Desoto, Georgia is a quiet, out of-the-way place — a town where nothing of real significance ever seems to happen. At least not until a local farm boy has an unlikely encounter with a Russian spy. With the Cuban Missile Crisis looming, seventeen-year-old Haskell Hand is going through a rough patch. He’s grieving the death of his mother and contending with his father’s ever-worsening alcohol addiction.

And if that weren’t enough, he’s embroiled in a feud with his twin brother, a disabled recluse known for his caustic personality and uncanny intellect. When Haskell causes a commotion at his high school’s graduation ceremony, he’s required to perform community service at the public library. He expects the punishment to be boring but becomes intrigued when a newcomer begins showing up every day, acting strangely.

Suspicious that something shady is going on, Haskell investigates and stumbles upon the sinister truth behind the curious stranger and his oddball visits—a conspiracy that threatens catastrophe for America. But Haskell’s efforts to fully expose the plot hit a roadblock, leaving him no choice but to turn to his mercurial brother for help. Both a spy thriller and an engaging coming-of-age yarn, this historical novel keeps listeners on the edge of their seat right up to its spine-tingling conclusion.