Agent Rising – Book 1

THE STORY

Max Thorne is a Russian covert operative … or is he?

Demoted FSB Agent Max Thorne, struggling with a troubled, unknown past and aimless future, accepts a near-impossible assignment: bring a traitor who is hiding in the United States back home to Russia.

Max has never lost any of the high-value detainees he transports, and this mission could prove his allegiance to the agency. But he’d be working in hostile territory, with an untested new team, and his career and life are on the line.

As the Russian team is ambushed while descending on Washington, DC, Max discovers that his fate is inescapably linked to that of the “traitor.” Now there is even more at stake … his mysterious past may tie him to the CIA.

With no time to determine whom to trust, will he find the courage to stand between the Russian service and an innocent man? And in doing so, will Max be deemed a traitor himself?

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1. Perhaps the Best Cold War Pistol…

The Heckler & Koch P7 PSP 9mm. It was touted as the safest gun in the world, because of its squeeze cocking action. There was no action if one tapped the trigger, unless the cocker was also engaged, and that took a lot of pressure, so it couldn’t be done by mistake. Without any safety or slide releases, the compact pistol was trim, making it easy to conceal. Because of the shape of the squeeze cocker, the pistol earned its nickname “stapler.” One of the characters in Agent Rising uses this pistol. Here’s what this beauty looks like…

2. The Berlin Wall Was Actually Two Walls

One thread of the storyline in Agent Rising deals with the Cold War and the Berlin Wall, separating East and West Germany. Often referred to as “The Berlin Wall,” it was actually two walls. The 27-mile-long barrier consisted of two concrete walls between which was a “death strip” up to 160 yards wide. The “death strip” contained hundreds of watchtowers, miles of anti-vehicle trenches, guard dog runs, floodlights and trip-wire machine guns. Here’s what a section of the strip looks like today…

3. FSB … SVR … I’m confused

I was also confused when I first started to research the background.

The FSB is Russia’s internal intelligence agency, like the FBI in the United States, whom Max works for.

The SVR is the Russian foreign intelligence service, the equivalent of the CIA in the United States. The SVR is very much involved in Max’s transport operation in the United States. See the image of the FSB headquarters in the Lubyanka Building, downtown Moscow…

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Ethan Jones, bestselling author, brings you Agent Rising, the first novel in the impossible-to-put-down, fast-paced series that will leave you breathless and confirms Ethan Jones’ place as a spy fiction master. Make sure to check out the prequel Novella 18 Minutes as well.

Agent Rising comes with bonus content. If you like page-turning, high-stakes, heart-pounding, clean thrillers in the tradition of Clancy, Flynn, Child, or Fleming, you will love Max Thorne.

Start reading Agent Rising – and enjoy the explosive first book in the new Max Thorne Spy Thriller series now.