In the last decade of the twentieth century, a Russian leader briefly vanished. His name was Boris Yeltsin, and he led Russia through one of its most troubling times. The Berlin Wall had fallen, the USSR disintegrated into multiple parts, and the citizens of Russia were caught up in a political maelstrom that led to Yeltsin’s disappearance. Unlike his predecessors, Boris Yeltsin sought to infuse a dose of capitalism into a tired and worn-out society of communistic ideals.
 
This fictional story documents a unique collaboration between the American government and a Russian government in turmoil. Their goal was twofold: work together to save Yeltsin’s life, then restore his presidential powers. Boris finds himself temporarily relocated in Spokane, Washington: the most unlikely place the CIA could think of in the United States. Along with his bodyguard, Denis, Boris is tucked away in suburban America, under federal protection, until the chaos in Russia is resolved and peace is restored. One of his new neighbors is Jack Templeman, a bored civic government employee who enjoys making people laugh and tries his hand at professional comedy. He and Boris become friends over a game of chess, and that newfound relationship unleashes a series of mishaps and intrigue that eventually brings the threat of geopolitical assassins.
 
This comedic thriller is the work of J.P. Robideaux, author of the suspense-thriller Rick Blaine series: Escape Into Rain and It’s Reigning in London.