First published 1978
Boris Kotlikoff thought his defection to America two years ago was behind him. The Russian poet brought no state secrets, posed no threat to his former homeland. Now he finds himself trapped underground somewhere in New York City, a living hostage in a deadly game between superpowers. Three men race to find him before time runs out. Ben Leary from Immigration and Naturalization refuses to let bureaucratic caution slow his search. CIA operative Gus Geller launches his own parallel hunt through the city's shadows. Charlie Brewer, a disgraced ex-CIA agent recruited by Geller, leads the actual fieldwork with nothing left to lose. The US government treads carefully, unwilling to escalate tensions. Meanwhile, Kotlikoff remains buried alive while his would-be rescuers turn against each other. Personal vendettas and missed chances threaten to doom the poet as the three searchers fight time and their own bitter rivalries in the maze of New York.
Genres: mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: New York City, America, Russia
Period: 2 Years Ago
304 pages · Hardcover · Victor Gollancz
Content warnings: violence