The year is 1975, and one of the People's Militia homicide investigators is on a plane out of the Capital, bound for Istanbul. The plane is hijacked by terrorists, but before the Turkish authorities can fulfil their demands, the plane explodes in midair. Ministry agents Brano Sev and Gavra Noukas, waiting in Turkey, begin to unravel the mystery, while in the Capital, homicide inspector Katja Drdova discovers more than she ever expected.

"Liberation Movements...should put Steinhauer squarely in the front of the pack of today's espionage writers."
--Paula Woods, LA Times

"[E]legant...captivating...imbued with a retro kind of cool."
--Anna Godbersen, Esquire

Steinhauer's dazzling fourth book ...shows how a skilled writer working at the top of his form can keep a series from faltering.
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Steinhauer again displays his masterful manipulation of character, plot, and reader expectations. Tightly entwined story lines, compact scenes that evoke a grim world while capturing character subtleties, and a style pared to the essential make this a fast, intriguing read.
--Library Journal (starred review)

...maybe his best novel to date. Elegant and entertaining ... a book of emotional depth and political sophistication. ... a story of rare philosophical profundity.
--James Clar, The Mean Streets