First published 2015
Jack Ryan Jr. is running a standard intelligence operation in Tehran when he encounters Seth Gregory, his oldest friend. Their meeting ends with Seth pressing a mysterious key into Jack's hand along with a puzzling message. The next morning, two operatives approach Jack with disturbing news. Seth has vanished, they claim, taking money meant for a crucial intelligence mission. They insist Seth has betrayed his country and warn Jack to contact them immediately if Seth reaches out. But Jack refuses to abandon his friend. His investigation plunges him into a web of deception where allies become enemies and nothing appears as it seems. Even Seth may not be the person Jack believed him to be. Jack must navigate layers of lies and betrayal to discover the truth about his friend's disappearance and the real purpose behind the key.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, action, espionage
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Tehran
505 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam's Sons