“An intriguing spy novel written in the form of a memoir . . . Those seeking a fresh take on the genre will be satisfied.”—Publishers Weekly
An exciting debut for fans of The Americans and Red Sparrow.
In 1964, at the height of the Cold War, Kate Landau, a young American expert on Russia, joins the CIA. Drawn to danger and adventure, she hopes to be sent to Moscow, but instead finds herself stuck in an office doing boring translations. When her big break comes, she’s recruited to work undercover in New York City, investigating a KGB officer posing as a UN diplomat. Exactly the kind of work she’d hoped for.
The KGB officer is not a stranger. She’d met him in Moscow years before when he was a handsome university student named Max and she was a naive American college girl visiting the Soviet Union on a rare friendship tour. Max had been her first lover. She still treasures the little gold key he'd given her one memorable night in a Moscow park.
When Kate and Max meet up again in New York and inevitably resume their love affair, it is passionate, but fraught with distrust and secret agendas. A series of dangerous events lead Kate to fear for her life—and to suspect the man who is both her lover and her enemy. Against a background of Soviet brutality and international intrigue, The Russian Key will keep you guessing as it builds to its shocking and unexpected climax.
Genre: Thriller
An exciting debut for fans of The Americans and Red Sparrow.
In 1964, at the height of the Cold War, Kate Landau, a young American expert on Russia, joins the CIA. Drawn to danger and adventure, she hopes to be sent to Moscow, but instead finds herself stuck in an office doing boring translations. When her big break comes, she’s recruited to work undercover in New York City, investigating a KGB officer posing as a UN diplomat. Exactly the kind of work she’d hoped for.
The KGB officer is not a stranger. She’d met him in Moscow years before when he was a handsome university student named Max and she was a naive American college girl visiting the Soviet Union on a rare friendship tour. Max had been her first lover. She still treasures the little gold key he'd given her one memorable night in a Moscow park.
When Kate and Max meet up again in New York and inevitably resume their love affair, it is passionate, but fraught with distrust and secret agendas. A series of dangerous events lead Kate to fear for her life—and to suspect the man who is both her lover and her enemy. Against a background of Soviet brutality and international intrigue, The Russian Key will keep you guessing as it builds to its shocking and unexpected climax.
Genre: Thriller
Praise for this book
"The Russian Key is one of the most refreshing spy novels to come along in some time, a remarkably realistic exploration of the human costs of the espionage game. Set in the Cold War era of the 1950s and 1960s, it tells the tale of a relationship between two spies, and two countries. Along the way, Katherine Landau emerges as an unlikely hero, one of the more compelling and authentic characters in American spy fiction. The author’s first-hand knowledge of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe shows throughout this taut, thought-provoking novel. A great read." - Max Karpov
"Layer-upon-layer and twist-after-twist, Jeri Laber’s novel redefines deception. A young woman, fascinated by everything Russian, becomes a CIA operative, and ends up in a torrid—and dangerous—affair with a suspected KGB agent. Between them, they deal lies like cards, leaving the reader to sort out what’s true and who has the better hand. Laber’s personal history with clandestine activities lends authenticity to the story, which she tells in a breezy, engaging way that had me totally entertained and intrigued." - Timothy Jay Smith
"Layer-upon-layer and twist-after-twist, Jeri Laber’s novel redefines deception. A young woman, fascinated by everything Russian, becomes a CIA operative, and ends up in a torrid—and dangerous—affair with a suspected KGB agent. Between them, they deal lies like cards, leaving the reader to sort out what’s true and who has the better hand. Laber’s personal history with clandestine activities lends authenticity to the story, which she tells in a breezy, engaging way that had me totally entertained and intrigued." - Timothy Jay Smith
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