Pariah
Author: Dan Fesperman
An action-packed, 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 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 Sarič—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. With Pariah, Dan Fesperman has crafted a heart-pounding thriller about espionage, entertainment, and one man’s pursuit of redemption.
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Reviews
New York Times Book Review (Christopher Bollen):
“Deliciously fun. . . . Dan Fesperman, wielding a sharp eye for atmospheric detail and a finely tuned ear for comic relief, has proved to be one of the genre’s most exciting contemporary writers. . . . Hal and Pavel are irresistible creations, one man risking his celebrity and chances for redemption, the other his freedom and livelihood.”
“‘Pariah’ is a most unusual and entertaining espionage caper, one in which the protagonist’s serious flaws at last yield to the redeeming qualities of his better angels.”
Booklist:
“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.”
Library Journal:
“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.”
Bookpage:
“Fueled by adrenaline and the absurdities of contemporary politics and culture, this zeitgeisty thriller should be at the top of your list if you’re seeking a book that’s as intelligent as it is diverting.”