Berlin, 1963. An espionage thriller set at the height of the Cold War. Martin Keller, an imprisoned American who has spied for the KGB, is offered a spy swap to return to East Berlin. Eager to reunite with his ex-wife and their young son, he leaps at this chance for freedom. But has he just exchanged one prison for another? Who has asked for him? Who arranged the deal? The KGB? And what do they want from him now, all these years later? Intriguing and atmospheric, with action rising to a dangerous climax, Kanon’s latest thriller confirms his standing as a “master of the genre” In Chapter 5, Stefan reveals that he will call for an end to the arms race at the conference in Geneva. Then he asks Martin, "What do you say to [your son], when he asks someday? Why you do this work? How do you answer him? ... How would I explain myself? For making these bombs. What explanation could there be? ... All of us have to answer for it." How does this affect Martin going forward? Do you think he would have made different decisions if Stefan had not made it so personal? He’ll die,” the passenger said, hands still up in the air. He looked at the empty bridge, his eyes watering. For a moment Martin thought he would run, chance it, but his eyes now were on the guard’s gun, the years ahead. At Invalidenstrasse. Wall jumpers. In an ambulance. I think something new, using an ambulance. I don’t remember anyone before—”

From “the most accomplished spy novelist working today” ( The Sunday Times, London), a “heart-poundingly suspenseful” ( The Washington Post) espionage thriller set at the height of the Cold War, when a captured American who has spied for the KGB is returned to East Berlin, needing to know who arranged for his release and what they now want from him.

Joseph Kanon

A faint nod. “Peter. He’s always known you were his father. We made sure of that. So he’s curious. He thinks you’re a socialist hero.”

No, I thought you might be here. And here you are. So, a good guess, no? You always bring your visitors here,” he said, looking at Martin, waiting. Kurt frequently brings Martin along with him when he works, allowing Martin to see the illicit dealings that make his new life in East Berlin possible. Why does Kurt want Martin to see what he does, especially given the recurring mantra, "There is no crime in the DDR"? What does it reveal about Kurt's character? The way you want someone to look at you. Like a hunger. And I thought—if we’re telling the truth—maybe with him. But I had to know first. If we fit. You see, I don’t lie to you. I wouldn’t say this if we didn’t fit.”Joseph Kanon is, for my money, the best spy writer working today, an author of rare gifts as a stylist, plotter and creator of characters. He is also the greatest writer ever of historical espionage fiction. . . . He is absolutely worth his place in the pantheon of the greats." — Tim Shipman, Spybrary The setting is 1963. WWII is over, the Cold War is in full effect. Martin is an American who worked on the Manhattan Project and spied for the Russians during WWII. He spent the past 15 years in jail for, you know, spying. He was taken out of jail and sent to East Berlin, where his ex-wife and son are living. In Chapter 5, Stefan reveals that he will call for an end to the arms race at the conference in Geneva. Then he asks Martin, “What do you say to [your son], when he asks someday? Why you do this work? How do you answer him? . . . How would I explain myself? For making these bombs. What explanation could there be? . . . All of us have to answer for it.” How does this affect Martin going forward? Do you think he would have made different decisions if Stefan had nott made it so personal?

A journalist, Hans Reiger, constantly dogs Martin about a violent incident that occurred during his exchange, in an effort to answer the same questions Martin has about it. In chapter 4, Kurt insists again that “nobody wants such a story,” yet goes out of his way to throw Hans off the trail. What does this signal about the importance of Hans’s story? Who do you think could be interested after all? So we’ll know what’s true, between us. The others? That’s something else. But between us, the truth.” No, just a word.” A glance to the lobby. “There he goes. I was afraid— But that was good, everybody in the field. He doesn’t have to know you’re a friend of Schell’s.” After, they lay still for a few minutes, and then he rolled off, slightly embarrassed, afraid he’d given himself away, who he really was. She reached over and took out a cigarette, something he imagined she would do every time, the way he’d first seen her, smoking. You see there? They’re building a radio tower. The tallest in the world. Much higher than the Funkturm.” A point of pride, winning some invisible race. “For television too. You know that Peter is on the television?”

It’s not a secret, is it? Of course I know. In this work you have to know everything about your clients.” The driver stayed slumped over, but a young man opened the passenger door, hands up. “Don’t shoot.” He looked at the driver, distraught. “You killed him. Murderers.”