NEW! Buy the Nina’s Friends paperback direct from the distributor at 35% less than standard retail price, and even less than Amazon! Click here.
NEW! Now available in hardcover!
NEW! Now available in Large Print Edition!
“Sometimes the friends of your friend are your enemies.”
From the corridors of power and privilege to shadowy urban backstreets, loyalty is a currency and betrayal has severe consequences. Nina’s Friends plunges readers into a labyrinth of international intrigue when brutal violence in Philadelphia’s Society Hill sets into motion a complex game of lies and misdirections.
Dragan Markov, a Russian bureaucrat who may be more complex, and more dangerous, than he appears, is thrust into a world of art fraud, money laundering, outlaw bikers, and aspiring terrorists, as he seeks answers to the murder of his ex-lover. Every revelation peels back another layer of deception, and every ally may be an enemy in disguise.
With the war in Ukraine casting a volatile shadow and Moscow’s secrets at stake, Dragan must confront his own past and the ghosts of a passion that refuses to die. In a world where trust is a luxury and survival demands sacrifice, how far will he go to uncover the truth—and who will pay the ultimate price?
Atmospheric and propulsive, Nina’s Friends is a gripping thriller about love, loyalty, greed, and the cost of secrets. It explores themes of identity and belonging, duty and obligation, and social injustice.
Sophisticated, layered, and character-driven, Nina’s Friends is a fast-moving international suspense thriller of betrayal, secrets, and greed, for fans of Daniel Silva, Tana French, and John Sandford.
Genre: International crime thriller, espionage, and psychological drama. It is book one of the Tajna Circle series.
What readers are saying:
“The tale begins with the brutal murder of a married couple (who happen to be Russian undercover agents) in their Philly townhome during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But was this part of a robbery gone wrong, or perhaps something deeper connected to the war?” ~ Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch
“I’ve been on a decade-plus hiatus from reading-for-pleasure and decided that if I like thriller movies and shows I’d like a thriller book. I brought it with me on a long vacation hoping to make a dent; I got 200 pages in by the time my departing flight had landed.” ~ Reader Review *****
“Taut, fast-paced, full of intrigue and surprise. Those who love the classics will recognize the influences, but this is an entirely modern thriller.” ~ Reader Review *****
“An intelligent and entertaining whodunit-murder mystery.” ~ Kobzar, LibraryThing
“The story is full of twists, shadowy allies, and tense moments. Irwin does a great job blending action with intrigue, and the European setting adds a cool atmospheric edge.” ~ Reader Review *****
“The globetrotting, the clues, the secrets of the art business, all the ‘friends’ with their own agendas, makes for an engaging narrative.” ~ Reader Review *****
“A spy thriller with several twists that kept me coming back. I had trouble putting this book down. Well written with some great character descriptions. I really enjoyed this read from a new author. I can’t wait for a sequel.” ~ Anthony Tracey, Goodreads
“The novel’s strength lies in its sharp, efficient, and evocative prose, which keeps the tension high and the pages turning.” ~ Reader Review *****
“Has that essential driving dialog of classic detective fiction DNA, mixed with the wit and intrigue of great crime character narratives.” ~ Reader Review *****
Behind-the-scenes articles about this book, from my Substack:
Dragan’s Moral Compass: The imperfect protagonist of the novel Nina’s Friends
Why is the book set there?: Locations matter; here’s why I chose the settings for Nina’s Friends
Thriller crime movie playlist for Nina’s Friends: Some films to complement my book.
Publication date: 25 March 2025
Publisher: Vague Apparatus Press
eBook ISBN: 978-1-967223-00-8; Paperback ISBN: 978-1-967223-01-5; Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-967223-08-4; Large print edition ISBN: 978-1-967223-07-7
ABOUT THE TAJNA CIRCLE SERIES
The Tajna Circle series is a collection of stories featuring Russian agents embedded in the northeast United States, and some of their associates. They are an anachronism, leftovers from an old way of doing things, in a program that still exists because someone high up in government doesn’t want to lose that line item in their budget. Some have lived in the USA so long they are no longer Russian, but not long enough to be Americans, either. Their true selves exist in a shadowy, liminal border between cultures where violent crime, personal betrayal, lust for power, and international intrigue also dwell.