Bunhill: The Great Russian Game

THRILLERS that purport to shed light on murky goings on are two a penny at the moment. But one that may live up to its promise is The Great Russian Game. Published in Italian, the book has been written by one GE Janus. Most intriguing for British readers are its hero, Commander Christopher Vernon, a member of MI6, and the identity of its author. GE Janus is a pseudonym for one of Italy's top lawyers and an expert in the field of business with the eastern bloc.

In the book, Vernon gets to discover the horrible, cynical truth behind perestroika, how it was fostered by Western governments to bring down the old Soviet empire. The heavyweight author insists on anonymity. As to who Vernon really is, he will not say, either.