The Children's Game

A Russian cyberattack threatens the US—and the global balance of power—in this timely and frighteningly plausible thriller. The CIA has learned that the Kremlin is about to launch a sophisticated propaganda operation aimed at discrediting the United States and ultimately restoring Russia to great nation status. Intelligence suggests the operation will hinge on a single news event in Eastern Europe, supported by a campaign of disinformation and cyberattacks. Code-named the “Children’s Game”—a chess stratagem that leads to checkmate in four moves—it was probably conceived by the Russian billionaire and former FSB officer Andrei Turov. For years Turov has been developing a new kind of warfare that exploits weaknesses in western democracies and manipulates public opinion. But the United States has its own secret weapon: Christopher Niles, a former CIA intelligence officer, who understands Turov's ambitions and capabilities. It falls to him and his team to unravel Turov's plot and restore truth to a world spiraling into chaos.