What really happened to Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, who died mysteriously in a plane crash? Why weren't the Russians the first to put a man on the moon? Accomplished space historian Cassutt (Who's Who in Space) offers an intriguing account of Russia's space program as a gripping, atmospheric Cold War saga. In 1965, Russian engineering student Yuri Ribko--son of combat pilot hero Col.-Gen. Nikolai Ribko--visits his mentor, Vasily Filin, in the hospital. Filin works at the Experimental Design Bureau Number 1, the organization that launched Sputnik. Coincidentally, Sergei Korolev, a genius missile designer and head of the bureau, dies under highly questionable circumstances in the same hospital. Yuri's Uncle Vladimir, an official in State Security, recruits Yuri to spy on Filin's organization for the KGB and discover who killed Korolev. Yuri finds himself torn between loyalty to his mentor and to his father, and the excitement of working for his uncle. Life is further complicated when Yuri's love, Marina, has an affair with his roommate, Lev, who is working for an opposing faction in the politically sensitive rocket program. The fiery end of Soyuz 1 and the death of space hero Gagarin, who was also in the hospital the day Korolev died, are followed by a series of ignominious Russian fiascoes, both on the ground and in space. As the foulups continue, suspicions escalate that someone is sabotaging the program. Yuri is aware he is being manipulated, but he is uncertain by whom or why. Tingling with political tension and ringing with authenticity, this dark, edge-of-your-seat thriller gives a launch-by-launch account of Russia's abortive struggle to keep abreast of NASA and win the space race. (Feb. 13)Forecasts: It's debatable whether more than a few care about the cosmonauts of yesteryear, but some interesting marketing plans, including ads in Scientific American, will help this novel; and a film or TV translation is a possibility, particularly given Cassutt's experience as a writer/producer for Max Headroom and Beverly Hills 90210.
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From Booklist
There have been plenty of novels set behind the Iron Curtain, and there have been plenty about the international race to land a man on the moon. It was only a matter of time until some enterprising thriller writer would combine these two plot staples. Luckily, Cassutt has done so in altogether pleasing fashion, producing a thriller that is genuinely thrilling, not to mention historically fascinating. The author, a successful television producer, has written extensively about the space race, and he is highly regarded as an expert on the Russian space program. He is also a top-notch storyteller, as is immediately apparent in this gripping tale of a man whose search for a murderer takes him deep inside the Soviet space agency. James Michener's popular novel Space may be thicker and more detailed, but this thriller is faster paced and just as engrossing. Fans of Michener's novel, or the many recent nonfiction books about the quest to conquer space, will find much to enjoy here. David Pitt
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