Liars & Thieves and The Fictional World of Archives

Original Novel Title: Liars & Thieves

Author: Stephen Coonts

Publisher: New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 2004 (hardcover)

Based on the 1992 defection to Great Britain of retired KGB archivist Vasili Mitrokhin, Coonts fictionalized his real-life hero as Mikhail Goncharov, who temporarily loses his memory and witnesses his wife's death at the hands of assassins in a CIA-controlled safe house, in this thriller featuring Tommy Carmellini,  ex-burglar, CIA operative and retired Admiral Jake Grafton's friend. Grafton plays a pivotal role in the novel as mysterious, murderous forces swirl around Carmellini and his circle of friends while they attempt to unravel and entrap the person responsible. Some excellent descriptions of Goncharov and his work life appear on pages 42, 43, and 263 to 265.

  1. Cover of Liars & ThievesRead more about and purchase Liars & Thieves via Amazon.com .
  2. Read more about the true life story behind the novel and purchase: The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB by Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin (1999).

CONTENTS: The Fictional World of Archives

Submitted by David Mattison, 2004.08.10. Updated 2004.08.10.