Walter Sparrow receives a book for his birthday from his wife, Agatha. The first words he reads changes his once placid existence into a whirlpool of psychological torture and mayhem. The book is a chilling murder mystery that seems to mirror Walter's life in dark and uncontrollable ways. The book's main character is a brooding detective named Fingerling who seems to copy Walter's own history. As the book comes to life, Walter becomes fascinated by...

Edward, the only witness to his father's suicide and a member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion. These are the qualities that help him become recruited for a career in the newly founded Office of Strategic Services (CIA). While working there, his ideals gradually turn to suspicion influenced by the Cold War paranoia present within the office. Eventually, he becomes...