Spy Thriller / Historical Fiction
Date Published: October 9, 2025
Publisher: Manhattan Book Group
When Ruth, a modern-day CIA counterintelligence officer, uncovers signs of a mole no one believes exists—a potential fourth Soviet spy left over from the Cold War—her investigation is abruptly derailed by an impossible event. Thrown back through time to the American Revolutionary War, Ruth finds herself face-to-face with Agent 355, the legendary—and still unidentified—female spy of George Washington’s Culper Ring.
Separated by 250 years yet bound by shared instincts, courage, and tradecraft, the two women quickly recognize each other as fellow intelligence officers. Together, they uncover a covert plot that, if left unchecked, will alter the course of history itself—resulting in a chilling alternate reality: the British States of America.
When Ruth returns to the present, the world she knew is gone. The United States no longer exists. Instead, she is working for MI7, piecing together clues that link her failed mole hunt to the catastrophic change she triggered in 1780. To restore history—and democracy—Ruth must find a way to repair the past without destroying the future.
If Two of Them Are Dead reimagines Agent 355 as the founding mother of American intelligence, bringing her out of historical anonymity and into a gripping narrative that celebrates the often-unrecognized role of women in espionage. The novel explores how effective spycraft transcends time—relying on deception close to truth, strategic disinformation, vigilance, and counter-surveillance—while highlighting the unique advantages women have historically brought to intelligence work precisely because they were underestimated.
Blending spy thriller, historical fiction, and science fiction, this novel is both a pulse-pounding adventure and a reflection on the enduring threats to democracy. Ruth’s unresolved mole investigation seamlessly sets the stage for future books in the series—without leaving readers stranded on a cliffhanger.
Perfect for fans of espionage thrillers, time-travel fiction, Revolutionary War history, and readers eager to uncover America’s best-kept secrets as the nation approaches its semiquincentennial.
