A Single Spy - Softcover

Christie, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1250181216 ISBN 13: 9781250181213

Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2018

Synopsis

“ENTHRALLING.”―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Alexsi Ivanovich Smirnov, an orphan and a thief, has been living by his wits and surviving below the ever-watchful eye of the Soviet system until his luck finally runs out. In 1936, at the age of 16, Alexsi is caught by the NKVD and given a choice: disappear forever in the basement of the Lubyanka or be trained and inserted as a spy into Nazi Germany.

Now Alexsi has no choice but to live as the devoted nephew of a high-ranking Nazi official, and ultimately for the legendary German spymaster Wilhelm Canaris, all the while acting as a double agent―reporting back to the NKVD and avoiding detection by the Gestapo. Trapped between two of the most notorious dictatorships in history, Alexsi’s goal is the same as it has always been: show loyalty to no one, and survive at all costs.

But soon Alexsi is tested when he is chosen by the Gestapo to spearhead one of the most desperate operations of the war: to infiltrate the site of the Tehran conference between Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin―and ensure their assassination. For Alexsi, it’s the moment of truth. What does he believe in and who is worth fighting for? Meanwhile, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. . .

About this title

About the Author:

WILLIAM CHRISTIE is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a former Marine Corps infantry officer who commanded a number of units and served around the world. In addition to A Single Spy, he has written several other novels, published either under his own name or that of F.J. Chase.

Review:

"Narrator Ari Fliakos crafts unique voices and personas for key Russians and Germans in this pre-WWII spy story. ...As characters reappear, listeners will appreciate Fliakos's earlier efforts to define every person. By the novel's unpredictable ending, listeners will be completely hooked on Fliakos's every word." -AudioFile

"A superb spy novel, with a vast sweep across the Eastern Front of World War II, all told from the vantage of a single man fighting to survive, while also perhaps changing the course of history." ―Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Expats

"A rousing adventure saga and a first-rate spy novel. Exciting action scenes. Accurate espionage tradecraft. This irresistible historical thriller grabbed me with its fascinating depiction of little known, major events in WWII. Its unusual main character, a double agent for both the Soviets and the Nazis but looking out only for himself, is a wry deadly charmer." ―David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Ruler of the Night

"Christie paints not only a brilliant portrait of a daring young spy, but also of an explosive era. Taut, expertly plotted, and with an ingenious climax, this is a spy thriller for the ages." ―Dan Mayland, author of The Colonel’s Mistake

"A Single Spy is a brilliant and beautiful novel that places William Christie firmly in the rarefied ranks of the world's finest authors of espionage fiction. Readers who've appreciated the dark, wonderfully written novels of John le Carré and Alan Furst, owe it to themselves to read it. The novel is that rare; Christie is that good." ―Dan Simmons, New York Times bestselling author of The Terror and The Crook Factory

"To write a World War Two espionage thriller as chilling as A Single Spy, and to capture what it takes to survive bloodthirsty dictators, William Christie is either a brilliant novelist and gifted historian, or he is a 93-year old veteran of the Soviet and the Nazi spy services who has the memory of an elephant and the soul of a wolf." ―Justin Scott, New York Times bestselling author of The Shipkiller and Rampage, and co-author of the "Isaac Bell" series with Clive Cussler

"Aleksi is a breath of fresh air, a survivor for the ages who must live by his wits even as he is squeezed by the tyranny of both Stalin and Hitler. William Christie renders him convincingly, in tight, lucid prose with vivid period detail.” ―Dan Fesperman, author of The Letter Writer

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1250181216
• ISBN 13: 9781250181213
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 480