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A War of Deception
Fathers and sons. Past and Present. Retribution and revenge.
When retired U.N. spy Mai Fisher leaves a diplomatic reception a cold, rainy night early in the year 2001, she dashes for the first cab she sees. The driver has a tattoo Mai has seen before on Serbian paramilitaries. Suspicious, she forces him to admit he was waiting for her--to deliver her to the Russian Mafia.
After almost 40 years as a spy for the United Nations Intelligence Directorate, Alexei Bukharin is glad to be alive to enjoy time with his wife, Mai Fisher, and to finish raising his college-student granddaughter, Natalia. When Mai called him out of bed to bring her dry clothes after she takes an information drop from a Serbian diplomat, he discovers she's suffered something that can be death for a spy, retired or otherwise: Someone knows her true identity.
A raid on the Mafia apartment where Mai was to be taken uncovers something more devastating. The thugs have a photograph of Natalia at her university. The investigation becomes two-pronged: Who burned Mai, and why is the Russian underworld interested in Natalia?
Their investigation uncovers a Russian mole in the FBI, one who has been selling America's secrets to the Soviets and the Russian Federation for more than 20 years. When Alexei discovers the reason behind the interest in Natalia, he realizes a decision he made in 1974 has come back to haunt him.
Personal needs, professional standards, and a choice from the past collide in a war of deception.
When retired U.N. spy Mai Fisher leaves a diplomatic reception a cold, rainy night early in the year 2001, she dashes for the first cab she sees. The driver has a tattoo Mai has seen before on Serbian paramilitaries. Suspicious, she forces him to admit he was waiting for her--to deliver her to the Russian Mafia.
After almost 40 years as a spy for the United Nations Intelligence Directorate, Alexei Bukharin is glad to be alive to enjoy time with his wife, Mai Fisher, and to finish raising his college-student granddaughter, Natalia. When Mai called him out of bed to bring her dry clothes after she takes an information drop from a Serbian diplomat, he discovers she's suffered something that can be death for a spy, retired or otherwise: Someone knows her true identity.
A raid on the Mafia apartment where Mai was to be taken uncovers something more devastating. The thugs have a photograph of Natalia at her university. The investigation becomes two-pronged: Who burned Mai, and why is the Russian underworld interested in Natalia?
Their investigation uncovers a Russian mole in the FBI, one who has been selling America's secrets to the Soviets and the Russian Federation for more than 20 years. When Alexei discovers the reason behind the interest in Natalia, he realizes a decision he made in 1974 has come back to haunt him.
Personal needs, professional standards, and a choice from the past collide in a war of deception.
394 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2017
26 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis Anne Duncan (P. A. Duncan)
24 books32 followersP. A. Duncan is a retired bureaucrat but one with an overactive imagination--at least that's what everyone has told her since she first started making up stories in elementary school, prompted by her weekly list of spelling words.
A commercial pilot and former FAA safety official, she lives and writes in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. A graduate of Madison College (now James Madison University), she has degrees in history and political science. Politics and history manage to work their way into her writing.
Her fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies. When not reading, writing, editing, singing in a UU choir, watching the Yankees, or cheering on Dale Earnhardt, Jr., she delights in spoiling her grandchildren.
She is president emeritus of the Virginia Writers Club, one of the oldest writer organizations in the country.
A commercial pilot and former FAA safety official, she lives and writes in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. A graduate of Madison College (now James Madison University), she has degrees in history and political science. Politics and history manage to work their way into her writing.
Her fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies. When not reading, writing, editing, singing in a UU choir, watching the Yankees, or cheering on Dale Earnhardt, Jr., she delights in spoiling her grandchildren.
She is president emeritus of the Virginia Writers Club, one of the oldest writer organizations in the country.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 6, 2018
A War on Deception by P.A Duncan was a wonderful read. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day and a half. The story had a nice flow to it. There was never a point where I was confused about what a character said or did and when. Several times a War on Deception left me smiling with snarky well thought out dialogue between the characters. What I enjoyed the most is how the book kept my attention from start to finish. I will read more from this clever writer.
May 27, 2017
A War of Deception is a page-turning thriller unlike any I’ve read. With engaging, believable characters, knife-sharp dialogue, and a riveting plot, Duncan paints a timely and frightening picture of a new cold war between Russia and the West. Or maybe the spies have all gone rogue? You won’t want to stop reading until you find out. And you won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended.
June 20, 2017
A gritty tale with twists you won't see coming, A War of Deception is one firecracker of a debut novel! If you enjoy complex tales with well-developed characters, this is the thriller for you. With universal themes to which we can all relate, this story will keep you glued to the page (or screen). I particularly enjoyed the leads, Mai Fisher and Alexei Bucharin, and look forward to reading many more stories about these characters.
May 19, 2017
“I loved reading this spy thriller where old school KGB meets twenty-first century FBI. Alexie and Mai are a husband and wife battling each other as much as those who threaten them. It’s great fun watching them work it out, in between getting shot and making love. I can’t wait to read the next book.”
J. Russ Briley, author of One Man, Two Votes, and Two Dirty for D.C.
I had the pleasure of getting an ARC.
J. Russ Briley, author of One Man, Two Votes, and Two Dirty for D.C.
I had the pleasure of getting an ARC.
February 27, 2023
AT LAST
This was a blast from the past! Cold War, Mother Russia, Spycraft, Innocents, Shadow Agencies, The Great Plot, an excellent cast of players, all things needed for an exemplary well woven tale!
This was a blast from the past! Cold War, Mother Russia, Spycraft, Innocents, Shadow Agencies, The Great Plot, an excellent cast of players, all things needed for an exemplary well woven tale!
July 5, 2017
Duncan reverts to old-school tradecraft in her novel. Updated to more current issues, Russia and the US are still not bosom buddies. They spy on each other; they hunt each other's moles; they hire hit men to kidnap, rape, and murder women they want to eliminate.
Duncan brings back husband and wife team of spies who work for a UN Directorate, Alexei Bukharin and Mai Fisher, from earlier short stories and novellas. The backstory for Alexei kick starts a complicated, multi-level story of revenge. The pair rely on old-fashioned legwork and thinking instead of gadgets and high-tech toys to ferret out the men who want Mai and Alexei's grand-daughter dead.
A page turner from the very beginning. You may see the end coming, but getting there is so very satisfying. You won't want to miss a single page.
Duncan brings back husband and wife team of spies who work for a UN Directorate, Alexei Bukharin and Mai Fisher, from earlier short stories and novellas. The backstory for Alexei kick starts a complicated, multi-level story of revenge. The pair rely on old-fashioned legwork and thinking instead of gadgets and high-tech toys to ferret out the men who want Mai and Alexei's grand-daughter dead.
A page turner from the very beginning. You may see the end coming, but getting there is so very satisfying. You won't want to miss a single page.
October 7, 2017
A War of Deception kept me guessing from Chapter 1. It is a suspenseful spy novel that follows the lives of two spy agents and a mole in the FBI. The back story of the two spy agents intertwines with the lives of the FBI mole and other characters to bring you a suspenseful well-written story. The spy agents' lives sound adventurous and exciting, however, when their granddaughter’s life is put in jeopardy, you realize just how dangerous it really is. My favorite character is Mai, one of the spy agents, because she doesn’t put up with crap from anyone. I have never been interested in the spy genre, so I was quite surprised when I was captivated by this book from the beginning. Geared for older Young Adult and Adults.
March 17, 2018
Excellent. Well-written espionage novel that’s truly a page turner. Kept me guessing and tricked me several times. I’m no expert on spies/spycraft, but A War of Deception seemed well researched, full of great detail, and completely plausible. Quite timely with current political discussions and concerns, as well.
I would not want to get on Mai Fisher’s bad side. Loved her strong, non-apologetic nature for who she is. Each character is fleshed out with deceptively few words, a further testament to Duncan’s fine writing. Tense but never over-the-top, a great read for people who love well-crafted thrillers.
I would not want to get on Mai Fisher’s bad side. Loved her strong, non-apologetic nature for who she is. Each character is fleshed out with deceptively few words, a further testament to Duncan’s fine writing. Tense but never over-the-top, a great read for people who love well-crafted thrillers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews