The Amateur

by Robert Littell

Overview

A spy thriller classic, soon to be a major motion picture starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, and Laurence Fishburne

Before Robert Littell vaulted onto the bestseller lists with his New York Times bestselling CIA novel The Company, The Amateur established him as a contemporary master of the espionage thriller.

Charlie Heller is an ace cryptographer for the CIA, a quiet man in a quiet back-office job. But when his fiancée is murdered by terrorists and the Agency decides not to pursue her killers, Heller takes matters into his own hands. The fact that he is an amateur makes him all the more dangerous. Mind-blowing in its intelligence, pulse-pounding in its suspense, The Amateur is a sleek and stunning novel of revenge.

Now a major motion picture from 20th Century Studios starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, and Laurence Fishburne.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641296885
Publisher:	Soho Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Robert Littell is the author of nineteen other highly acclaimed novels, many about the Cold War and the Soviet Union, including his masterwork, New York Times bestseller The Company, and the Los Angeles Times Book Award winner for best mystery-thriller Legends. An American born in Brooklyn, Robert Littell now lives in France.

Hometown:

Martel, France

Date of Birth:

January 8, 1935

Place of Birth:

Brooklyn, New York

Education:

B.A., Alfred University, 1956

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Amateur

“A taut, chilling plot and a protagonist as memorable as one of Len Deighton’s, or le Carré’s Smiley.”
—The New York Times Book Review
 
“A first rate thriller . . . Littell is a terrific writer.”
—Chicago Tribune

“One of the best . . . a thoroughly professional and surprise-filled work.”
—Los Angeles Times

From the Publisher

A first rate thriller ... Littell is a terrific writer.

Chicago Tribune

A taut, chilling plot and a protagonist as memorable as one of Len Deighton's, or le Carré's Smiley.

The New York Times Book Review

One of the best ... a thoroughly professional and surprise-filled work.

Los Angeles Times

Initially released in 1981 and 1973, respectively, these are two Cold War cat-and-mouse games from Littell, whose reputation has grown greatly since their original publication. The Amateur finds a CIA codebreaker embarking on a personal journey of revenge against adversaries as adept at killing as he is at decryption. A.J. Lewinter seemingly is willing to sell U.S. military secrets to the Russians, but his defection may be a ploy to get him into the Kremlin's confidence. Littell is hot, so jump on these. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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