From a New York Times bestselling author, astronaut and fighter pilot comes a riveting Cold War thriller perfect for fans of Top Gun and The Hunt for Red October.

Israel, October 1973. As the Yom Kippur War flares into life, a state-of-the-art Soviet MiG fighter plane plummets to an unexpected landing. NASA Flight Controller and former US test pilot Kaz Zemeckis watches from the ground --- unaware that its arrival will pull him into a high-stakes game of spies, lies and secrets that hold the key to Cold War air and space supremacy.

For within that plane is a Soviet pilot pleading to defect, offering a prize beyond value: the workings of the Soviets' mythical "Foxbat" MiG-25, the fastest, highest-flying fighter plane in the world. But trusting him is risky, and Kaz must tread a careful line. As Kaz accompanies the defector into the United States, to the military’s most secret test site, he must hope that --- with skill and cunning --- the game plays out his way.

Rich with insider detail and political intrigue drawn from real events, THE DEFECTOR is a propulsive thriller from a growing master of the genre, filled with the nerve-shredding rush of aerial combat as it could only be told by one of the world's best fighter pilots.