{"product_id":"the-fourth-courier-paperback","title":"The Fourth Courier - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eTimothy Jay Smith\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA fast paced espionage mystery for Alan Furst fans set in post-Cold War Poland.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is 1992 in Warsaw, Poland, and the communist era has just ended. A series of grisly murders suddenly becomes an international case when it's feared that the victims may have been couriers smuggling nuclear material out of the defunct Soviet Union. The FBI sends an agent to help with the investigation. When he learns that a Russian physicist who designed a portable atomic bomb has disappeared, the race is on to find him--and the bomb--before it ends up in the wrong hands.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSmith's depiction of post-cold war Poland is gloomily atmospheric and murky in a world where nothing is quite as it seems. Suspenseful, thrilling, and smart, The Fourth Courier brings together a straight white FBI agent and gay black CIA officer as they team up to uncover a gruesome plot involving murder, radioactive contraband, narcissistic government leaders, and unconscionable greed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Sharply drawn characters, rich dialogue, and a clever conclusion bode well for any sequel.\" - \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Smith skillfully bridges police procedural and espionage fiction, crafting a show-stealing sense of place and realistically pairing the threats of underworld crime and destabilized regimes.\" - \u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTimothy Jay Smith\u003c\/b\u003e was raised traveling across America in a small trailer, sparking a lifelong wanderlust that has taken him around the world and inspired the vivid, international characters in his work. His extraordinary career includes smuggling banned plays from behind the Iron Curtain, navigating occupied territories, representing the United States at high diplomatic levels, and even stowing away on a \"devil's barge\" to Africa - experiences that inform his award-winning writing. Smith has earned top honors across novels, screenplays, and stage plays, including the Gold Medal in the 2017 Faulkner-Wisdom Competition for \u003ci\u003eFire on the Island\u003c\/i\u003e, the 2023 Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize for \u003ci\u003eIstanbul Crossing\u003c\/i\u003e, and the Paris Prize for Fiction for \u003ci\u003eA Vision of Angels\u003c\/i\u003e. His novel \u003ci\u003eCooper's Promise\u003c\/i\u003e was named one of \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e' Best Books of 2012, and he was nominated for the 2018 Pushcart Prize. A dedicated playwright and theater enthusiast, his play \u003ci\u003eHow High the Moon\u003c\/i\u003e won the Stanley Drama Award, and he founded the Smith Prize for Political Theater. Timothy lives in Nice, France.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 27, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67603101122809,"sku":"9781971225098","price":19.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/OHjRaaP6Lm9781971225098.webp?v=1793850689","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/the-fourth-courier-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}