by Mark Greaney
Part of Jack Ryan Universe
First published 2015
Jack Ryan Jr. meets his childhood friend Seth Gregory for lunch in Tehran. Seth works as an engineer on a railway project spanning continents. Before they separate, Seth hands Jack a mysterious key and cryptic words. The following day, two operatives summon Jack to an apartment. They tell him Seth has vanished with money meant for a crucial intelligence mission. They claim Seth has betrayed his country. They warn Jack to contact them if Seth reaches out and to stay away from the situation. Jack refuses to abandon his friend. He begins searching for Seth across Iran and into the war-ravaged Caucasus region. His investigation leads him toward Russian territory as Moscow grows more hostile. Ysabel, an Iranian woman who worked as Seth's main contact, joins Jack's quest. She becomes his sole lead to finding Seth's location. Jack discovers a web of deception where every person hides their true identity. Even Seth conceals a dangerous secret rooted in Cold War history. This secret pushes Seth toward betraying everything he once believed. Time runs short as Jack faces an impossible choice between saving his friend and protecting America.
Genres: adventure, adult-fiction, thriller, mystery-thriller, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, gritty, high-stakes, suspenseful, tense
Tropes: friends-to-adversaries, hidden-identity, impossible-choice, trust-betrayed
Setting: Tehran, Iran, Caucasus, Russia, Moscow
Period: Cold War
434 pages · Kindle Edition · G.P. Putnam's Sons
Content warnings: death, violence