Pariah - by Dan Fesperman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Hal Knight is a famous, if deeply polarizing, figure in Hollywood and on Capitol Hill. After a disastrous #MeToo encounter, Knight resigns from his seat, quits social media, and disappears to a Caribbean island. Upon his arrival, however, he is approached by a group of mysterious strangers, whom he discovers are CIA agents hoping to penetrate Bolrovia-a hostile, eastern European country. They want his help in doing so. Bolrovia's oligarch, Nikolai Horvatz, is a fan of Knight's movies, and the agents anticipate Knight will receive an invitation for an official visit imminently. Though Knight is skeptical about the mission, he realizes he has nothing more to lose and could-at last-do something truly meaningful with his life, whether or not anybody ever learns the truth about his hand in the matter. Reluctantly, he agrees to the job. Arriving in Bolrovia as President Horvatz's guest of honor, Knight is faced with his ultimate acting challenge. He brushes shoulders with Horvatz, Branko Sariéc-the President's ruthless head of state security-shadowy figures in their orbit, and another group of Americans whose motivations are unclear. The only people in his corner are a trio of agents led by Lauren Witt, who has her own troubles in the agency and despises Knight. What begins as an assignment to keep his eyes and ears open quickly turns into a life or death mission"--

Book Synopsis

An adrenaline-fueled thriller about a disgraced comedian-turned-politician who takes on the role of a lifetime: infiltrating a corrupt Eastern European country to spy on their brutal dictator

Hal Knight, a comedian and movie star-turned politician, is no stranger to controversy. But after an embarrassing and humiliating encounter on set, Knight resigns from Congress, quits social media, and disappears to the tiny Caribbean island of Vieques to drink dirty martinis and nurse his wounds. Shortly after his arrival, he is approached by a trio of CIA operatives hoping to recruit him to infiltrate the power structure of Bolrovia--a hostile, Eastern European country whose despotic president, Nikolai Horvatz, happens to be a longtime fan of Knight's adolescent male humor. Knowing that Horvatz plans to invite the disgraced star for an official visit, the CIA coaxes Knight to accept. Skeptical, but with little to lose, Knight accepts the challenge, sensing this might be his one chance to do something worthwhile, even if no one else ever finds out.

Upon arrival as President Horvatz's guest of honor, Knight confronts his ultimate acting challenge. What begins as an assignment to keep his eyes and ears open quickly turns into a life-or-death battle of wits, with consequences reaching all the way to Washington. With Pariah, Dan Fesperman has crafted a heart-pounding thriller about espionage, entertainment, and one man's pursuit of redemption.

Review Quotes

"Dan Fesperman's Pariah is a masterful blend of espionage, political intrigue, and dark humor with a plot that is as entertaining as it is breathtakingly timely. Fesperman crafts a gripping narrative of a man--comedian, actor and politician--caught up in international intrigue that explores the allure of power, the sting of betrayal, and the cost of second chances too good to be true." --Kathleen Kent, author of Black Wolf

"Pariah is a penetrating political satire . . . Thrilling and hilarious." --Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station

"Fesperman wins again with this well-crafted tale of modern espionage--of Russian soft influence, changing social norms, conflict both internecine and international. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at times sobering and cautionary--and filled with flawed, human characters--Pariah illuminates the thorniest geopolitical issues of our times bravely, wittily, and entertainingly." --I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

"Twisty, topical, and often darkly comedic, Pariah is Fesperman at his best, spinning a tale not just of suspense, double-dealing, and international intrigue, but a deeper story about love and redemption. This is essential spy reading for understanding the turbulence of our modern times." --David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and internationally bestselling author of The Seventh Floor

"It should come as no surprise to Fesperman's fans that this is a first-rate spy thriller; what might come as a surprise is the relative lightness of the proceedings. Pariah is something new for the author, and it's a rousing success." --Booklist

"An intriguing, entertaining and fast-paced plot, possibly mirroring events in the real world. Thoroughly satisfying. . . . Hal is human in every way, with improv training that often works in his favor and rashness that might carry him to the brink of disaster." --Library Journal

About the Author

DAN FESPERMAN served as a foreign correspondent for The Baltimore Sun, based in Berlin. His coverage of the siege of Sarajevo led to his debut novel, Lie in the Dark, which won Britain's John Creasey Memorial Dagger Award for best first crime novel. Subsequent books have won the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award for best thriller, the Hammett Prize from the International Association of Crime Writers, the Barry Award for best thriller, and selection by USA Today as the year's best mystery/thriller novel. He lives near Baltimore.