A Russian honey trap agent targets a young CIA operative to uncover a senior-ranking mole at the heart of the Russian Intelligence service.
Dominika Egorov, former prima ballerina, is sucked into the heart of Putin's Russia, the country she loved, and spat out as the twists and turns of betrayal and counter-betrayal unravel.
American Nate Nash, idealistic and ambitious, handles the double agent, codenamed MARBLE, considered one of CIA's biggest assets. He needs to keep his identity secret for as long as the mole can keep supplying golden information.
Will Dominika be able to unmask MARBLE, or will the mission see her faith destroyed in the country she has always passionately defended?
More Tom Clancy than John Le Carre. It's a fun great and very polished for a first novel. Matthews is a former CIA employee, and knows whereof he speaks. Lots of tradecraft. But the characters are just a bit too stereotypical or one-dimensional. Dominika is the beautiful, large breasted former ballerina turned spy (seriously). Nate is the earnest & naive young case officer. They will of course fall in love. (The only non-traditional part of this book is that Dominika sees auras, so she doesn't have much trouble telling when people are lying). The Russians are all pretty one dimensional. The cameo appearances by Putin are pretty good. A good airplane book but not in a class with Le Carre, Littell, or Edward Wilson.
