Timebomb — Gerald Seymour

A rollicking spy novel from the international-bestselling author of Battle Sight Zero, “the best thriller writer in the world” (The Daily Telegraph).
 
In 1992, after being fired from a top-secret nuclear facility, a top KGB man buried a dirty bomb. Sixteen years later he has found a buyer for it. Traveling with the buyer is an undercover policeman, working for MI6. But as their shadowy journey begins, it becomes clear to a top psychiatrist that their man may be suffering from Stockholm syndrome and the whole operation is very likely to be thrown into jeopardy. Displaying a fast-paced narrative and an in-depth knowledge of international politics, Timebomb is a racing thriller to keep you reading late into the night.
 
“Seymour shifts focus among his large cast with a nimbleness that heightens suspense, sustains interest and creates a rooter's sympathy for (or at least an understanding of) even the most violent characters . . . To the author's aesthetic credit, Timebomb ticks to a satisfying if ambiguous conclusion.” -- The Wall Street Journal
 
“Seymour, who is classed with espionage luminaries like Ambler and le Carré, has crafted a convoluted plot and a host of complex and exquisitely tormented characters, but it's his focus on human frailty that makes Timebomb a winner.” -- Booklist
 
“Intricately crafted and clocklike in its controlled release of psychological and geopolitical tension.” -- Kirkus Reviews