The Russ & Rhonda
Trilogy
A riveting saga of danger, betrayal, tragedy, and love during World War II.
David Tanner’s immersive historical fiction novel blends elements of romantic suspense, espionage, and emotional drama. … With emotional depth that feels rich and organic, even readers entering mid-series can slip into the maze of characters and their unique backstories with relative ease. A bittersweet story of hearts in sync yet never in step, An Ocean Between blends spycraft, bad-news telegrams, and love stretched thin by time, distance, and war.
— INDIES TODAY
Book Two:
An Ocean Between
Mark “Russ” Russell has returned to Washington, D.C. Eager to prove his worth to the Allied cause in the wake of two failed Foreign Service postings, he lands a job at the Office of Strategic Services where he discovers how even the most straightforward mission can go dreadfully wrong. His plans to marry aren’t faring any better. While awaiting a transfer from her post in Kuwait, Piper has grown increasingly unstable, causing Russ to wonder how well he knows his fiancée.
Russ’s first love, Rhonda, has also embarked on a new career as an intelligence officer in Switzerland. She identifies an Abwehr agent who’s willing to exchange valuable information. But her source threatens to complicate her life in unexpected ways.
As Russ, Rhonda, and Piper grapple with their adversities, their very survival hangs in the balance.
Author David Tanner has a true flair for character, delivering well-drawn figures whom I felt personally connected to thanks to the close attention paid to their emotional development and reactions in times of heartache and crisis.
— READERS’ FAVORITE REVIEWS
Book One:
The Infidel and the
Ghost of Moscow
Moscow, 1938. During the run-up to a second world war, young diplomat Mark Russell struggles to survive the bitter winter at the U.S. Embassy. When he meets a brilliant, mysterious, and very married woman, Russ hopes for more than the temporary respite she offers. But his self-righteous boss learns of the affair and punishes him with a poor review.
Kuwait City, 1941. Russ’s plans to right his Foreign Service career at his next assignment run afoul of an arrogant superior who refuses to be outdone by his underlings. Further complications arise when a consular officer with her own troubled past transfers to the Legation. Will she make him forget his former lover from the Russian steppe?
Love and loyalty, deceit and danger. The stakes are high as Russ forges a path to his future.