Published by Quercus, 10
October 2023. ISBN: 978-1-52942309-9 9HB)
The
Defector is an unusual book. Despite there being no doubt that
it is a work of fiction - and a very exciting one at that - the majority of the
characters, events and things described in it are real. Perhaps not
unsurprisingly, the main two characters and some of the less important
supporting actors are, however, fictional.
Starting in Israel in October 1973, and continuing at
various military, research and political locations in the US and Russia during
the months that follow, The Defector is a cold war espionage thriller par
excellence .
Commander Kazimieras Zemeckis, Kaz, and his girlfriend
Laura are lying on a beach in Israel when Laura spots something strange
happening in the sky above them. Before Kaz lost an eye in an accident, he was
a top US fighter pilot. He is now an expert on security matters, particularly
those relating to high altitude intelligence gathering. Kaz sees an
Israeli fighter jet fire a missile at a Russian plane. He waits for the
inevitable explosion, but it never comes. Puzzled by what he has seen, and using
his top-secret security clearance, Kaz goes to the American Embassy in Tel
Aviv, and alerts Washington about his concerns.
It soon transpires that the Russian pilot, Colonel
Alexander Abramovich, also known as Grief or Alexi, has risked his life and a
prestigious Mig-25 fighter plane because he wants to defect to the USA. He gets
his wish. Both he and his plane are taken to what is supposedly the most
secret US air force base. The feeling is that he can be trusted, and he
is eventually allowed to roam freely. But can he really be trusted? What
advanced technologies, such as help with assembling a nuclear- powered rocket
engine might the Russian military want him to acquire?
In the meantime, Kaz, who hates being grounded,
persuades his old boss, General Sam Phillips, (a real person) to pull a few
strings and have his fitness to fly with only one eye reassessed. Kaz
passes his medical and his flying tests and is free to fly again. He is
overjoyed. Later his flying skills are tested in some absolutely terrifying
flight sequences.
Whilst The Defector has a large cast of
characters and a complicated plot that befits a book about spies, it is clearly
written and easy to follow. As a former top test pilot and experienced
astronaut who has actually lived in Russia, Chris Hadfield is undoubtedly an
expert on his subject. Besides his professional talents, Chris is also an
excellent storyteller who has created - or described, if they are real people –
a wide mix of well-drawn characters. This is an essential read for anyone who
enjoys stories about the cold war, especially if they are interested in fighter
pilots and planes. ------ Reviewer:
Angela Crowther
Chris
Hadfield is one of the most seasoned
and accomplished astronauts in the world. The top graduate of the U.S. Air
Force test pilot school in 1988 and U.S. Navy test pilot of the year in 1991,
Colonel Hadfield was CAPCOM for twenty-five Shuttle missions and NASA’s Director
of Operations in Russia. Hadfield served as Commander of the International
Space Station where, while conducting a record-setting number of scientific
experiments and overseeing an emergency spacewalk, he gained worldwide acclaim
for his breath-taking photographs and educational videos about life in space.
His music video, a zero-gravity version of David Bowie's "Space
Oddity," has nearly 50 million views, and his TED talk on fear has been
viewed over 10 million times. He helped create and host the National Geographic
miniseries One Strange Rock, with Will Smith, and has a MasterClass on
exploration. Chris Hadfield's books An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, You
Are Here and The Darkest Dark have been bestsellers
all around the world.
Angela Crowther is a
retired scientist. She has published many scientific papers but, as yet,
no crime fiction. In her spare time Angela belongs to a Handbell Ringing
group, goes country dancing and enjoys listening to music, particularly the
operas of Verdi and Wagner .
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