Even in the murky world of espionage there are rules, understandings. Tad Anders has broken them. Too violent and too unpredictable, he let his feelings affect his ability to do his duty.
The spymasters looked at his file, talked discreetly amongst themselves and quietly pensioned him off as too dangerous for regular use.
But now the other side was breaking the rules: KGB-organised assassinations, the ruthless hunting down of defectors, kidnappings - in Vienna, Paris, Cologne and now London.
A revenge operation was called for. An East Berlin abduction under the noses of the Russians, done by an agent who could be disowned if anything went wrong...
Tad Anders was needed again.
Read MoreAn exciting, gripping read ... You feel that life the lower reaches of the secret service must be like this - Daily MailEnough to keep the reader glued to the page - New York Times Book ReviewAllbeury is a writer of espionage novels that often soar above the genre... Time well spent - New YorkerCloak-and-dagger pastmaster Allbeury laces another grim potion lavishly... - ObserverThis one really grips with authority and authenticity... Allbeury successfully combines the horrors of the interrogation room with the ordinariness of having tea with someone's mum - Women's WorldSmooth writing and superb dialogue - ScotsmanAllbeury, arch-manipulator of espionage's grey, hangdog, and hungover tones... - Sunday TimesAnother cracking yarn from this master of fast-moving, hard-hitting action - Birmingham Evening Mail