The author introduces this, perhaps surpringly titled novel, with a treatise on the current events taking place at the heart of the world where this and his previous spy novels have taken place. He provides a brief summary on the background of the current president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the possible coincidences with his lead character in this and previous tales. He then transitions into the complex lives and journeys of his main character, Colonel Alexandr "Sasha" Katsanov, the loyal and dedicated Soviet GRU espionage agent, who is challenged once again when KGB operatives attempt to kill him. Regrettably, his assailants tragically and brutally murder his wife, Katiya. Following the botched event, he is sent to the United States as an attache and assigned to the Soviet Embassy for protection. Sasha quickly discovers that espionage is a two-edged sword, Soviet agents and Americans alike, and fall prey to greed and ideological motivations to sell-out their governments.