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Maskirovka: The Russian Science of Deception
It may have changed its name, but the KGB is up to its old tricks, only this time with a new puppet—the American Public!
Steve Nguyen, a newly minted homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department, is cut loose on his first solo case—the mysterious death of a young accountant with a public-interest foundation. Everything points to natural causes, but Nguyen, to the dismay of his chief, isn’t ready to close the book. With no motive, means, or opportunity, the anxiety-racked law school drop-out starts digging anyway.
Nguyen’s tortuous investigation leads him through the halls of Congress, the gritty oil fields of the Siberian tundra, stately Black Sea palaces of the petro-czars, and the mean streets of San Francisco. He unearths a malevolent alliance among a billionaire Russian oligarch, a duplicitous foundation director, and a renowned philanthropist hell-bent on tightening Russia’s monopoly on the European energy market by choking-off American exports. If it means corrupting the American electoral system through illegal campaign contributions, political blackmail, and a few dead bodies, so be it.
Addled by self-doubt, and with just his misfit cousins, Tina Ngo, an attorney with a special practice in feral law, and Tommy Tran, a computer geek straddling the tightrope of legality, Nguyen must learn, and learn fast, the Russian rules of international deception, all while in the crosshairs of the SVR’s most skilled assassins. His unraveling of a complex tangle of offshore accounts, dummy corporations, front companies, and shell corporations, may, just may, save a republic.
Steve Nguyen, a newly minted homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department, is cut loose on his first solo case—the mysterious death of a young accountant with a public-interest foundation. Everything points to natural causes, but Nguyen, to the dismay of his chief, isn’t ready to close the book. With no motive, means, or opportunity, the anxiety-racked law school drop-out starts digging anyway.
Nguyen’s tortuous investigation leads him through the halls of Congress, the gritty oil fields of the Siberian tundra, stately Black Sea palaces of the petro-czars, and the mean streets of San Francisco. He unearths a malevolent alliance among a billionaire Russian oligarch, a duplicitous foundation director, and a renowned philanthropist hell-bent on tightening Russia’s monopoly on the European energy market by choking-off American exports. If it means corrupting the American electoral system through illegal campaign contributions, political blackmail, and a few dead bodies, so be it.
Addled by self-doubt, and with just his misfit cousins, Tina Ngo, an attorney with a special practice in feral law, and Tommy Tran, a computer geek straddling the tightrope of legality, Nguyen must learn, and learn fast, the Russian rules of international deception, all while in the crosshairs of the SVR’s most skilled assassins. His unraveling of a complex tangle of offshore accounts, dummy corporations, front companies, and shell corporations, may, just may, save a republic.
386 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 18, 2022
One of the more realistic spy thrillers in recent memory, Maskirovka employs patient, meticulous storytelling that should earn Richard Meredith a loyal following.
Maskirovka is a sprawling, complex spy thriller – but it doesn’t start that way. Author Richard Meredith Maskirovka begins the novel as a quiet police procedural that follows San Francisco Homicide Detective Steve Nguyen as he looks into the death of 31–year-old accountant Lucas Miller. Had Miller been in his 40s or 50s, or if Nguyen had a heavier caseload, he might have simply accepted the coroner’s initial finding that Miller died of “natural causes.”
But Nguyen keeps digging, doggedly pursuing things that don’t add up. Along the way, he finds compelling evidence that Miller’s bedroom had been sealed at the time of his death.
What follows is a labyrinthian investigation that is way above Nguyen’s pay grade or jurisdiction. The once-simple murder investigation soon leads to Russian Intelligence and the Kremlin. Along the way, Nguyen enlists the help of his talented cousins to reveal a sophisticated scheme to dominate the European energy market. While the real-world war in Ukraine isn’t the book’s focus, readers following recent headlines about the way Russia has used its oil dominance as a strategy will find Meredith’s well-researched narrative especially poignant.
In parallel, Meredith opens a storyline that follows Jennifer Krauss, of the Glass Foundation where Miller worked. To say much more would be to reveal spoilers, but let’s just say that readers won’t have to wait long before her world becomes complicated. And like any good spy novel, the closer Nguyen gets to the truth, the more imperiled he himself becomes.
Maskirovka is a sprawling, complex spy thriller – but it doesn’t start that way. Author Richard Meredith Maskirovka begins the novel as a quiet police procedural that follows San Francisco Homicide Detective Steve Nguyen as he looks into the death of 31–year-old accountant Lucas Miller. Had Miller been in his 40s or 50s, or if Nguyen had a heavier caseload, he might have simply accepted the coroner’s initial finding that Miller died of “natural causes.”
But Nguyen keeps digging, doggedly pursuing things that don’t add up. Along the way, he finds compelling evidence that Miller’s bedroom had been sealed at the time of his death.
What follows is a labyrinthian investigation that is way above Nguyen’s pay grade or jurisdiction. The once-simple murder investigation soon leads to Russian Intelligence and the Kremlin. Along the way, Nguyen enlists the help of his talented cousins to reveal a sophisticated scheme to dominate the European energy market. While the real-world war in Ukraine isn’t the book’s focus, readers following recent headlines about the way Russia has used its oil dominance as a strategy will find Meredith’s well-researched narrative especially poignant.
In parallel, Meredith opens a storyline that follows Jennifer Krauss, of the Glass Foundation where Miller worked. To say much more would be to reveal spoilers, but let’s just say that readers won’t have to wait long before her world becomes complicated. And like any good spy novel, the closer Nguyen gets to the truth, the more imperiled he himself becomes.
July 17, 2023
Whie investigating a mysterious death of an accountant at a non-profit firm, Detective Steve Nguyen senses a deeper conspiracy and a murder. He is correct, and perseveres in his investigation despite almost loosing his live in an explosion and running into roadblocks along the way. With the help of his cousin Tina Ngo, an attorney; cousin Tommy Tran, a computer geek; and the co-worker of the accountant who died mysteriously, Steve gets to the truth. The clues lead to a "malevolent alliance among a billionaire Russian oligarch, a duplicitous foundation director, and a renowned philanthropist hell-bent on tightening Russia's monopoly ...by choking-off American exports." (copied from the back of the book.) The book is made up of many many short chapters, jumping from person to person which made it hard for me to keep up. Oh, and it also involved bribing senators to vote in favor of the bad guys. It also included a heterosexual affair, as well as a lesbian one. And the refreshing beginning of a relationship between the Detective and the co-worker of the dead guy. As you a see, there was a lot going on. The plot was complicated to me, hence the need to copy the description from the back cover.
May 17, 2023
great suspense
wow, what a ride! Well written with believable characters that come alive on the page. Fast paced and non stop action. Highly recommend.
wow, what a ride! Well written with believable characters that come alive on the page. Fast paced and non stop action. Highly recommend.
May 27, 2023
The story was good. A little slow in the beginning. A lot of characters to keep track of. A surprise at the end that I didn't see coming.
October 12, 2023
Very suspenseful with a couple of surprise endings!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews