Matthew Quirk is an American author who's written seven novels, three of them standalone stories and two series of two books each. This was published in 2022 and it's an espionage thriller that's a cut above. Sam Hudson is a CIA Agent who’s being left out in the cold by his own colleagues. He’s convinced there’s a Russian ‘sleeper’ agent in the USA trying to activate a Cold War terror campaign but no-one will listen to him; and as he tries to uncover the conspiracy, fewer and fewer people are willing to help. Even his boss turns aside. The Russian agent (codenamed Konstantin) is adept at hiding in plain sight and Sam’s progress to unmask him is painfully slow. Worse, for every step forward it seems he’s then thrown three steps back and the game of cat-and-mouse is taking its toll. Then there’s a terror attack in Washington DC which makes Sam’s theory more plausible, although no-one quite wants to go public and agree he might be right. The reader, of course, knows that Sam’s theory is bang on the money and the final race to unmask Konstantin and stop the terror attack is gritty and exciting. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable chase with a satisfying ending. Sam Hudson is a likeable protagonist and the story bowls along at a good pace as the plot weaves around Washington DC and the politics of the CIA. You even have a bit of time to get to know the characters before the all-out race to beat the clock at the end. This isn't the first novel by Matthew Quirk that I've read and if you like thrillers I'd also recommend The Night Agent, which was published in 2021. And Red Warning? Well I really enjoyed it. Try to find a copy if you can! Review by: Cornish Eskimo, Oundle Crime