Spy Runner

An action thriller set during the Cold War

Preteen Jake McCauley is growing up in a small desert town attached to a U.S. Air Force base where children are taught to believe that patriotism necessarily includes hatred of Communism and intense suspicion of anything Russian.  So, when Jake’s mother begins renting an upstairs room to a secretive man with a Russian name, the boy’s life is turned upside down.  Jake’s best friend rejects him and his classmates beat him up for being a “commie”.  But even worse, FBI agents haul Jake in for questioning and a mysterious black car begins following him around town.  And that’s just the beginning.

This is an exciting, fast-paced story with a good deal of violence featuring a young protagonist who faces life-threatening situations more than once.  Fans of Roland Smith’s “I, Q” series or Chris Bradford’s “Bodyguard” books should find this an interesting choice.