“Great fun from one of the genre's grand masters,” a thriller about a family man who learns he is being paid by the Soviets to work as a covert operative (Booklist).
One of America's best-loved authors returns with a delightfully chilling new stand-alone in the vein of his bestsellers The Ax and The Hook.
Josh Redmont was twenty-seven when the first check arrived, and he had absolutely no idea what it was for. Issued by “United States Agent” through an unnamed bank with an indeterminate address in D.C., someone seemed to think Josh was owed $1,000. One month later, another check arrived, and then another, and another…and Josh cashed them all. Month after month, year after year, never a peep from the IRS, never an explanation for all this seemingly found money; the checks even followed Josh from one address to another as he moved through life.Now, after a full seven years, we find him on his way to meet the wife and kids for a summer vacation. Puzzled by the approach of a smiling stranger, Josh's stomach seizes with dread when the unwanted greeting begins with, “I am from United States Agent.” Dumbstruck, Josh attempts to feign ignorance until he hears the words, “You are now active.”
“Westlake creates a fascinating scenario.” —Publishers Weekly
