Adrift in the surreal world of perestroika Moscow, Eva Raven longs to escape the confused childhood memories that have always haunted her. When her boyfriend Ned discovers that her godmother, Maya, is also in Moscow, Eva is keen to meet her to find some answers about the father she barely knows. But when Eva meets Maya, she also encounters Jack Flame, an ageing American living on borrowed time; a doctor, an astronomer - and possibly a spy. Instantly fascinated, Eva is convinced that Jack understands her and can help her. But what begins as a friendship soon turns into a relationship of frightening intensity. Torn between the loyalty she feels for Ned and her obsession with Jack Flame, Eva begins to uncover disturbing information about her past. But whose version of events should she trust? And does she want to know the truth? As Moscow slides towards political and economic collapse, memories of the past rise to the surface, threatening Eva's sanity - and, finally, her life. 'She's so good on clothes, sex, love, death and the prisons that family members can make for each other' Barbara Trapido Pocket Books Fiction £6.

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