Publisher's Weekly
The abrupt raising of the Iron Curtain, it would appear, has released a thousand intriguing ghosts from the past and given the spy novel a whole new lease on life. If Finder's fiction debut doesn't outdo Frederick Forsyth in grace of style, it surpasses both Forsyth and Ludlum in density of mystery and swirl of action. At the same time--not entirely surprisingly, coming from the author of Red Carpet, a study of the intricate connections between the Kremlin and U.S. big business--the plot is crammed with and even a little overwhelmed by details regarding the darker side of Soviet history and the workings of Soviet and U.S. intelligence. Assigned to examine a portentous tape sneaked out of Moscow by a mole, CIA Kremlinologist Charlie Stone finds himself in an espionage investigation of staggering complexity. As he hops among three continents, often the target of both the KGB and the CIA, Stone succeeds in vindicating his father, branded a traitor by McCarthy, while nosing out a plot by the head of the KGB to stage a violent coup during a Moscow summit that will end glasnost and set the world on its ear. The story contains as many chases, murders, conspiracies and uncloseted ghosts as any thriller maven could want, as well as a credible love interest; in all, it's a superbly exciting read.
Library Journal
Did Lenin, on his deathbed, write a testament denouncing the newly founded Soviet Union as a police state? Did an ultra-secret American organization aid Beria in a failed coup following the death of Stalin? How do these two seemingly unrelated incidents connect with CIA Soviet analyst Charlie Stone's father's imprisonment during the McCarthy years? And what do all three have to do with what Stone believes is a developing Kremlin power struggle that could depose Gorbachev, repudiate glasnost, and rekindle the Cold War? These are the questions that propel this exciting first novel, a Ludlumesque tale of multiple conspiracies, deception, murder, and deadly pursuit. It lacks that convincing plausibility of the best of John le Carre or Len Deighton, but compensates for that with a driving what-happens-next readability.--Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
School Library Journal
YA-- An intricate, complex plot unfolds with detailed descriptions of a cast of interesting, well-drawn characters in this chilling, action-packed thriller. Charlie Stone, a CIA analyst who is well versed in Soviet/U. S. intelligence, is the key figure, with his father and godfather adding intrigue and mystery to a continous chain of events. While investigating a tape that describes a violent coup to be staged during an upcoming Moscow summit, Stone becomes a target of both the KGB and CIA as he tries to discover the powerful political players involved in this attempt. In the process, he vindicates his wrongly accused father and discovers shocking facts about his godfather, while barely escaping his pursuers. The style of writing, vivid characters, credible plot, and a love interest should appeal to those who enjoy a good spy novel.-- Nancy Bard, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Genre: Thriller
The abrupt raising of the Iron Curtain, it would appear, has released a thousand intriguing ghosts from the past and given the spy novel a whole new lease on life. If Finder's fiction debut doesn't outdo Frederick Forsyth in grace of style, it surpasses both Forsyth and Ludlum in density of mystery and swirl of action. At the same time--not entirely surprisingly, coming from the author of Red Carpet, a study of the intricate connections between the Kremlin and U.S. big business--the plot is crammed with and even a little overwhelmed by details regarding the darker side of Soviet history and the workings of Soviet and U.S. intelligence. Assigned to examine a portentous tape sneaked out of Moscow by a mole, CIA Kremlinologist Charlie Stone finds himself in an espionage investigation of staggering complexity. As he hops among three continents, often the target of both the KGB and the CIA, Stone succeeds in vindicating his father, branded a traitor by McCarthy, while nosing out a plot by the head of the KGB to stage a violent coup during a Moscow summit that will end glasnost and set the world on its ear. The story contains as many chases, murders, conspiracies and uncloseted ghosts as any thriller maven could want, as well as a credible love interest; in all, it's a superbly exciting read.
Library Journal
Did Lenin, on his deathbed, write a testament denouncing the newly founded Soviet Union as a police state? Did an ultra-secret American organization aid Beria in a failed coup following the death of Stalin? How do these two seemingly unrelated incidents connect with CIA Soviet analyst Charlie Stone's father's imprisonment during the McCarthy years? And what do all three have to do with what Stone believes is a developing Kremlin power struggle that could depose Gorbachev, repudiate glasnost, and rekindle the Cold War? These are the questions that propel this exciting first novel, a Ludlumesque tale of multiple conspiracies, deception, murder, and deadly pursuit. It lacks that convincing plausibility of the best of John le Carre or Len Deighton, but compensates for that with a driving what-happens-next readability.--Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
School Library Journal
YA-- An intricate, complex plot unfolds with detailed descriptions of a cast of interesting, well-drawn characters in this chilling, action-packed thriller. Charlie Stone, a CIA analyst who is well versed in Soviet/U. S. intelligence, is the key figure, with his father and godfather adding intrigue and mystery to a continous chain of events. While investigating a tape that describes a violent coup to be staged during an upcoming Moscow summit, Stone becomes a target of both the KGB and CIA as he tries to discover the powerful political players involved in this attempt. In the process, he vindicates his wrongly accused father and discovers shocking facts about his godfather, while barely escaping his pursuers. The style of writing, vivid characters, credible plot, and a love interest should appeal to those who enjoy a good spy novel.-- Nancy Bard, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA
Genre: Thriller
Praise for this book
"One of the best plotted, best written and most believable novels yet written about political conspiracy." - Nelson DeMille
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Used availability for Joseph Finder's The Moscow Club