The inclusion of a thriller on the Booker longlist caused some to raise their eyebrows and wonder what the world was coming to. Written by the former Moscow correspondent for The Economist, Andrew Miller, Snowdrops is not only a well-written insight into the glittering underbelly of Putin's Russia, but is also according to The Observer "a fresh, unsettling page-turner" while The Times called it "totally gripping". Over the course of one winter in Moscow, a young Englishman's moral compass is spun by the seductive opportunities revealed to him by this new Russia: a land of hedonism and desperation, corruption and kindness, magical dachas and debauched nightclubs; a place where secrets - and corpses - come to light only when the deep snows start to thaw. This is a tale of love and moral freefall: the corruption, by a corrupt society, of a corruptible young man. Find out more and read a free Opening Extract at Lovereading.co.uk The Omnivore has rounded up all the press reviews for Snowdrops to bring you a handy critical digest: .
A superlative portrait of a country in which everything has its price, Snowdrops displays a worldly confidence reminiscent of Robert Harris at his best. Adrian Turpin
Both a very good novel and a slightly disappointing one. Good, because the writing has tremendous pace and energy. (For all Nicholas's faults, he's amusing, compellingly honest company.) Disappointing, because it adds little to what we already know about life in Putin's Russia. John O'Connell
The overriding theme is corruption and the way that morals can become corroded, but the novel is multi-layered; subtle rather than strident, and imbued with a bruised beauty... Snowdrops, in a different way, assaults all your senses with its power and poetry, and leaves you stunned and addicted. Leyla Sanai
Miller is absolutely wonderful at evoking the seediness and cynicism of Moscow, and he is even better at physical description. Doug Johnstone
Paced almost ideally, with an atmosphere what scintillates with beguiling menace, Snowdrops deserves... to enjoy substantial popular success. Jonathan Barnes
Tightly written, with fascinating insider detail gained in three years as The Economist magazine’s Moscow correspondent, Miller’s complex, gripping debut novel is undoubtedly the real thing. John Harding
A stock, if compelling thriller, but two things set it apart. One is the vivid way in which Moscow becomes a central character in the narrative, a fitful city prone to unpredictable moods, like an alluring yet dangerous lover. The second is the raw honesty with which the tale is told. Mary Fitzgerald
Besides Chekhov’s tales of self-deception, Miller appears indebted to The Great Gatsby (nodded to in Nick’s name) and The Good Soldier, in a debut that shows him accomplished in control of narrative voice and characterisation. John Dugdale
Read a free Opening Extract from Snowdrops on Lovereading.co.uk ________________________________________________________________________ Want to know what the critics made of the latest book, film or play? The Omnivore rounds up newspaper reviews, bringing you a cross section of intelligent opinion.