AWARD-WINNING
HISTORICAL THRILLER

5 Stars! Highly Recommended!

Commissar deserves a place alongside the best in early 20th century Russian historical fiction."
– Chanticleer Reviews

A bitter, bloody
tour de force

Wrenchingly emotive, deftly written and tremendously powerful."
– Book Viral Reviews

A taut mystery and espionage story

Not only is Commissar an exciting read, it’s also an excellent introduction to the struggles of the nascent Soviet Union." 
– Seattle Book Review

Commissar

A novel of Civil War Russia

A gripping historical spy thriller based on incredible real events

Moscow, August 1918.

As the post-revolutionary Russia is teetering on the precipice of a civil war, Anna Sokolova, a young agent of the newly formed state security commission, is tasked with hunting down a British spy Sidney Reilly who set in motion an audacious plot to alter the course of Russian history. Meanwhile, a young WWI vet William Arden sets sail from New York on a mission to Russia that is not what it appears to be, and the true purpose of which even he may not yet fully comprehend. Their paths cross in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), and they become unlikely allies.

When the Soviet head of state Lenin is shot by an assassin and a bloody conflict ignites throughout Russia, Anna’s loyalties are tested. Can she save her country and not lose herself in the process?

Based on historical events, Commissar is meticulously researched and explores the little-known period of US and British intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918-22).

Book 1 of the Anna Sokolova series.

Finalist – 2022 Hemingway
International Book Awards

Bronze Award – 2022
Reader Views Awards

Semi-Finalist - Chanticleer International Book Awards

Semi-Finalist – 2020 Goethe
International Book Awards

5 Stars
Reader Views

5 Stars
Book Viral Reviews

5 Stars
Chanticleer Book Reviews

BUY ONLINE
view on goodreads
EBOOK

Available for Kindle,
Apple, Kobo, Nook and more

PAPERBACK

352 pages, 5.06″ x 7.81″
ISBN 978-1800465596

Explore the real history behind Commissar

Allied Intervention in Russia: Siberia

One of the events in the novel Commissar is the Allied intervention in Russia. Overshadowed by World War I, this is an often-forgotten episode...

Dora (Fanny) Kaplan

One of many factual events in the novel Commissar is the attempted assassination of the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. In the evening of August...

The World of Commissar

The novel Commissar spans the vast territories of the former Russian Empire, from Vladivostok in the far east to Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) in...

Anna’s World

The plot of Commissar starts in the summer of 1918. As Anna begins her service in the newly-formed CHEKA state security agency, Russia is...

William’s World

When we meet William in the novel, he is back in the US after spending a year on the frontlines of Europe. Having maintaining...

Characters of Commissar

Commissar is based largely on real historical events and people. Here is a handy reference to who is a real historical person and who...

Weapons of Commissar: Mauser C96

The iconic Mauser "broom handle" pistol was popular on both sides of the Russian civil war. Although not as ubiquitous as the Nagant revolver,...

Weapons of Commissar: Mark V Tank

The British heavy tanks are probably some of the most recognizable machines of WWI. Manufactured by the Metropolitan Carriage and Wagon Company in Birmingham,...

Weapons of Commissar: Armored Trains

During the Russian Civil War, both the Reds and the Whites relied on trains to move troops and equipment across Russia's vast expanses. Many...

Allied Intervention in Russia: Siberia

One of the events in the novel Commissar is the Allied intervention in Russia. Overshadowed by World War I, this is an often-forgotten episode...

Dora (Fanny) Kaplan

One of many factual events in the novel Commissar is the attempted assassination of the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. In the evening of August...