This is a good story about a young man who is forced into a life of crime , because he refuses to kill a man, who is trying to escape the Soviet system. It's a ripping yarn once you start reading it you can't put it down. It's a family drama, a coming of age story, a commentary on the politics of the day and a gangster and Gulags survival story. Yes it has a lot going on and its only two hundred pages long .
It's also the first part of a trilogy, so you can look forward to more of the same thing. I am looking forward to the next part.
There is also an educational side to this book, it has a lot of stoic wisdom and life lessons included within the story. Self improvement and learning to be a man of honour in a story about a young mans journey into a life of crime, it sounds like a bit of a stretch, but it works, it's all about his struggles and his redemption.
You can also follow the Grim Series on YouTube, that is how I found out about it. The You Tube thing is quite addictive, you get loads of wisdom and advice and the narrator is very charismatic, he draws you in and you want to hear more, just like the book.
So give the book and the YouTube thing a go, it's really good.