A.J. Lewinter is an American scientist, for years an insignificant cog in America's complex defense machinery. But now he is playing both sides against the middle -- telling the Russians he wants to defect and tantalizing them with U.S. military secrets he claims to possess. But is his defection genuine? Neither the Russians nor the Americans are sure, and as each side struggles to anticipate its opponent's next move, Lewinter is swept up in a terrifying chess match of deceit and treachery that exploits friendships, destroys loyalties, and manipulates human beings as expendable pawns. A masterpiece of irony and intrigue, deft and dazzlingly plotted, this is Robert Littell's masterful debut -- the opening shot of a brilliant career.