Shooting the Moon

Shooting the Moon is a taut, atmospheric novel that immerses readers in two intertwined time periods-complex, modern-day St. Petersburg and the bombed-out, starving streets of besieged Leningrad during World War II.

James, an American banker living in contemporary Russia, finds himself caught in a tightening net of CIA pressure, shifting loyalties, and deadly espionage. His powerful client, Mikhail Potanin, has ties to shadowy business partners, while James's girlfriend, Nadia, secretly works for the FSB-and for Mikhail. As a wave of high-profile murders rattles the city, James begins to question the motives of everyone around him.

A mysterious locket found in a Leningrad cemetery draws James into the past, where he uncovers the haunting story of Nurse Daria, a young woman struggling to survive the brutal siege. Her fate becomes entwined with that of a nameless sniper-an AWOL soldier who prowls the ruins left by war, targeting those he believes are responsible for carrying out Stalin's wartime orders. In a city on the edge of starvation and collapse, their encounter leaves a mark that echoes decades later.

Told in parallel narratives, Shooting the Moon explores power, memory, and the private choices people make in the face of fear.