First published 1987
Eric Mather meets two strangers in Washington Square Park who offer him money for a simple task. They want him to steal a roll of film from Peter Bradley, a physics professor returning from Athens. The men assure Eric that Bradley won't notice the missing film and no one will be harmed. Eric agrees to betray his friend and colleague for what seems like easy money. When Bradley turns up murdered in his East Tenth Street apartment, Eric realizes he has been used by dangerous people. The film contained sensitive information that foreign agents needed to prevent the Cold War from escalating. Now Eric must navigate a treacherous world of spies and double agents to uncover the truth about Tom and Jerry, the men who manipulated him. His guilt over Bradley's death drives him deeper into their shadowy network of atomic secrets and international intrigue. Eric discovers that his simple betrayal has pulled him into a deadly game where the stakes are much higher than he imagined.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, thriller, espionage
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Athens, East Tenth Street, Washington Square Park
Period: Cold War
224 pages · Paperback · Avon Books
Content warnings: murder