The Russia House

'…a well-informed, up-to-the-minute political parable, incisive and instructive.' —The New York Times Book Review


In the era of perestroika and glasnost in the USSR, a manuscript is meant to be delivered to one Bartholomew 'Barley' Blair, a British publisher known for his eccentricity. The manuscript, penned by Russian scientist Yakov Savelyev, contains critical information detailing the Soviet Union's nuclear capabilities and the state of their missile program. Except—it doesn't reach Barley. Instead, after changing hands several times, it ends up in the hands of the British Secret Intelligence Service, and they're quite interested in why Barley was the intended recipient of such a document.

After determining Barley knows little more than they do about the manuscript, MI6, in collaboration with the CIA, convince him to act as an unlikely but well-positioned spy. Under the guise of his publishing business, Barley travels to Moscow and meets Katya Orlova, who helped smuggle the manuscript out of the country, in hopes of verifying the authenticity of the author and his manuscript.


As Barley navigates the treacherous waters of espionage, he begins to fall for Katya, blurring the lines between the professional and the personal. With the KGB closing in on the two of them, and his Western handlers growing increasingly impatient (both with him and with each other), Barley must determine where his true loyalties lie.


A standalone spy novel that sits outside of John le Carré's Smiley chronology, The Russia House is 'witty, shapely tale-spinning from a modern master' (Kirkus Starred Review). A No.1 New York Times bestseller, it remained on the list for 21 weeks, and serves as the basis for the acclaimed 1990 film starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer.