Mother Russia — Robert Littell

In this classic Soviet-set thriller, a common thief finds himself trapped in a high-stakes web of deceit.

In Moscow, a city that runs on paranoia, black marketer Robespierre Pravdin survives by hustling wristwatches and employing his ample -- though slightly mad -- charm to escape any close calls with the authorities. His plan to stay off the state's radar is foiled when he moves in with an enigmatic woman known only as “Mother Russia.” She enlists his help to track down evidence that will prove an unthinkable crime: that their national hero, a writer, is a fraud, his most famous novel plagiarized. As Pravdin is drawn deeper into a conspiracy both literary and political, he becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Can he find his way out of one last tight spot -- possible treason?

Twisty and engrossing, Mother Russia is an essential tragicomic depiction of survival in a crumbling surveillance state.