Citizen Orlov - by Jonathan Payne (Paperback)

About the Book

Short Summary: When a simple fishmonger is unexpectedly invited to join the Ministry of Security, he imagines a new life of danger, daring, and romance. But he discovers that sinister forces at the heart of government are seeking to exploit him, and soon he finds himself on trial for murder.

Book Synopsis

A 2024 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Silver Medal Winner

A 2024 IPPY Award Bronze Medal Winner

A 2024 Silver Falchion Award Finalist

"[An] enjoyable comic fable . . ." --Wall Street Journal

"This auspicious debut announces a bright new voice in comic suspense." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Not every fishmonger can be a secret agent.

Journey to an unnamed mountainous country in central Europe at the end of the Great War. Enter Citizen Orlov, a simple fishmonger and an honest, upright citizen, who answers a phone call meant for a secret agent and stumbles into a hidden world of espionage and secrecy. Recruited by the Ministry of Security, he is sent on assignment to safeguard the king.

But Orlov soon discovers that his ministry handler, the alluring femme fatale Agent Zelle, is planning not to protect the king but to assassinate him. Caught in a web of plot and counterplot, confusing loyalties, and explosive betrayals, Orlov finds himself on trial for murder. Given the opportunity to clear his name, he finds that the lives of his friends, mother, and fellow citizens hang in the balance.

Review Quotes

"[An] enjoyable comic fable--one that may cause readers to think twice about ever answering someone else's phone." --Wall Street Journal

"A triumph--and an answer to that age-old question of what would have happened had Gogol, Kafka and G. K. Chesterton collaborated on a thriller. A timeless work which will, I fear, be forever timely." --Dixe Wills, author of Places to Hide and New World Order

"BEING THERE meets CATCH-22 in this by turns raucous, nail-biting and hilarious send-up of government corruption and bureaucratic incompetence. With an assured voice and wit to spare, Jonathan Payne is a writer on the rise." --E.G. Scott, international bestselling author of THE RULE OF THREE

"Highly engaging, and written with an engaging lightness of touch, Citizen Orlov marks the debut of a comic novelist to watch for the future." --Dr. Adam Lively, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing & Programme Leader, MA Novel Writing, Middlesex University

"Jonathan Payne's Citizen Orlov is a stunning debut! A page turning, down-the-rabbit-hole delight, told with equal measure of wit and suspense. A timeless classic for our current moment; a paranoid and comic thriller with a surprise on every page. I loved it!" --Don Scardino, Producer/Director, 30 Rock, New Amsterdam

"The blend of action and picaresque buffoonery flatteringly calls Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard tales to mind, and Payne pulls off a genuinely surprising conclusion. This auspicious debut announces a bright new voice in comic suspense." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"This is the most fun spy thriller we've read in ages . . . First-time novelist Jonathan Payne mixes Franz Kafka's surreal absurdism with the ingenious plotting of Graham Greene's spy novels, then adds a hilarious layer of deadpan comedy. Written in short chapters filled with exciting left turns, Citizen Orlov barrels along. We wouldn't mind at all if this turned out to be the start of a series." --Apple Books Review

About the Author

Jonathan Payne is a British-American writer based in New York City. He holds a Master of Arts degree in novel writing from Middlesex University, London. His debut novel, Citizen Orlov, was published by CamCat Books in May 2023. Apple Books named it one of the Books of the Month. It won the 2024 IBPA Ben Franklin Silver Medal for Mystery/Thriller and the 2024 IPPY Bronze Medal for Suspense/Thriller.