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Suspect Red

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What to expect

It’s 1953, and the United States has just executed an American couple convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. Everyone is on edge as the Cold War standoff between communism and democracy leads to the rise of Senator Joe McCarthy and his zealous hunt for people he calls subversives or communist sympathizers. Suspicion, loyalty oaths, blacklists, political profiling, hostility to foreigners, and the assumption of guilt by association divide the nation. Richard and his family believe deeply in American values and love of country, especially since Richard’s father works for the FBI. Yet when a family from Czechoslovakia moves in down the street with a son Richard’s age named Vlad, their bold ideas about art and politics bring everything into question.

Richard is quickly drawn to Vlad’s confidence, musical sensibilities, and passion for literature, which he shares. But as the nation’s paranoia spirals out of control, Richard longs to prove himself a patriot, and blurred lines between friend and foe could lead to a betrayal that destroys lives.

Critics Review

u201cNarrator Elizabeth Wiley superbly brings this extraordinary historical fiction to lifeu2026Wiley uses a somber voice to narrate from the historical record. Her voice for thirteen-year-old Richard is full of curiosity, confusion, and a few cracks as he tries to navigate his world. With masterful intonation and pacing, she brings personality to Richardu2019s overprotective mother, his troubled father, his precocious younger sister, and his neighbors, who are new immigrantsu2026Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.u201d

AudioFile

u201cElliottu2019s riveting young-adult historical novel Suspect Red takes us on a rough ride through one thicket-filled thorny year in the life of early-adolescent Richard Bradleyu2026Elliottu2019s technique and methodology are superbly appropriate.u201d

Huffington Post

u201cA tense, engrossing story that effectively captures the suspicion and paranoia that prevailed during American historyu2019s darkest chapters.u201d

Kirkus Reviews

u201cThis historical novel is filled with Richardu2019s naive, offbeat humoru2026[In a ] rich historical settingu2026Richardu2019s literature-driven ideasu2026and his rare friendship with Vladimir make his experiences as memorable as they are painful.u201d

School Library Journal

u201cElliot does a masterful job of incorporating fictional people into a historical scenario. Even with the heavy historical references and background, the story of Richard and Vlad shines through.u201d

School Library Connection
Author L. M. Elliott
Narrator Elizabeth Wiley
Duration 6 hours and 56 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781538429907
Format Audiobook
Publisher Blackstone Publishing
Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction: General fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Historical fiction, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Politics
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

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