About the Book
Plot Summary: The Double Life: Matt is forced into a “perilous tightrope” walk, recruited by government agents to act as an “unlikely asset.” He must determine if Anna’s love is a Soviet ploy or if she is truly trying to build a life in the U.S.
“…a dangerous web of love, loyalty, and betrayal.”
Matt Thomas, an idealistic freshman at American University, arrives in the seat of American power during the country’s most divisive time since the Civil War. The Watergate scandal is coming to a boil, as are the protests against the highly unpopular conflict in Vietnam. It is a far cry from Matt’s close-knit hometown in Michigan and his military high school, where he was known for eerily accurate impressions of Hollywood actors, an obsession with spy novels, and an “aw shucks” naivete. But he soon finds his tribe in a fraternity that includes the mysterious Walter and Grossman, whose unkempt appearance has nothing to do with the hippie counterculture.
When, through a fortuitous turn of events, Matt is hired as a messenger and all-around grunt at the White House, he thinks the most exciting thing about his job will be a glimpse of “Tricky Dick” Nixon. But he quickly becomes a trusted member of the staff, with access to top-secret documents. As he struggles to balance his job, classes, and fraternity parties, his world is turned upside down by Anna, a stunning and mysterious immigrant from Minsk.
Shortly after their torrid affair begins, the FBI informs him that Anna is a Soviet spy who has targeted him for seduction and treason. Matt will now have to walk a perilous tightrope between his loyalty to his country and the woman who has captured his heart. Is Anna truly the enemy, or is she just trying to build a life in the U.S.? Does the FBI really need him, or is he an expendable pawn in some interagency powerplay?
Characters
An Unexpected Romance: Matt’s life is upended when he falls for Anna, a mysterious and beautiful immigrant from Minsk. Their affair begins just as the pressure of his double life—balancing fraternity parties and academic life with state secrets—intensifies.
Matt Thomas
An idealistic freshman at American University from a small town in Michigan. Known for his “aw shucks” naivete and talent for celebrity impressions, he lands an internship as a White House messenger. He becomes the titular “unlikely asset” when he is caught between his job and a Soviet intelligence plot.
Anna
A stunning immigrant from Minsk who becomes Matt’s love interest. The FBI eventually identifies her as a Soviet spy who targeted Matt to gain access to top-secret White House documents. Her true motivations—whether she is a committed agent or simply trying to build a new life—remain a central mystery.
Catherine
The Girl Next Door, Catherine is the personification of Matt’s Midwestern upbringing and his “aw shucks” naivete. She is his Emotional Anchor, representing the safe, predictable future Matt once envisioned, which becomes increasingly distant as he gets pulled into the FBI’s Operationn.
