Covert Matters — Steve Dimodica

In 1989, the Soviet Union was undergoing massive structural changes. As various internal groups jockeyed for power, the GRU, the Soviet Military Intelligence Apparatus, hatched a plot to blame their arch rival, the KGB, with responsibility for a terrorist attack in the United States. The target, an American icon, would so ripple political sentiment against the KGB, that its dissolution as a governmental agency would be assured. Learning the plot, the CIA coaxes an enigmatic contract agent named Jaycott, out of retirement to lead the U.S. search overseas. Simultaneously, the FBI marshals the entire breadth of America's domestic law enforcement capabilities stateside, working in a parallel effort to intercept the threat. The narrative traces Jaycott's small select team of counter-terrorism specialists from Athens to Algiers, Moscow to Rome, London to Paris to Washington, as they follow a path through the murky underworld of shadowy figures and strained alliances. Feints, lies, deceits, and intrigue abound as the grit of hidden agendas and political realities surface-all leading to the discovery of the surprise target. Painstakingly researched, this is a unique insider's perspective to the real workings of our intelligence services, as the novel weaves together historic figures, actual events, and colorful locations in a fast-paced story that sheds information on the first ever, foreign inspired, terrorist strike on U.S. soil-one that never occurred.