Union Station

In this fascinating historical thriller, a British journalist (and former spy) is adrift in McCarthy-era Los Angeles—until his research into a wartime conspiracy brings him face-to-face with the perilous instability of a post-Stalin Berlin. John Russell, an English journalist who specializes in human-interest pieces, had always been a reluctant spy. It’s a dangerous life—especially when you are tasked with being a double agent for Soviet and American intelligence, in a city as fraught with hazard as Nazi-occupied Berlin. But it’s been years, now, since Russell was finally able to extricate himself from his life of espionage—through a shady deal with a high-ranking Soviet official. Now it’s 1953, and Russell and his family—his long-time partner, Effi Koenen, a burgeoning star on an American sitcom, and their daughter, Rosa, a young artist on the cusp of adulthood—live a life of relative comfort in Los Angeles. Feeling somewhat adrift, Russell has just begun work on a book investigating American firms that continued doing business with Germany during Nazi occupation. Then he notices someone is tailing him around Los Angeles. Has someone not taken kindly to his research? Or could it be that the deal Russell struck all those years ago has left him with unfinished business? The answer may lie in Berlin, where John and Effi decide to return for the Third Annual Berlin International Film Festival. Braving the political disorder of a city that was once their home, the two are thrust into a perilous mission to protect the life—and safety—they worked so hard to build. In this fascinating historical thriller, a British journalist (and former spy) is adrift in McCarthy-era Los Angelesuntil his research into a wartime conspiracy brings him face-to-face with the perilous instability of a post-Stalin Berlin. Los Angeles, 1953. It has been 5 years since John Russell struck a deal with a high-ranking Soviet official, relieving Russell of his duty as double agent for Soviet and American intelligence. Now Russell lives a life of relative comfort in Los Angeles alongside his wife, Effi, a star on an American sitcom, and their adopted daughter, Rosa, a young artist on the cusp of adulthood. He has just begun work on a book investigating American firms that did business with Germany during Nazi occupation when he notices someone is tailing him all around Los Angeles. Has someone not taken kindly to his research? Or could it be that the deal Russell struck all those years ago has put him at risk yet again? The answer may lie in Berlin, where John and Effi decide to go, braving the political disorder of a city that was once their home. Historical crime icon David Downing thrills and intrigues in his latest episode in the life of the Russell family, as John Russell comes face to face with the sinister forces that have followed him from Hollywood to Berlin.