Books

   Jane was sure of three things...
     Her painting was a Van Gogh
       Only one man would believe her
         That man was a killer

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   Twelve years have passed since a high school accident derailed Jane's once-promising future. When the owners of the powerful Firth Gallery invite Jane to bring her beloved family painting, "The Lover," to Switzerland, it looks like a second chance. But on her first night in Geneva, the painting goes missing, and she suspects the Firths. 
   Determined to recover her painting, Jane is led to a dying village in the high Alps where an enigmatic man living in a castle is waiting for her. Within the castle’s walls, she uncovers a history of lies, murder, and, at its heart, an appalling injustice that will shake the art world to its core.
   But not everyone wants these facts brought to light. Jane will need to find the strength she lost in her accident and face the shocking truth about her past, her painting, and, finally, an epic love affair between a destitute painter named Vincent and a mysterious woman who inspired a portrait that may be his greatest work.

   The year is 1984. The place, the Soviet Union. A struggling country awaiting the cure of "perestroika." For too many Russians, this land has become the Forbidden Zone.

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“Intriguing and entertaining… compulsively readable.”
—Daniel Silva, bestselling author of The Unlikely Spy

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“A grand adventure… fast-moving and terrifying.”
—Boulder Camera

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“Fascinating.”
—Richard Harris, bestselling author of Archangel

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“The intrigues of Communist Russia during the last day of the Cold War… Well-paced and exciting, with crisp dialogue, believable setups, and first-rate atmosphere.”
—Kirkus Reviews​

 

“Well-written, attentive… full of compassion for the Russian people, and of pleasure of 
American readers.
—Publisher’s Weekly

“… a first-rate thriller, a terrifying account of the cruelty, the betrayals, and the countless victims of the Communist machine. This book caught my imagination from the first page to the very last.”
—Robert Strauss, last U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, first Ambassador to the Russian Federation

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“… unforgettable story of love, deceit, and redemption… extraordinary.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

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“This is what every reviewer hopes for when opening a book by a new author. A fine debut.”
—The Boston Globe

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“Fantastic… a major success as a new star, to the joy of readers, has entered the sub-genre with a strong winner.”
—Harriet Klausner, Under the Covers

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“… an exciting read and the author’s knowledge of the Russian scene stings clear and cold as a Moscow morning… an extraordinary job… adds a chilling dimension of Soviet reality.”
—Jerrold Schecter, author of The Spy Who Saved the World: How a Soviet Colonel Changed the Course of the Cold War

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“… does for the Soviet Union what Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park did for dinosaurs—brings the remote past back to life in all its blood and terror.”
—Anthony Olcott, author of Murder at the Red October

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“… impressive realism… [with] a compelling storyline and a satisfying conclusion. I recommend it.”
—Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA