Published in 1960, this book firmly plants Drum in the midst of the Cold War. Drum is ex FBI agent who now works as a private dick in the DC area, but is often called upon to act in foreign countries where the CIA needs plausible deniability. He's tough, no- nonsense and has all the right connections.
This story takes Drum from the dangers of Washington cocktail parties to the police state of Moscow and across the forests and fields of the Soviet Union. Murders, secret documents, kidnappings, Soviet interrogations, and more are all here as Drum plays hero and involves himself with a cast of characters, including a femme fatale in training, an industrial tycoon, and a Soviet dissident.
This is a good solid read filled with lots of action. It's a spy story without all the crazy gadgets. It's definitely not a soft, cozy tale. There is plenty of violence and backstabbing and there is a sort of hardboiled feel to the way the tale is told. All in all, quite a good read. ( )