Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith

January 26, 2023

Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith

Leo Demidov, former KGB agent, and his family are living in reduced circumstances in Moscow since Leo left his position as one of Stalin's agents. But they are happy: Leo is a factory manager, his wife Raisa is a teacher, and their two daughters are in high school. When Raisa and the girls are given the opportunity to visit the U.S. as part of a goodwill tour, Leo has a bad feeling in his gut about the whole enterprise. But there isn't any choice in the matter, so his family heads off to America while Leo remains behind in Russia. The tour starts off well, but then disaster strikes and Leo's family is shattered. Leo resolves to find out who is responsible, no matter what measures he has to take, even if it takes the rest of his life.

Third in the Demidov series, and probably the last one, since Leo is back in the USSR after defecting to the U.S., in prison and awaiting trial. I'm sure many readers were dissatisfied with the ending, and while it wasn't a happy ending, it was a logical conclusion. I don't remember a lot about the Cold War, but I do know there were no fairy tale or magical endings when someone committed what the Soviets considered to be a crime against the state. 

Lubyanka Prison, Moscow