Two rival spies. A divided city. One treasonous alliance.
The Berlin Wall has just severed a city in two, and the Cold War is freezing into its deadliest phase. CIA operative Dan Carter lives a double life. By day, he plays the role of a brash American journalist; by night, he hunts Soviet leaks while desperately hiding his true nature from his own government. The Lavender Scare is purging men like him from the agency, and internal security is watching his every move.
Across the concrete divide, senior KGB agent Alexei Volkov wears a mask of perfect loyalty. Haunted by the memory of a friend lost to a Siberian labor camp under Article 121, Alexei understands that a single misstep or misplaced affection means death. He is the perfect Soviet instrument: cold, efficient, and entirely hollowed out by duty.
When a British diplomat steals the Central Asset Registry-a microfilm containing the identity of every Western intelligence officer in Berlin-Dan and Alexei are dispatched by their respective agencies to hunt him down. Their missions put them on a violent collision course. But as the hunt draws them deeper into the ruined, bombed-out shadows of the divided city, the lines between enemy and ally begin to blur.
A chaotic encounter at Checkpoint Charlie sparks a dangerous recognition between them. A standoff in a ruined courtyard shifts the balance of power. Soon, they realize that the true enemy isn't each other, but the ruthless East German Stasi kill squad determined to slaughter anyone who gets in their way.
To prevent a massacre and secure the microfilm, an American and a Soviet must do the unthinkable: trust each other.
Checkpoint Charade is a gripping, atmospheric MM spy thriller about duty, survival, and forbidden love. Featuring intense espionage tradecraft, high-stakes action, enemies-to-allies romance, and two men who must choose between the countries that want them dead and the illicit bond that might just keep them alive.
