When Citizen Orlov, an unassuming fishmonger and upstanding citizen, answers a mysterious phone call, he is catapulted into a web of espionage and political maneuverings. Not every fishmonger can be a secret agent, but Orlov will certainly try.
CITIZEN ORLOV, the debut novel by Jonathan Payne, is a funny and often poignant tale of an ordinary man who gets caught up in extraordinary circumstances far beyond his control. Orlov is not your stereotypical spy thriller hero. He’s a fishmonger, selling fish at the local market and doing everything possible to be a good citizen of the fictitious European country in which he resides. It’s this desire to do the right thing that propels him, albeit by accident, into a whirlwind of political upheaval, assassination attempts, deception, duplicity, and danger.
Citizen Orlov stumbles from one crisis to the next, but through it all, we cheer him on when things go his way and fret when they don’t. He’s 1984’s Winston Smith, only more likable and lacking any intent to rebel against the system. The good Citizen simply wants to do the right thing. Will that be enough for him to save his homeland from disaster? To save himself and his loved ones? You’ll have to read this thoroughly enjoyable novel to find out.
CITIZEN ORLOV hits bookshelves on May 23, 2023.
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