“Allbeury, like le Carré, is a master of the genre, and this novel represents some of his best work.”— Booklist

It’s 1980 and the Cold War continues to rage. Seemingly out of nowhere, wealthy businessman Logan Powell has become President-elect and is only weeks away from assuming the most powerful position in the world on the twentieth day of January. Across the Atlantic, veteran British intelligence agent James MacKay uncovers shocking evidence that suggests something might be terribly wrong with the election. With the help of a reluctant CIA, MacKay sets out on a dangerous and daring mission to discover if the unthinkable has occurred: is President-elect Powell actually a puppet of the Soviet Union?Written by the bestselling author of The Crossing and Pay Any Price, this remarkably plausible thriller offers a heady mix of political intrigue and intense suspense—with the very future of America and the free world hanging in the balance.

“Allbeury’s novels have won a reputation not only for verisimilitude but for crisp, economical narration and high drama… there’s no better craftsman.”— Chicago Sun-Times

“A most knowledgeable chronicler of espionage.”— The New York Times Book Review

“When I say Ted Allbeury knows where the bodies are buried I mean it literally. Truly a classic writer of espionage fiction.”— Len Deighton, author of The Ipcress File