Showing Legends by Robert Littell

Martin Odum, disgraced CIA field agent turned private detective in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, is struggling his way through a labyrinth of memories of past identities – ‘legends’ in CIA parlance. Is he really Martin Odum? Is he Dante Pippen, IRA explosives maven turned CIA agent? Or is he another legend? These men speak different languages, like different foods and women, and have different skills, and Odum’s not sure if he’s suffering from multiple personality disorder, brainwashing or just plain exhaustion.

When Odum is employed to solve a case for a young Russian, Stella Kastner, he is drawn back into the world he left not remembering quite why, struggling to untangle his true identity while under the strains of mortal danger and psychological disorientation.

An extraordinarily intelligent thriller, taut and explosive, Legends is an unrelentingly arresting page-turner.