this noir thriller
muppets disappeared is so soviet eastern bloc reality within realm possibility
Uighur blades..
muppets disappeared is so soviet eastern bloc reality within realm possibility
Uighur blades..
March 21, 2016
Kirgisistan, ehemalige Sowjetrepublik, unabhängig seit 1991, gelegen zwischen Usbekistan, Kasachstan, Tadschikistan und China, ist nun nicht unbedingt die erste Adresse, die einem einfällt, wenn es darum geht, Handlungsorte von Kriminalromanen zu benennen. Aber genau diesen zentralasiatischen Binnenstaat hat sich der englische Autor Tom Callaghan ausgesucht, um dort seinen sturköpfigen Protagonisten Akyl Borubaew ermitteln zu lassen, der in „Tödlicher Frühling“ (Band 2 der Reihe) im Zentrum des Geschehens steht.
Der Inspektor der kirgisischen Mordkommission wurde nach den in „Blutiger Winter“ (Band 1 der Reihe) geschilderten Ereignissen, die im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes seinen Vorgesetzten den Kopf kosteten, in einen entlegenen Winkel des Landes strafversetzt. Dass aber auch dort das Verbrechen nicht schläft, muss Akyl spätestens dann feststellen, als auf einem abgelegenen Feld die oberflächlich verscharrten Leichname mehrerer Kinder gefunden werden, alle mit Namensbändern von Waisenhäusern um die Handgelenke. Gemeinsam mit der usbekischen Agentin Saltanat nimmt Akyl die Spur auf und die beiden fördern Erschütterndes zutage.
Es sind mächtige, einflussreiche Männer, denen sie in die Quere kommen, mit denen man sich besser nicht anlegen sollte. Aber die toten Kinder sind nur die Spitze des Eisbergs, Kollateralschäden, wie einer der Verdächtigen während einer Befragung äußert, deren Schicksal niemand kümmert. Außer Akyl und Saltanat, die alles daran setzen, den Verantwortlichen das Handwerk zu legen, auch wenn sie dafür ihr eigenes Leben aufs Spiel setzen müssen.
„Mein einziges Geschenk an die Toten ist die Gerechtigkeit“, so Akyl Borubaew, und um diese zu erlangen, ist ihm jedes Mittel recht, denn manchmal müssen auch die Guten böse Dinge tun, um der Gerechtigkeit zum Sieg zu verhelfen. Er ist ein sympathischer Ermittler, zutiefst moralisch integer und knallhart, wenn es erforderlich ist, der weder sich selbst noch seine Gegner schont. Innerlich zerfressen von Schuldgefühlen, weil er das Leiden seiner krebskranken Frau nicht mehr mitansehen kann und sie erlöst. Aber der Preis, den er dafür zahlt ist hoch, denn die Liebe seines Lebens hat er nun für immer verloren. Zwischen ihm und seiner usbekischen Kollegin Saltanat ist die Luft geladen, und man darf gespannt sein, wie sich diese Beziehung weiterentwickeln wird.
Das Bild, das der Autor von der kirgisischen Gesellschaft zeichnet, ist deprimierend. Jeder, ganz gleich in welcher Position, ist käuflich. Polizei, Justiz, Regierung, alle sind bestechlich und auf ihren eigenen Vorteil bedacht. Ein Menschenleben zählt nichts und wird, ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken, geopfert.
Wer einen Kriminalroman lesen möchte, der aus dem üblichen Raster fällt, dem sei Tom Callaghans „Tödlicher Frühling“ empfohlen, eine spannende Story mit sympathischen Protagonisten, die in einem Land ermitteln, das hierzulande kaum bekannt ist.
Der Inspektor der kirgisischen Mordkommission wurde nach den in „Blutiger Winter“ (Band 1 der Reihe) geschilderten Ereignissen, die im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes seinen Vorgesetzten den Kopf kosteten, in einen entlegenen Winkel des Landes strafversetzt. Dass aber auch dort das Verbrechen nicht schläft, muss Akyl spätestens dann feststellen, als auf einem abgelegenen Feld die oberflächlich verscharrten Leichname mehrerer Kinder gefunden werden, alle mit Namensbändern von Waisenhäusern um die Handgelenke. Gemeinsam mit der usbekischen Agentin Saltanat nimmt Akyl die Spur auf und die beiden fördern Erschütterndes zutage.
Es sind mächtige, einflussreiche Männer, denen sie in die Quere kommen, mit denen man sich besser nicht anlegen sollte. Aber die toten Kinder sind nur die Spitze des Eisbergs, Kollateralschäden, wie einer der Verdächtigen während einer Befragung äußert, deren Schicksal niemand kümmert. Außer Akyl und Saltanat, die alles daran setzen, den Verantwortlichen das Handwerk zu legen, auch wenn sie dafür ihr eigenes Leben aufs Spiel setzen müssen.
„Mein einziges Geschenk an die Toten ist die Gerechtigkeit“, so Akyl Borubaew, und um diese zu erlangen, ist ihm jedes Mittel recht, denn manchmal müssen auch die Guten böse Dinge tun, um der Gerechtigkeit zum Sieg zu verhelfen. Er ist ein sympathischer Ermittler, zutiefst moralisch integer und knallhart, wenn es erforderlich ist, der weder sich selbst noch seine Gegner schont. Innerlich zerfressen von Schuldgefühlen, weil er das Leiden seiner krebskranken Frau nicht mehr mitansehen kann und sie erlöst. Aber der Preis, den er dafür zahlt ist hoch, denn die Liebe seines Lebens hat er nun für immer verloren. Zwischen ihm und seiner usbekischen Kollegin Saltanat ist die Luft geladen, und man darf gespannt sein, wie sich diese Beziehung weiterentwickeln wird.
Das Bild, das der Autor von der kirgisischen Gesellschaft zeichnet, ist deprimierend. Jeder, ganz gleich in welcher Position, ist käuflich. Polizei, Justiz, Regierung, alle sind bestechlich und auf ihren eigenen Vorteil bedacht. Ein Menschenleben zählt nichts und wird, ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken, geopfert.
Wer einen Kriminalroman lesen möchte, der aus dem üblichen Raster fällt, dem sei Tom Callaghans „Tödlicher Frühling“ empfohlen, eine spannende Story mit sympathischen Protagonisten, die in einem Land ermitteln, das hierzulande kaum bekannt ist.
June 4, 2016
This is the second instalment of Tom Callaghan’s Inspector Akyl Borubaev series, and follows directly on from the author’s debut, A Killing Winter. I thoroughly enjoyed that novel and gave it a 5-star review and so was looking forward to reading A Spring Betrayal
Luckily this did not disappoint. In A Killing Winter, our protagonist, a detective of the Bishkek Murder Squad (Bishkek being the capital of Kyrgyzstan) had to grapple with the vicious slaying of a government minister’s daughter. It was a police procedural with a raw heart, a brutality imbuing the novel that reflected the impoverishment of that Central Asian republic. A Spring Winter follows very much in the same path, only now after the events of the previous novel, Akyl Borubaev has been exiled to the far corner of Kyrgyzstan. This time he unearths the bodies of several children, abused, tortured, and buried in the frozen steppes. The corpses all bear wristbands identifying them as orphans in the care of Kyrgyzstan’s creakingly decrepit state orphanages, and having himself grown up in one, this affects him deeply.
I always try to stay clear of divulging too many spoilers in my reviews, so I will simply say that the plot of A Spring Betrayal doesn’t pull any punches. It covers child trafficking, child rape and pornography, snuff movies, and the corruption that makes all this possible. Real monsters populate the pages of this novel and it’s not suitable reading for the feint hearted or those looking for a cosy mystery in the vein of Miss Marple or Poirot. But then it doesn’t pretend to be and if like me you like your crime fiction gritty, nourish, and with an iron-lined stomach, then this could well be the book for you.
If I have cone criticism of A Spring Betrayal, it’s the same one that I levelled at A Killing Winter, and that’s that the author seems to have a thing for the femme fatale. In his previous novel that was Saltanat Umarova, the mysterious beauty from Uzbek intelligence. She appears in the second novel but her character is a little more fleshed out here. But now the author adds a second femme fatale, Albina Kurmanalieva, former Uzbek security and now freelance assassin and torturer. In A Spring Betrayal Albina is something from a James Bond movie, glamorous and beautiful yet deadly. It’s not that I object necessarily to such characters, just that I find them a little clichéd. One day I’ll read a book where all the assassins and spies are kind of average in the looks department, or heaven forbid, a little dowdy.
But as with Callaghan’s debut A Killing Winter, none of this ruined the book for me, and I enjoyed A Spring betrayal immensely. It has a real sense of place about it and I felt immersed in the post-Soviet poverty of Callaghan’s Kyrgyzstan which he vividly brings to life.
Luckily this did not disappoint. In A Killing Winter, our protagonist, a detective of the Bishkek Murder Squad (Bishkek being the capital of Kyrgyzstan) had to grapple with the vicious slaying of a government minister’s daughter. It was a police procedural with a raw heart, a brutality imbuing the novel that reflected the impoverishment of that Central Asian republic. A Spring Winter follows very much in the same path, only now after the events of the previous novel, Akyl Borubaev has been exiled to the far corner of Kyrgyzstan. This time he unearths the bodies of several children, abused, tortured, and buried in the frozen steppes. The corpses all bear wristbands identifying them as orphans in the care of Kyrgyzstan’s creakingly decrepit state orphanages, and having himself grown up in one, this affects him deeply.
I always try to stay clear of divulging too many spoilers in my reviews, so I will simply say that the plot of A Spring Betrayal doesn’t pull any punches. It covers child trafficking, child rape and pornography, snuff movies, and the corruption that makes all this possible. Real monsters populate the pages of this novel and it’s not suitable reading for the feint hearted or those looking for a cosy mystery in the vein of Miss Marple or Poirot. But then it doesn’t pretend to be and if like me you like your crime fiction gritty, nourish, and with an iron-lined stomach, then this could well be the book for you.
If I have cone criticism of A Spring Betrayal, it’s the same one that I levelled at A Killing Winter, and that’s that the author seems to have a thing for the femme fatale. In his previous novel that was Saltanat Umarova, the mysterious beauty from Uzbek intelligence. She appears in the second novel but her character is a little more fleshed out here. But now the author adds a second femme fatale, Albina Kurmanalieva, former Uzbek security and now freelance assassin and torturer. In A Spring Betrayal Albina is something from a James Bond movie, glamorous and beautiful yet deadly. It’s not that I object necessarily to such characters, just that I find them a little clichéd. One day I’ll read a book where all the assassins and spies are kind of average in the looks department, or heaven forbid, a little dowdy.
But as with Callaghan’s debut A Killing Winter, none of this ruined the book for me, and I enjoyed A Spring betrayal immensely. It has a real sense of place about it and I felt immersed in the post-Soviet poverty of Callaghan’s Kyrgyzstan which he vividly brings to life.
April 25, 2016
https://lindasbookbag.com/
When several children’s corpses are found in a shallow grave, Inspector Akly Borubaev finds himself drawn ever further into the corrupt world of Kyrgyzstan as he attempts to discover how they were murdered and by whom.
A Spring Betrayal is the second in Tom Callaghan’s Inspector Akyl Borubaev thrillers after A Killing Winter which I have not read. Although I may have missed the significance of a few references, A Spring Betrayal works perfectly well as a stand alone read and the back story is well enough outlined to ensure the reader understands Borubaev’s motivations and attitudes.
Let me say at the off that A Spring Betrayal is far outside my comfort zone of reading as it is violent and quite disturbing and had it not been sent for review I’m not sure I’d have read it. I found the subject matter – child pornography and murder- quite distasteful and not something I would readily choose to read about. I ended by feeling slightly contaminated by the book which possibly shows just how well written it is.
However, that said, A Spring Betrayal is a fast paced, action packed and thrilling read with a plot that twists and turns with breakneck speed. There’s a feeling of James Bond about it in places with spies, political intrigue, bribery and corruption all rife. One or twice I felt the plot was somewhat unrealistic but that might be more my own naivety in not appreciating that some of the events are likely in this particular setting.
I’m not sure how accurate a picture of Kyrgyzstan Tom Callaghan paints, but the social corruption and willingness to kill within the story I found horrifying and scarily plausible. Indeed, there is a real sense of place and I certainly felt I had a better understanding of the area and the politics of the recent past.
The character of Borubaev is rounded and interesting and I found fascinating the blurring of the lines of morality within his thought processes as the story progressed. He carries a burden of guilt that is fully understood by the reader. The character of Saltanat Umarova is less well defined, but this is not a criticism as she remains an enigma to Borubaev and, therefore, to the reader, as the narrative is presented from his first person point of view.
The writing is assured and convincing, and I liked the way in which there were several mini cliffhangers at the ends of chapters so that I wanted to read on in spite of myself.
Did I enjoy reading A Spring Betrayal? I’m not sure. Did I find it compelling and exciting? Undoubtedly. Those who like this fast paced, quite violent writing will love A Spring Betrayal. It was just a bit too explicitly violent for my taste.
When several children’s corpses are found in a shallow grave, Inspector Akly Borubaev finds himself drawn ever further into the corrupt world of Kyrgyzstan as he attempts to discover how they were murdered and by whom.
A Spring Betrayal is the second in Tom Callaghan’s Inspector Akyl Borubaev thrillers after A Killing Winter which I have not read. Although I may have missed the significance of a few references, A Spring Betrayal works perfectly well as a stand alone read and the back story is well enough outlined to ensure the reader understands Borubaev’s motivations and attitudes.
Let me say at the off that A Spring Betrayal is far outside my comfort zone of reading as it is violent and quite disturbing and had it not been sent for review I’m not sure I’d have read it. I found the subject matter – child pornography and murder- quite distasteful and not something I would readily choose to read about. I ended by feeling slightly contaminated by the book which possibly shows just how well written it is.
However, that said, A Spring Betrayal is a fast paced, action packed and thrilling read with a plot that twists and turns with breakneck speed. There’s a feeling of James Bond about it in places with spies, political intrigue, bribery and corruption all rife. One or twice I felt the plot was somewhat unrealistic but that might be more my own naivety in not appreciating that some of the events are likely in this particular setting.
I’m not sure how accurate a picture of Kyrgyzstan Tom Callaghan paints, but the social corruption and willingness to kill within the story I found horrifying and scarily plausible. Indeed, there is a real sense of place and I certainly felt I had a better understanding of the area and the politics of the recent past.
The character of Borubaev is rounded and interesting and I found fascinating the blurring of the lines of morality within his thought processes as the story progressed. He carries a burden of guilt that is fully understood by the reader. The character of Saltanat Umarova is less well defined, but this is not a criticism as she remains an enigma to Borubaev and, therefore, to the reader, as the narrative is presented from his first person point of view.
The writing is assured and convincing, and I liked the way in which there were several mini cliffhangers at the ends of chapters so that I wanted to read on in spite of myself.
Did I enjoy reading A Spring Betrayal? I’m not sure. Did I find it compelling and exciting? Undoubtedly. Those who like this fast paced, quite violent writing will love A Spring Betrayal. It was just a bit too explicitly violent for my taste.
April 7, 2016
I would like to thank Netgalley and Quercus for an advance copy of A Spring Betrayal, an action novel with a policeman, Akyl Borubaev, as the main protagonist, set in Kyrgyzstan. After the events of A Killing Winter Akyl has been exiled to Karakol, a remote, rural town, where he spends most of his time policing drunks until he is called to the site of a mass grave where the bodies of 7 infants have been found. The situation is complicated by the fact that the children are wearing orphanage identity bracelets which don't belong to them and that a high level politician is taking an interest. When Akyl's friend, Gurminj, an orphanage director, is murdered looking in to the identity bracelets Saltanat Umarova, the Uzbekistani security officer he worked with in A Killing Winter gets involved and changes the direction of Akyl's investigation towards sadistic paedophiles.
You will note that I did not call this novel a police procedural as it more like Die Hard with countless gunfights and assorted mayhem. In fact the original investigation into the dead infants gets jettisoned rather quickly in favour of uncovering the paedophiles. I have not read A Killing Winter (on my wish list) but there is not much point now as all the main points are covered in A Spring Betrayal so I cannot say if there are differences in style, i.e. relentless violence and murky politics. I will say, however, that it is not what I expected which was a gentler investigation and more of a police procedural.
Despite these comments I think A Spring Betrayal is a very good read. It really draws you in and is an extremely tense read - I had to walk away from it a couple of times when Akyl and Saltanat got into hot water as I was living it with them and needed a breather! I think the characters are interesting and their back stories add an extra dimension. Akyl, in particular, is well drawn, full of contradictions but fundamentally a good man doing his best in poor circumstances. He is also funny on the subject of life in Kyrgyzstan. Saltanat is a different proposition. She is a harder character and possibly a bit of a fantasy woman - smart, tough, beautiful and occasionally vulnerable. I also think the novel is informative about life in Kyrgyzstan - a place I know little about.
If you want an action packed read then I have no hesitation in recommending A Spring Betrayal.
You will note that I did not call this novel a police procedural as it more like Die Hard with countless gunfights and assorted mayhem. In fact the original investigation into the dead infants gets jettisoned rather quickly in favour of uncovering the paedophiles. I have not read A Killing Winter (on my wish list) but there is not much point now as all the main points are covered in A Spring Betrayal so I cannot say if there are differences in style, i.e. relentless violence and murky politics. I will say, however, that it is not what I expected which was a gentler investigation and more of a police procedural.
Despite these comments I think A Spring Betrayal is a very good read. It really draws you in and is an extremely tense read - I had to walk away from it a couple of times when Akyl and Saltanat got into hot water as I was living it with them and needed a breather! I think the characters are interesting and their back stories add an extra dimension. Akyl, in particular, is well drawn, full of contradictions but fundamentally a good man doing his best in poor circumstances. He is also funny on the subject of life in Kyrgyzstan. Saltanat is a different proposition. She is a harder character and possibly a bit of a fantasy woman - smart, tough, beautiful and occasionally vulnerable. I also think the novel is informative about life in Kyrgyzstan - a place I know little about.
If you want an action packed read then I have no hesitation in recommending A Spring Betrayal.
February 12, 2017
Excellent Crime Thriller set in the Far East of once mighty Soviet Union. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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