She is a model citizen of the East German Police State . . . She is a respected scientist and mother . . . She is a beautiful woman in love with a man on another continent . . . And she is an assassin. She asks, the reader asks, if murder is a crime when evil is the victim.

Against the backdrop of the Cold War, a passionate romance blossoms between Käte Frassek, the young wife of an East German government agent, and Clay Bentley, an American exchange student who has left Boulder to study in West Berlin. After two years of daily, often suspenseful, border crossings, Clay returns to the States, his abrupt departure unnoticed by the Stasi - the secret police. He becomes a prominent physician, marries a hometown girl and leads what appears to be a normal life. But his love for Käte endures, and her distant call for help proves irresistible, setting the stage for a psychological thriller of rare intensity. Clay returns to the East, unaware that he will become part of an assassination conspiracy of international consequence. This classic work of German historical fiction is not just a gripping page-turner. It presages real events that, soon after its publication, change the contours of European political and military reality.

THE QUIET ASSASSIN is more than a novel about spies, danger, love and politics; it is also a riveting thriller that exposes underground forces academia failed to see. Vigilante justice on a national scale did occur. It is unknown though not improbable that someone like the female protagonist of this book helped to unleash it

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:

"Solid tension, sudden danger, fierce action . . . catches fire." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A moving love story as well as a novel filled with action and suspense ... strong sympathetic characters ... Thomas Kirkwood is a writer to get excited about." -- Rocky Mountain News

"Nail-biting . . . Perfect!!" -- Norfolk Virginian Pilot

"Powerful ... Truly riveting!" -- Chattanooga News-Free Press

"A bubbling thriller . . . The tension builds." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Suspense and intrigue ... A classic adventure." -- Mobile Press Register

"Wryly drawn characters...absorbing."-- Kirkus Reviews

"Tense drama...spectacular."-- St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Riveting and fascinating."-- Lerner Newspapers

"An absorbing tale...the stuff of which movies are made."-- Rocky Mountain News

"Crackles ... a rousing good job." -- Akron Beacon-Journal

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"Finally an author who knows how to write with passion!"

"A terrific thriller that I couldn't put down, I'll have to read more by this author. The research was amazing."

"This is an excellent page turner with good characterizations and more than ample detail. A good suspense story with tension right up to the end."

"Well written, moving story. I wasn't able to put it down."

"Riveting is a great word for this 5 star book!"

"The author did a great job at building up the characters of the book, as well as keeping me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I personally loved this story and will look forward to reading more by this author."

"I really enjoyed reading this and would recommend it to those who want edge of their seat excitement. This story makes me wonder what life would be like to live it as two different people. Definitely five out of five stars."