The violent death of a journalist leads secret agent Gabriel Allon to Russia But this is not the grim Moscow of Soviet times but a new Moscow awash in oil wealth & in thrall to a new generation of rich Stalinists plotting to challenge an old enemy the United States One such man is Ivan Kharkov a former KGB colonel whose global empire is built on a lucrative & deadly business Kharkov is an arms dealer
- & he's about to sell Russia's most dangerous weapon to al-Qaeda Unless Allon can learn the time & place of delivery the world will suffer its deadliest terror attack since 911 The countdown to Armageddon has begun