Red Widow

“A wicked sharp spy novel…Equal parts Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Killing Eve.” –S. A. Cosby, author of Blacktop Wasteland and Razorblade Tears

An exhilarating spy thriller written by an intelligence veteran about two women CIA agents whose paths become intertwined around a threat to the Russia Division--one that's coming from inside the agency.

Lyndsey Duncan worries her career with the CIA might be over. After lines are crossed with another intelligence agent during an assignment, she is sent home to Washington on administrative leave. So when a former colleague--now Chief of the Russia Division--recruits her for an internal investigation, she jumps at the chance to prove herself. Lyndsey was once a top handler in the Moscow Field Station, where she was known as the "human lie detector" and praised for recruiting some of the most senior Russian officials. But now, three Russian assets have been exposed--including one of her own--and the CIA is convinced there's a mole in the department. With years of work in question and lives on the line, Lyndsey is thrown back into life at the agency, this time tracing the steps of those closest to her.

Meanwhile, fellow agent Theresa Warner can't avoid the spotlight. She is the infamous "Red Widow," the wife of a former director killed in the field under mysterious circumstances. With her husband's legacy shadowing her every move, Theresa is a fixture of the Russia Division, and as she and Lyndsey strike up an unusual friendship, her knowledge proves invaluable. But as Lyndsey uncovers a surprising connection to Theresa that could answer all of her questions, she unearths a terrifying web of secrets within the department, if only she is willing to unravel it....


Genre: Thriller

"Red Widow is a spy thriller that shines with authenticity and heart." - Karen Cleveland

"Superb! Part savvy geopolitical spy thriller in the tradition of John le Carré, part whip-sawing investigative procedural, part gripping psychological suspense, Red Widow grabs you in the harrowing opening scene and never lets go--and I don't mean at the last page; this novel stays with you long after you've finished it. Author Katsu brings an incisive and resonant voice to her tale and has populated it with truly distinctive, fully formed characters, including one of the sharpest and most appealing protagonists in recent fiction: Lyndsey Duncan. Did I say superb? Well, consider it said once more." - Jeffery Deaver

"A first-rate thriller. Red Widow provides an intoxicating, insider's view of the CIA, betrayal, revenge, and espionage at the highest levels and the highest stakes." - Robert Dugoni

"Red Widow is a novel only Alma Katsu could have written-a gripping story of secrets and loyalties that nails the brutal tradeoffs involved in high-stakes espionage. Tense, smart, and fearless." - Joseph Finder