But Libya was not the only state sponsor of the IRA. The KGB also provided material support to the terrorists in an attempt to create mayhem in Great Britain and thus weaken the Atlantic alliance. Much has changed in the quarter century since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but fomenting discord within the Western alliance remains a primary goal of Russia under Vladimir Putin. Indeed, Putin would like nothing more than to see the complete collapse of NATO so he can reconstitute Russia’s lost empire without the meddlesome West standing in his way. Under his leadership, Russia is once again quietly funneling money to extreme political parties in Western Europe on both the left and the right. It seems Putin doesn’t care much about his friends’ politics, so long as they are opposed to the United States and see the world roughly as he does. Besides, Putin has no real politics of his own. He is a kleptocrat and has no philosophy other than the cynical exercise of power.

Gabriel Allon first matched wits with Russia in Moscow Rules, which was published in the summer of 2008, when Moscow was awash in oil revenues and critics of the Kremlin were being killed in the streets. Unfortunately, the novel proved to be prescient. Consider the Kremlin’s behavior of late. It has stood by a murderous client regime in Syria. It has agreed to sell sophisticated antiaircraft missiles to Iran. Crimea and eastern Ukraine are under Russian control. Nuclear-armed Russian bombers are buzzing NATO allies. Indeed, a pair of Russian bombers recently took a joyride down the English Channel with their transponders switched off, disrupting civil aviation for hours. As the West takes a budget ax to its defenses, the Red Army is modernizing at a furious pace. Putin has spoken openly about the use of tactical nuclear weapons to preserve his gains.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond is rightfully alarmed by what he sees. In March 2015, he described Russia as “the single greatest threat” to Britain’s security. A month later, however, President Obama offered a sharply different view, dismissing Russia as a “regional power” that was acting out of weakness rather than strength. The implication is that, by invading Ukraine and snatching Crimea, Vladimir Putin is actually losing. If only it were so. Putin is winning, which means Ukraine is but a preview of coming attractions.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I AM INDEBTED TO MY WIFE, Jamie Gangel, who listened patiently while I worked through the twists and turns of The English Spy and expertly trimmed one hundred pages from the pile of paper I euphemistically referred to as my first draft. Without her constant support and remarkable attention to detail, my manuscript could not have been finished before its deadline. My debt to her is immeasurable, as is my love. Also, my children, Lily and Nicholas, were a constant source of inspiration throughout the writing year. I am in awe of their accomplishments.