Lines of Deception (Kaspar Brothers)
A West German nightclub owner goes behind the Iron Curtain on a desperate mission to save his brother, in this Cold War thriller by the author of Lost Kin.
West Germany, 1949. Former actor Max Kaspar suffered greatly in the Second World War. Now he owns a nightclub in Munich—and occasionally lends a hand to the newly formed CIA. Meanwhile, his brother Harry has ventured beyond the Iron Curtain to rescue an American scientist. When Harry is also taken captive, Max resolves to locate his brother at all costs. The last thing he expects is for Harry to go rogue.
Max’s treacherous quest takes him to Vienna and Prague to Soviet East Germany and Communist Poland. Along the way, dangerous operators from Harry’s past join the pursuit: his former lover Katarina, who’s working for the Israelis, and former Nazi Hartmut Dietz, now an agent of East German intelligence. But can anyone be trusted? Even the American scientist Stanley Samaras may not be the hero Harry had believed him to be . . .
“In this convincing and atmospheric spy tale set on the haunted landscape of postwar Europe, the engaging Max Kaspar leads us into deepening shadows in which the certainties of loyalty and morality grow dimmer at every turn. An intriguing and satisfying read.”
—Dan Fesperman, author of Winter Work
“Lines of Deception kept me on the edge of my seat, and the unexpected twists left me guessing until the final pages. With intelligent, complex characters, Anderson skillfully creates a web of relationships that adds to the story's depth. The author’s prose is both engaging and evocative with great pacing. The excellent dialogue and graphic descriptions of postwar Eastern Europe deliver a gripping, intelligent narrative. A Le Carré novel with less cynicism and more action.”
—Roccie Hill, author of The Blood of My Mother and other novels
“An original mash-up of Raymond Chandler and Graham Greene with a dash of Le Carre, and a dollop of Fleming. In this latest Kaspar Brothers novel, a rollicking genius in setting and cinema-worthy action is confidently at play with a story that takes us to 1950s Vienna, Munich, Prague and more. Studded with twists and turns of plot along with iconic characters that leap off the page, it captures the zeitgeist of Cold War spycraft expertly. If you like international intrigue on a grand and gritty scale written in language that moves like the wind, this is your read.”
—Mary Glickman, National Jewish Book Award Finalist for One More River
“Moral nuance in a time of tough choices. Steve Anderson brings the past to life as individual fates are measured against the march of history and the price of expediency. As close as you'll get to a historical guide to the vagaries and treacheries and to the hidden byways and ratlines of post-war Europe.”
—Luke McCallin, author of the Gregor Reinhardt series
“Steve Anderson’s brilliance is once again on display with his trademark laconic style. Max and Harry Kaspar quip staccato rejoinders while Harry’s ex-lover Katarina keeps the brothers focused and grounded as they travail Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe, 1949. The trifecta will entice and plunge readers into the bleak and perilous landscape with all its shattered relics and disturbing harbingers of communist ascent. Readers who know the Kaspar brothers from Anderson’s other tales will not be disappointed, and those who are new to the brothers’ exploits will be faithful hereon.”
—NCR Davis, author of For the Boys: The War Story of a Combat Nurse in Patton’s Third Army
Lines of Deception is the fourth book in the Kaspar Brothers series.
