The Collaborators - (The Cormorant Trilogy) by Michael Idov (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Combining realistic thrills with sophisticated spycraft and witty dialogue, The Collaborators delivers a gut-punch answer to the biggest geopolitical question of our time: how, exactly, did post-Soviet Russia turn down the wrong path? Crisscrossing the globe on the way to this shocking revelation are disaffected millennial CIA officer Ari Falk, thrown into a moral and professional crisis by the death of his best asset; and brash, troubled LA heiress Maya Chou, spiraling after the disappearance of her Russian American billionaire father. The duo's adventures take us to both classic and surprising locales-from Berlin, to Latvia, Belarus, and a 1980s Jewish refugee camp near Rome. Dynamic, fast-paced, and filled with captivating details that provide a window into a secretive world, The Collaborators is a first-rate thriller that pays homage to both meanings of "intelligence.""--

Book Synopsis

Named a Best Book of the Year by Vogue

Slow Horses meets Red Sparrow in this "sharp, freshly conceived, [and] thoroughly entertaining" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) spy thriller featuring a brilliant young intelligence officer and a troubled heiress who stumble into a global conspiracy that pits present-day Russia against the CIA.

Combining realistic thrills with sophisticated spycraft and witty dialogue, The Collaborators delivers a gut-punch answer to the biggest geopolitical question of our time: how, exactly, did post-Soviet Russia turn down the wrong path?

Crisscrossing the globe on the way to this shocking revelation are disaffected millennial CIA officer Ari Falk, thrown into a moral and professional crisis by the death of his best asset; and brash, troubled LA heiress Maya Chou, spiraling after the disappearance of her Russian American billionaire father. The duo's adventures take us to both classic and surprising locales--from Berlin, to Latvia, Belarus, and an abandoned technopark outside Moscow.

Dynamic, fast-paced, and filled with captivating details that provide a window into a secretive world, The Collaborators is a first-rate thriller "with a propulsive plot and fantastic twists" (Chris Pavone, author of The Expats) that pays homage to both meanings of "intelligence."

Review Quotes

"Clever . . . fast-paced . . . suspenseful." --AirMail

"What the ever expanding world of espionage fiction needs, it turns out, is a Yale-educated Millennial field operative who dresses in Weezer t-shirts and knows his way around a semi-automatic. . . . [The Collaborators is a] slim, well-paced, deceptively complex novel of American and Russian intelligence. . . . a novel as cool as it is accomplished, that knits together action, tradecraft and quippy dialogue with flair." --Vogue

"Crackles with energy . . . cinematic." --Financial Times (UK)

"Idov gathers stories from the headlines and blends them into a hipster spy smoothie." --The Times (UK), Named a Best Thriller of the Year

"If you are in the mood for a high-stakes global espionage novel, with secret agents jet-setting all over the world, you have come to the right place. . . . cleverness and subterfuge abound, followed by a believable, real-world sort of denouement. PS: Idov is a screenwriter in addition to being a novelist, and this book has silver screen written all over it." --BookPage

"A ripping gem of a novel. . . . Propulsively paced, and containing as much humor, romance, philosophy, and whimsy as classic spy-thriller action, this brilliant novel will charm readers and linger long after its final pages. . . . Idov's intelligent, emotive spy novel is funny and sweet, as well as blood-soaked; clever and riveting in its plot twists; and focused on idiosyncratic characters first and foremost. . . . Entertaining, rocketing, and unforgettable, The Collaborators is not to be overlooked." --Shelf Awareness

"[A] globe-trotting spy adventure . . . Idov balances modern-day intrigue with Cold War flashbacks, tracing spy bloodlines from the former Soviet Union into today." --Paste magazine

"The Collaborators is a terrific espionage thriller with a propulsive plot and fantastic twists, but what really sets this book apart is the writing, sparkling on every page." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Expats and Two Nights in Lisbon

"A cutthroat international financial scheme with grave political implications . . . Unlike most spy fiction, it's driven in the liveliest sense by young characters who reflect their generation. Falk, a millennial who wears Weezer tees, and Maya, who was up for a part in a Peacock vampire series, are an irresistible pairing. . . . Sharp, freshly conceived, thoroughly entertaining spy fiction." --Kirkus (starred review)

"Compulsively readable, with more twists than a bar full of martinis, The Collaborators takes a deep dive into global espionage, what-ifs, and the things we do for those we love." --I. S. Berry, Edgar Award-winning author of The Peacock and The Sparrow

"This is a hell of an espionage thriller--thoroughly modern and frighteningly relevant, yet with clear reverence for the genre's roots. This book has it all--memorable and well-drawn characters, globe-spanning locales full of fascinating and authentic detail, and a complex plot that unfolds at just the right pace. Idov's prose is first-rate--concise, colorful, and insightful. He is a writer who understands the power of life's small details, which adds another layer of texture to this highly entertaining novel. I did not want to put this book down." --Alex DeMille, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Lines

"I was completely charmed by Ari and Maya, the hero and heroine of this novel, who are just as irreverent as they are brilliant. The Collaborators is a refreshingly fun update to twenty-first century spy fiction, a novel that delivers modern thrills as well as the classic satisfactions of the genre. This book is smart, stylish, and propulsive from the very first page. I can't wait to see what Michael Idov writes next." --Anna Pitoniak, author of The Helsinki Affair

About the Author

Michael Idov is a novelist, director, and screenwriter. A Latvian-born American raised in Riga under Soviet occupation, he moved to New York after graduating from the University of Michigan. Michael's writing career began at New York magazine, where his features won three National Magazine Awards, and he has served as the editor-in-chief of GQ Russia. He is also the author of The Collaborators, Ground Up, and Dressed Up for a Riot. Michael has worked on numerous film and TV projects, including Londongrad, Deutschland 83, Leto, and The Humorist. He and his wife and screenwriting partner, Lily, divide their time between Los Angeles, Berlin, and Portugal.