This is book 12 of the "David Audley" series.

This note contains spoilers for the book.

I've also got a general page on Anthony Price.

Another book that starts with a funeral. Also another recruitment story -- this is the "origin story" for Elizabeth Loftus. Also another historical puzzle.

As usual, the complexity of the real world changes both R&D's plans, and the KGB's plans. Elizabeth's father was writing a book on all the ships that shared a name with his final command, and the KGB want to use that to distract Audley from their real project (the planned 13th Vengeful, which was named the Shannon in the end), and Audley wants the KGB to think they're succeeding. Elizabeth gets involved as her father's typist, and because her father was selling her family jewelry (her mother died young, and didn't pass it on to Elizabeth) through a reasonably honest fence, and less honest people have learned about it. And the KGB capitalize on that, and Paul kills 3 people.

And, this time, in the end it's the recruit that's too smart for Audley, rather than an old friend and supposed ally.