The Riddle of the Trees

"Perlman displays a level of confidence and craft that’s rare in first novels; the structure and pacing are near-perfect . . . An intimate, emotionally rich debut novel with a high-stakes espionage plot." -Kirkus Reviews (Verdict: Get it)

"Layered debut thriller . . . Crisp Eastern European thriller explores political resistance on a human scale." -BookLife Editor's Pick by Publisher's Weekly

"Marc Perlman has a distinctive voice, and its value shows." —Lawrence Cunningham, author of the no. 1 international bestseller The Essays of Warren Buffett

At the same time that a physicist is murdered in a Belarusian forest by a KGB agent, American Jack Miller boards a flight to Eastern Europe, where he hopes to learn what caused an enduring rift between his Holocaust-surviving father and grandfather. All the while, he is unaware that his life will soon be entwined with that of the dead man.

In Minsk, Jack quickly falls for Anna, his beautiful Belarusian guide, and learns the gnawing fear of living in a police state. Spurred by revelations about his family, Jack follows Anna on a reckless mission into the Belavezskaya Forest, where they witness events that could change the course of history.

With the KGB nipping at his heels and summoning courage he never knew he had, Jack agrees to smuggle the newfound information across the border. But, on the sand dunes of the Curonian Spit, he must make a choice: save the woman he loves or save the world from disaster . . .

Marc S. Perlman lives in New York City with his wife and son. He works as a lawyer and does the bulk of his writing after his son agrees to go to bed. A graduate of Bowdoin College and Cardozo Law School, Marc has had a lifelong interest in history and has traveled extensively in Eastern Europe. He conceived of The Riddle of the Trees several years ago while biking through the Belavezskaya Forest from Poland to Belarus. It's his first novel.