Eastern Light

About the Book

"Eastern Light is powerful in its own right, exploring the human side of war, the emotions that motivate those orchestrating its dangerous operations, and the tough choices they must make in the name of freedom. Several moments linger along that narrow path—the gruesome, unexpected endings of heroes; the endless grief of those left behind to mourn—and Strange skillfully exposes the need for the world to “pick up the torch before it is too late.”

- BookLife/Publisher’s Weekly

Some battles choose you.

When democracies falter and dictators rise, soldiers and spies find that freedom comes at the highest price.

In the chaos of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the world teeters between hope and catastrophe. On Kyiv’s tense, frost-bitten streets, American expatriate Paul Drake reunites with the enigmatic Katerina Volkova—a woman whose art-world façade hides her dangerous ties to the intelligence game. Together, they navigate a perilous path between the West’s fractured democracies and an autocratic East determined to crush freedom.

At the front lines, Paul’s younger brother Max—haunted by the ghosts of Fallujah—throws himself into Ukraine’s desperate war, while veteran operative Jo Richards pushes her covert campaign against Putin’s war machine into uncharted, deadly territory.

From daring rescues to shadow-war intrigues, each choice could save a life… or ignite conflagration.

In the vein of John LeCarré and Daniel Silva, Eastern Light is a taut, deeply human espionage thriller about courage, sacrifice, and the treacherous pursuit of liberty.

About the Author

Brett Andrew Strange is a former U.S. intelligence officer. He is the author of two novels, Beneath the Purple Dawn and Against the Dusk, and Encounters: Six Short Stories.

Strange has traveled to more than two dozen countries as part of the research into the events and characters that appear in his writing. He has lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and currently calls San Francisco home.