The Dissident by Paul Goldberg

 

In ‘70s Moscow, a lot is on the line in the lead-up to a visit from Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. So when two gay men, one of them an American, are brutally murdered, the KGB is keen on solving the crime right away. Viktor Moroz, an engineer waiting to leave for Israel,  becomes an easy suspect. He can earn his freedom if he solves the crime. Ample doses of real history such as the Helsinki Agreement, are tucked into a vivid portrait of Moscow. The nonlinear plot lines leave frayed threads but the travelogue and snappy dialog compensate somewhat.