Mystery and Crime · Hardback

Iron Curtain

Norwegian title: Jernteppe

Per Arne Totland

A novel from the Cold War

In a war-torn Germany in 1948, Henri Wenner is the intelligence officer in the Norwegian German Brigade. Henri is deeply affected by his war experiences, his marriage has broken up and he fears that World War III will break out right where the Norwegian soldiers are.

At the same time that Joseph Stalin imposes the Berlin Blockade, Henri's closest associate is found shot. While Henri tries to solve the murder, a Soviet intelligence officer appears. He has a mysterious relationship with the murdered Norwegian. The Russian offers to become a Norwegian mole in Moscow, and tells Henri that the KGB has a spy with the code name RYBAK high up in the Norwegian government apparatus. He knows no more.

Thus begins Henri and the Russian's hunt for RYBAK. While it takes Henri to Moscow and later to London, RYBAK carries out his espionage at Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen's office. A lonely and nervous spy sends messages to Moscow about the inner workings of the government and Norway's path towards NATO membership. And he receives instructions from Moscow on how to influence government policy.

As a former musician, Henri treats his PTSD and his longing with pills and jazz. Eventually, none of these things work, and in a winter-cold Moscow, Henri must try to save both himself and the Norwegian mole at the KGB headquarters.

Iron Curtain is a story about a soldier destroyed by war, about dreams that are crushed, about a cold war that descends on Europe, the cynicism it brings with it and the drama that befalls those who fight it.

It is the first novel in a planned series about the Norwegian intelligence agent Henri Wenner.