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In Rome, the severed hand of a retired MI6 executive is found holding a bag containing 30 silver pieces. Meanwhile, in London, MI6 agent Paul Aston is near the point of quitting. He has been passed over for one promotion too many and his colleagues treat him like a leper, so when he is approached to head up a new task force, he jumps at the chance. Aston must investigate the death of another agent. Though the death at first appears to be a heart attack, as Aston digs deeper he uncovers a conspiracy that dates back to the dying days of the Soviet Union. What will happen if Aston decides to unveil the truth?
When a retired MI6 executive is found murdered with a symbolic cache of silver, agent Paul Aston is pulled from the brink of resignation to lead a high-stakes investigation. Aston, a disillusioned operative weary of professional stagnation and isolation, accepts a new task force assignment that promises redemption but delivers a dangerous descent into a long-buried conspiracy. As he navigates the murky waters of international intelligence, he must contend with institutional betrayal and the lingering ghosts of the Cold War. The narrative follows a traditional third-person perspective, tracking Aston's methodical unraveling of a web that connects past Soviet-era secrets to present-day lethal threats.
This novel aligns with the conventions of the classic espionage thriller, emphasizing the isolation of the field agent and the weight of historical secrets. The narrative structure suggests a focus on procedural tension, where the protagonist's internal disillusionment mirrors the external decay of the intelligence networks he serves. Readers of the genre will likely find the premise of a Cold War conspiracy resurfacing in the modern era to be a familiar yet effective engine for suspense. The book functions as a character-driven investigation that prioritizes the mechanics of tradecraft and the slow revelation of a hidden, systemic truth.
Page Count:
400
Publication Date:
2007-12-03
Publisher:
HarperCollinsPublishers
ISBN-10:
0007212127
ISBN-13:
9780007212125
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