Allow me to introduce my debut novel and put forward a few free copies in exchange for the team's honest reviews.
As I bluntly hinted in the subject line, Of Our Own Device is a bit different from other spy thrillers as spying is a parallel plot here. Having said that, you can check on any spy related or diplomatic event in the book and will find a reference to it in the news archives, memoirs of spy masters, diplomats and defectors -- all events are 100% accurate... OK, so maybe 95%, i.e. except where the MCs interact with RL people (whose names have been changed for obvious reasons!
Category by the Orion Team's classification: I'd call is 'dirty martini flavored Jack Daniels'. You'll understand what I mean when you read the novel ;)
Here's the synopsis to facilitate your decision making process:
1985, the Year of Spy. The CIA and the KGB clash in the last showdown as the Soviet bloc enters its final years. Deception is the name of the game, and it engulfs Jack Smith, a rookie CIA case officer posted at the American Embassy in Moscow.
Despite his gregarious nature, Jack is a lonely man: not only is he a reluctant spy, he is also gay. When he meets Eton Volkonsky, a talented nuclear physics student, Jack is instructed to develop the Russian as a future agent. Their friendship deepens, and Jack is torn between his suspicions that Eton is with the KGB and his attraction to the man. But he continues telling himself and his bosses that he is just doing his job, developing his agent. Only when he leaves Russia does Jack admit that he has been fooling himself all that time. He takes on assignments in various countries, hoping that eventually they will get him back to Moscow.
As introspection and growing doubts about what he does for living torment Jack, the world is buffeted by a whirlwind of dramatic events –diplomatic and spy wars, the rise of AIDS, the Chernobyl catastrophe, the war in Afghanistan and the disintegration of the communist bloc.
And one of the reviews to corroborate my statement in the subject line:
(Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite - 5/5 stars)
"Of Our Own Device by M.K. South is a powerful thriller told around equally powerful historical events. For readers who enjoy political thrillers that are fast-paced and gripping, this book will be a wondrous treat. The novel features one of the perennial conflicts of modern history, the tug-of-war between the CIA and the KGB, set in an age when spy work was the order of the day with a shaky relationship between the US and Russia. Jack Smith is a new CIA agent attached to the US embassy in Moscow, a novice who quickly develops a good relationship with Eton Volkonsky. Eton Volkonsky is a student specializing in nuclear physics. A simple friendship could be transformed into a great opportunity as Jack is tasked to coax the young Russian student into becoming a spy. The huge question is: Can he be so sure about the man he trusts or could Eton be on a similar mission for the KGB?
M.K. South has created a stellar thriller with memorable characters and readers will be thrilled with the drama that takes place within these pages. The reader gets the feeling that the author is an expert in the workings of intelligence organizations. It is interesting to see how he weaves historical elements into the story, making relevant references to Afghanistan, the emergence of HIV AIDS, and a lot of verifiable information. There is a strong political and social commentary that punctuates the story and gives it life, unveiling a Russia that readers hardly know. Jack Smith is a well-crafted character and readers will love watching as he evolves through the political friction, the intrigue, and the game played by two intelligence bodies — the CIA and the KGB. Of Our Own Device is one that will be hard to put down. Tightly written and paced to keep the reader reading, nonstop. "
Send me a message if you are interested in a copy.
Allow me to introduce my debut novel
As I bluntly hinted in the subject line, Of Our Own Device is a bit different from other spy thrillers as spying is a parallel plot here. Having said that, you can check on any spy related or diplomatic event in the book and will find a reference to it in the news archives, memoirs of spy masters, diplomats and defectors -- all events are 100% accurate... OK, so maybe 95%, i.e. except where the MCs interact with RL people (whose names have been changed for obvious reasons!
Category by the Orion Team's classification: I'd call is 'dirty martini flavored Jack Daniels'. You'll understand what I mean when you read the novel ;)
Here's the synopsis to facilitate your decision making process:
1985, the Year of Spy. The CIA and the KGB clash in the last showdown as the Soviet bloc enters its final years. Deception is the name of the game, and it engulfs Jack Smith, a rookie CIA case officer posted at the American Embassy in Moscow.
Despite his gregarious nature, Jack is a lonely man: not only is he a reluctant spy, he is also gay. When he meets Eton Volkonsky, a talented nuclear physics student, Jack is instructed to develop the Russian as a future agent. Their friendship deepens, and Jack is torn between his suspicions that Eton is with the KGB and his attraction to the man. But he continues telling himself and his bosses that he is just doing his job, developing his agent. Only when he leaves Russia does Jack admit that he has been fooling himself all that time. He takes on assignments in various countries, hoping that eventually they will get him back to Moscow.
As introspection and growing doubts about what he does for living torment Jack, the world is buffeted by a whirlwind of dramatic events –diplomatic and spy wars, the rise of AIDS, the Chernobyl catastrophe, the war in Afghanistan and the disintegration of the communist bloc.
And one of the reviews to corroborate my statement in the subject line:
(Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite - 5/5 stars)
"Of Our Own Device by M.K. South is a powerful thriller told around equally powerful historical events. For readers who enjoy political thrillers that are fast-paced and gripping, this book will be a wondrous treat. The novel features one of the perennial conflicts of modern history, the tug-of-war between the CIA and the KGB, set in an age when spy work was the order of the day with a shaky relationship between the US and Russia. Jack Smith is a new CIA agent attached to the US embassy in Moscow, a novice who quickly develops a good relationship with Eton Volkonsky. Eton Volkonsky is a student specializing in nuclear physics. A simple friendship could be transformed into a great opportunity as Jack is tasked to coax the young Russian student into becoming a spy. The huge question is: Can he be so sure about the man he trusts or could Eton be on a similar mission for the KGB?
M.K. South has created a stellar thriller with memorable characters and readers will be thrilled with the drama that takes place within these pages. The reader gets the feeling that the author is an expert in the workings of intelligence organizations. It is interesting to see how he weaves historical elements into the story, making relevant references to Afghanistan, the emergence of HIV AIDS, and a lot of verifiable information. There is a strong political and social commentary that punctuates the story and gives it life, unveiling a Russia that readers hardly know. Jack Smith is a well-crafted character and readers will love watching as he evolves through the political friction, the intrigue, and the game played by two intelligence bodies — the CIA and the KGB. Of Our Own Device is one that will be hard to put down. Tightly written and paced to keep the reader reading, nonstop. "
Send me a message if you are interested in a copy.
Salute!