The Half Life of Valery K

Set in a mysterious town in Soviet Russia, this Cold War thriller unfolds in 1963, where former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov survives in a Siberian prison by mastering the right connections, securing food and cigarettes, and finding small pleasures to keep his sanity. One day, his life changes when his university mentor rescues him from the frozen camp and brings him to a mysterious unnamed city.

This city, known as City 40, houses a set of nuclear reactors and is surrounded by a forest so damaged it appears the trees have rusted from within. Valery becomes Dr. Kolkhanov once more, expected to serve out his prison term by studying the effects of radiation on local animals. His research is overseen by Shenkov, an imposing but surprisingly kind KGB officer whose trust Valery is eager to earn.

As Valery delves into his work, he is confronted by troubling questions—why is there so much radiation in the area, what is being hidden from the thousands living in the town, and will his search for answers jeopardize his life? Based on real events and told with Natasha Pulley's distinctive style, The Half Life of Valery K is a sweeping new adventure for readers who enjoy immersive historical fiction.