Pariah
NOW AVAILABLE
Hal Knight, a comedian-turned-politician, is in disgrace. After a humiliating encounter on a film set that went viral, he has resigned his seat in Congress, quit social media and fled to the tiny Caribbean island of Vieques to hide out and nurse his wounds. Shortly after arriving, he is approached by a trio of CIA operatives hoping to recruit him to infiltrate the power structure of Bolrovia—a hostile, Eastern European country whose despotic president, Nikolai Horvatz, happens to be a longtime fan of Knight’s adolescent humor. Skeptical, but with little to lose, Knight accepts the challenge, sensing this might be his one remaining chance to do something worthwhile, even if no one else ever finds out.
Upon arriving as President Horvatz’s guest of honor, Knight confronts his ultimate acting challenge, as his assignment quickly turns into a life-or-death battle of wits, with consequences reaching all the way to Washington. With Pariah, Dan Fesperman has crafted a tense, intriguing and darkly funny novel about espionage, entertainment, and one man’s quest for redemption.
Praise
“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…. deliciously fun… Hal and Pavel are irresistible creations, one man risking his celebrity and chances for redemption, the other his freedom and livelihood.”
—Christopher Bollen, New York Times Book Review
—Carole V. Bell, BookPage (starred review)
“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.”
—Booklist
“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.”
—Library Journal
“Dan Fesperman’s Pariah is a masterful blend of espionage, political intrigue, and dark humor with a plot that is as entertaining as it is breathtakingly timely. Fesperman crafts a gripping narrative of a man—comedian, actor and politician—caught up in international intrigue that explores the allure of power, the sting of betrayal, and the cost of second chances too good to be true.”
—Kathleen Kent, author of Black Wolf
“Pariah is a penetrating political satire…. Thrilling and hilarious.”
—Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station
“Fesperman wins again with this well-crafted tale of modern espionage—of Russian soft influence, changing social norms, conflict both internecine and international. At times laugh-out-loud funny, at times sobering and cautionary—and filled with flawed, human characters—Pariah illuminates the thorniest geopolitical issues of our times bravely, wittily, and entertainingly.”
—I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow
“Twisty, topical, and often darkly comedic, Pariah is Fesperman at his best, spinning a tale not just of suspense, double-dealing, and international intrigue, but a deeper story about love and redemption. This is essential spy reading for understanding the turbulence of our modern times.”
—David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and internationally bestselling author of The Seventh Floor