First published 2011
Sam Gaddis needs money badly when his journalist friend approaches him in 2007 with an intriguing research project. She believes a sixth member existed within the notorious Trinity spy ring, beyond the five Cambridge spies already exposed. Before Gaddis can learn more, his friend dies suddenly of an apparent heart attack. Gaddis takes over her investigation and discovers connections to Edward Crane, a diplomat who died under mysterious circumstances in a London hospital fifteen years earlier. Crane's obituary revealed nothing about his true activities during the Cold War. Following leads across Europe, Gaddis tracks down a man who claims knowledge about Crane's real identity and role. As Gaddis digs deeper, he realizes that Cold War secrets still carry lethal consequences. People will kill to protect the truth about the sixth spy. His pursuit takes him through a landscape still poisoned by decades of espionage and betrayal on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The closer Gaddis gets to the truth about Edward Crane and the Trinity Six, the more dangerous his situation becomes. What he uncovers threatens to shake the political establishments in London and Moscow.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, thriller, 21st-century, espionage
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, conspiracy, investigation
Setting: Europe, London, Moscow
Period: 2007, Cold War, Fifteen Years Earlier
354 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press