Title: The Stalin Stain
Author: W. H. Mefford
Publisher: Fulton Books
ISBN: 978-1637103791
Pages: 340
Genre: Crime / Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Lee Brown
Pacific Book Review
The Stalin Stain continues the adventures of Moscow Police Investigator Illya Podipenko, a name that will be familiar to anybody who read The Rasputin Stainby this book’s author, W. H. Mefford. Like that book, The Stalin Stain takes its cue from a dark chapter in Russian history, with an exciting and sometimes educational story which connects the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to events that are happening in the present day.
In this new adventure, Illya discovers his father was an American spy who secretly conspired against the former leader of the Soviet Union. He isn’t the only one to have a relative with ties to Stalin. At the start of the book, Illya meets a young American woman named Katya, who is a student in one of his lectures. Together, they visit her uncle, a man named Grisha, who makes some startling claims about his own involvement with the Russian dictator. It would be remiss of me to reveal any spoilers about Grisha’s dealings with Stalin but what I will say is this: Be prepared for a few startling revelations about the alleged cause of Stalin’s death. The history books tell us Stalin died of a stroke. But in The Stalin Stain, we learn a surprising new ‘truth’ about his demise.
Of course, I’m assuming what we read about Stalin’s death in The Stalin Stain is fiction, as while the book does contain elements of fact about his life and political career, some of the plot appears to be make-believe. For example, did Stalin really eat one of Hitler’s testicles, a body part that was allegedly found on the Fuhrer’s charred remains? I don’t remember reading about that in the history books. Some other aspects of Stalin’s life also appear incredulous although the novel’s allegation that the dictator escaped from authorities while dressed as a woman, surprisingly turns out to be based on fact. So, who knows, perhaps Stalin did make a meal out of Hitler’s testicle, but this isn’t something you should claim to be factual when writing a history paper.
The Stalin Stain is often very thrilling. During Illya and Katya’s adventures together, they get swept up in a quest involving treasure which Stalin apparently hid away. On their mission to track down this treasure, the intrepid duo runs into the Matrabazi family, a group of Georgian mobsters who have reason to want them dead. Thankfully, Illya and Katya are no easy pushovers, much to the surprise of the brutish thugs who think they’re cleverer and stronger than our heroes. At times, The Stalin Stain resembles an Indiana Jones or National Treasure adventure with its globe-trotting plot which sees Illya and Katya venture far and wide on their mission. Some of the dialogue could have come straight from a Bond movie too, with the wisecracking Katya often delivering witty quips after disposing of a bad guy. Admittedly, her dialogue comes across as unrealistic at times, though that won’t matter to anybody who gets into the gung-ho spirit of the story.
The Stalin Stain is a gripping read with some very exciting set pieces. The plot is occasionally complicated as it weaves the present day into events from Stalinist Russia. But such is the quality of Mefford’s writing, you don’t need to have a degree in Russian history to get the most out of his accomplished novel.
