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The Romanov Cross
The Romanov Cross
Apr 21, 2025 1:19 AM

Author:Robert Masello

The Romanov Cross

Almost a century ago, a desperate young woman crawled ashore a desolate Arctic island carrying a mysterious emerald-encrusted cross and a terrible secret.

In the present day, Army epidemiologist Frank Slater is facing a court-martial, but after his punishment is mysteriously lifted, Slater is offered a job no one else wants — to travel to a small island off the coast of Alaska and investigate a potentially lethal phenomenon: The permafrost has begun to melt, exposing bodies from a colony that was wiped out by the dreaded Spanish flu of 1918. Frank must determine if the thawed remains still carry the deadly virus in their frozen flesh and, if so, ensure that it doesn't come back to life.

The colony, it transpires, was once settled by a sect devoted to the mad Russian monk Rasputin, but there is even more hiding in the past than Frank’s team is aware of. By the time Frank discovers that his mission has been crashed by a gang of reckless treasure hunters he will be in a brutal race against time.

With his signature blend of fascinating history and fantastic imagination, critically acclaimed author Robert Masello has once again crafted a terrifying story of past events coming back to haunt the present day . . . and of dark deeds aching to be unearthed.

Reviews

Fascinating, funny, and frightening...Masello skilfully weaves together the story of the death of the Russian royal family with the possibility of a new worldwide influenza pandemic... Toss in a pack of slavering wolves, the undead, and a chilling ending, and the result is a terrific, can't-put-it-down read'

—— Publishers Weekly

A delicious sense of creeping dread permeates the first act, greatly enhanced by its setting in the stark but beautiful landscape of northwestern Alaska... Tense, taut and impossible to put down

—— Kirkus (starred review)

Oozes tension from the very first page. Gripping

—— Bookworld

Belinda Bauer is one of the best British crime writers out there right now

—— Simon Kernick

She writes so beautifully, plots so cleverly and exhibits a razor-sharp understanding of people and places

—— Literary Review

This gripping, unsettling tale blends a murder mystery with a blackly comic look at the gradual erosion of 'normal' family life. You won't want to put it down

—— Bella

Lingers in the mind like an unwelcome guest, albeit one with a dark sense of humour . . . powerful, compelling reading

—— Spectator

Our most inventive crime writer.

—— Metro

One of the most startling plots in contemporary crime fiction

—— Sunday Times

Breathtaking. I read this and wished I’d written it

—— Val McDermid

Taking the psychological thriller into new territory

—— Independent

Gripping and original

—— Sunday Times

Brilliant.

—— Radio Times

A crime novel with a difference. The plot is expertly constructed and the characters, flawed but sympathetic, engaged me so that I found myself thinking about them even when Iwasn’t reading the book… a cracking read with a truly original plot

—— Crime Reader blog

An up-all-night thriller, fuelled by grief, anger and infidelity.

—— You Magazine

A stark and dramatic thriller, with all the different strands of the story held together by a skillful hand.

—— My Weekly

A gripping psychological page turner.

—— Falling

This debut psychological thriller from former police psychologist Emma Kavanagh is stunning indeed. An engaging and exciting novel. This novel is brilliantly executed, it is a confident debut written by an extremely talented writer… The characters are incredibly well written and the nuances of life, grief and marriage are all well observed by the eye of a very adept writer. The story itself is thoroughly engaging, drawing you in and making the book unputdownable... This is a crime thriller that belongs on the same shelf as Nicci French. It is high praise indeed, but well deserved.

—— Frost Magazine

A very impressive debut.

—— Book Addict Shaun

A pacy, twisty, compelling and addictive crime thriller - but it's so much more besides. For me, the best experiences in literature are those that take you somewhere you don't know; to people and places you have never encountered. I was hoping for a rattling good page-turner. I wasn't expecting anything quite so profound

—— Kevin Sampson

Eva Dolan’s stunning novel is a gritty and unflinching look into a seedy, violent world that most of us would rather pretend never existed. In DI Zigic and DS Fereira, Dolan has created two authentic and intriguing characters

—— Howard Linskey, author of The Drop and The Damage

Crisp and intelligent writing, strong characters, a great mystery and an engaging style. From the first page, I knew I was in safe hands

—— Dan Smith, author of The Child Thief and Red Winter

An assured and compelling debut that brings multi-cultural Britain vividly to life. I feel I know Zigic and Ferreira, the protagonists of this terrific novel, and look forward to their next outing. I hope I don’t have to wait too long

—— Craig Roberston, author of Random and Witness the Dead

A novel set in Peterborough might not be the most tempting of premises, but this is worth your time detective duo Zigic and Ferreira, Dolan has created two engaging characters. The first of a series, this is a promising debut that pulls no punches

—— Shortlist

With such compelling characters, Dolan breathes new life into the police procedural novel and marks herself out as an exciting writer to watch

—— UK Press Syndication

Dolan's a terrific new talent, and I can't wait to be kept awake by her next novel

—— Kate Saunders , Saga

A great read, a real page turner and a very satisfactory ending

—— Jeremy Ransome , Spalding Guardian

An impressive series debut, and the next book will be eagerly awaited

—— Good Book Guide

Raw and real start to a new series

—— Sarah Hilary , Red Online

What could be standard police procedural stands out for its excellent character work and the timely way it deals with hot-button political topics dominating the headlines

—— Herald

The plot is tight, the anger righteous but not worthy, and the action thrilling. Happily she has a new novel out next year

—— Metro

Gripping…Excellent book.

—— Dorothy Flaxman , Nudge

A fine, literary thriller; cold, at times almost nauseatingly disturbing

—— Alison Flood , Guardian

A fascinating, subtle, really original modern Gothic thriller

—— Rebecca Chance , Daily Record
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