A super thriller - literate, intelligent and possessed of both psychological and visceral suspense.... A noted Russian scientist, who is on the verge of a break-through discovery that will make his country impregnable to missile attack and master of the world is stricken with an arterial occlusion that threatens his life. The best doctor available is an American who has been pioneering new techniques of surgery. The Soviets plan for an operation in France and hope to persuade the American his patient is someone quite insignificant and French. Both the CIA and the KGB are deeply involved; the American surgeon is undergoing professional and marital strain.... The tension builds to a graphic climax in the operating room and beyond.--Publishers Weekly.