Peter Sutherland is the night agent. From just past sunset to just after sunrise, Peter staffs the night action desk in the White House Situation Room. He sleeps during the day and works all night. His job, boiled down to essentials, is to sit at his desk, wait for the phone to ring and answer it. In the 10 months that Peter has worked there, the phone has rung only once.

During all the other hours, Peter does research. The chief of staff gives him a list of current events and questions, and he scours the internet and intelligence sites for answers. He reports to James Hawkins, head of counterintelligence, and Diane Farr, the president’s chief of staff. Farr hired Peter, despite his rather dubious family lineage. For years, Peter had toiled tirelessly at the FBI. His character and ethics were unimpeachable, but he seemed unable to convince any of the FBI higher-ups of that, despite his impeccable service. No one there can forget that Peter’s father, a section chief in FBI counterintelligence, was a traitor. Due to his father’s actions, double agents were rounded up, sent back home and executed.

"If you love political thrillers and spy novels, you must read THE NIGHT AGENT. From the captivating opening chapter, to agents and double agents, to the ins and outs of D.C. and world politics, you’ll race through Matthew Quirk’s fascinating book."

Farr is the first person in government service who’s been able to look at Peter and see his potential and faithfulness, rather than his father’s treasonous actions. She selects him and brings him from backstreet work in Boston to the nation’s capital, specifically the basement floor of the White House, to become the newest night agent. Peter is thrilled to take the position, elated to have a chance to actually prove himself. He does his job well --- he knows the code words to be spoken if the phone rings, and serves his country conscientiously and devotedly --- even if, at times, he wishes he knew exactly what was going on when the phone rang.

Elsewhere in Washington, D.C., a man takes out his violin. Although he rarely plays these days, it’s the perfect pastime to occupy his attention as he waits for a call from his contact, BEECH. Dimitri, who has been described by his neighbors or passersby on the street as “average” or “medium,” has spent his adult life cultivating those very qualities. In fact, he’s anything but average. The dexterity he displays with the violin is eclipsed by his abilities with the Glock, a sharp knife, and the tradecraft that enables him to remove enemies almost before they know he’s in the room with them.

Rose Larkin, the beloved niece of Henry and Paulette, is visiting them in Virginia after a professional hiccup --- the failure of her startup on the West Coast. They're retired Department of Commerce employees who consult and contract from time to time. After a lovely evening with them, she’s awakened by a shrill noise --- the house alarm. She gets up and finds her aunt and uncle armed and disposing of documents. They instruct her to leave the house quickly, find a pay phone and call the night agent. She’s to give him code words and tell him that OSPREY was right --- that they have only six days and they have the red ledger. Rose flees, hears gunshots and makes the call.

Peter reports to work that same night. Finally, for the second time in his stint at the night desk, the phone rings. Rose is calling. She, along with America, is in enormous and imminent danger. Can Peter and Rose evade Russian assassins, expose treachery and survive long enough to keep the worst from happening?

If you love political thrillers and spy novels, you must read THE NIGHT AGENT. From the captivating opening chapter, to agents and double agents, to the ins and outs of D.C. and world politics, you’ll race through Matthew Quirk’s fascinating book. You won’t be able to put it down and will be sorry once it’s over.