Archive 17    by Sam Eastland Order:  USA  Can Bantam, 2012 (2012) Hardcover, CD Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Bob Walch This is the third installment in the series featuring Inspector Pekkala, the Tsar's special investigator who now works for Stalin. It is 1939 and Russia will soon be going to war with Germany. Stalin is desperately in need of money and orders Pekkala back to the notorious Gulag in Siberia where he was once held prisoner after the Revolution. Stalin is seeking the legendary boxes of gold bullion that once belonged to Tsar Nicholas II. Pekkala is to go undercover and infiltrate a hardened group of convicts who are still loyal to the Tsar and, more to the point, know where the legendary gold is buried in Siberia. It is a highly dangerous assignment and one that will bring back memories of his own past and reunite Pekkala with some of the military men he once knew while a member of Nicholas' court. Through flashbacks from Pekkala's past, the reader discovers the story behind the legendary cache of gold as well as what unfolded in the final days of the Tsar's reign. In locating the whereabouts of the gold, Pekkala must have his assistant back in Moscow, Major Kirov, delve into Archive 17 and the Blue File which contains information about the Tsar's secret operations against his own government. Sam Eastland has again meticulously researched the background for this historical thriller (read the afterword entitled What Really Happened in Siberia) and combined the information with a superb cast of characters to create another excellent novel. If you haven't read Eastland yet, you might want to do so. This is a series that's getting better and better with each new title. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews