The year is 1986.

Inside the Soviet Union — the unthinkable is about to happen…

Sweeping across the social strata of Soviet Society, from the Gulags to the highest offices in the Communist Party, from the peasantry to sophisticated literary circles, Russia is a powder keg ready to explode…

The death of Leonid Brezhnev has left the party leaderless.

The fearless Natalya Roginova is positioning herself as a reformist figure against the brutal KGB General Semyon Kuba, who is determined to preserve the status quo.

A beautiful young student, Zoya Densky, is politicized by the arrest of her father, the central figure in a new movement to restore workers’ rights.

Igor Bukanksy, the disaffected editor of an Arts magazine, has been passed a novel of rare genius, but to publish it would be an instant death sentence.

Meanwhile the stylish wife of an American diplomat in Paris learns that the mysterious man who shared her bed the night before is a Soviet assassin.

In the great cities and on the distant steppes… in the factories and on the farms… in the universities and in the prison camps… in the highest circles of government and in the lowest depths of outcast society… giant forces are building… Russia, in all its grandeur, brutality, and impenetrable mystery, has been transformed into a human volcano about to explode…

Teeming with unforgettable characters, The Fall of the Russian Empire reveals the brutal realities of Soviet life and the inspiring spirit it takes to endure and overcome a violent regime.

“Fast-moving, realistic, very plausible… Memorable and moving human dramas… Sweeping and passionate in the grand tradition.” Publishers Weekly

“An exceptional novel of compelling interest… Highly recommended!” Library Journal

“A big historical picture with personal subplots… strong, rewarding!” Kirkus Reviews

Donald James (1931–2008) was a journalist and bestselling writer of novels, historical non-fiction and television scripts.

Endeavour Press is the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

The wealthy businessman Cy Stephenson is enjoying the comfortable lifestyle afforded to a president of a New York country club.

But he leaves behind a wild past in Saigon’s notorious Eros bar, where hedonism often turned into something more sinister.

Meanwhile in Saigon, the beautiful Amerasian young woman Nan Luc is determined to honour her father and find the truth behind her mother’s death.

She attends a provincial corruption trial in Vietnam that reveals Stephenson’s lurid activities during the war, and driven by vengeance for her mother she crosses the ocean to America to kill her father.

Determined to keep a lid on his past, Stephenson embarks on a tactical affair with his wife’s sister, before resorting to blackmail and murder as Nan Luc chases down her target.

‘The House of Eros’ is a pulsing international thriller from Donald James, author of such captivating books as ‘The House of Janus’ and ‘Once a Gentleman’.PRAISE FOR DONALD JAMES:

‘Nothing I have read from the school of le Carré is as good as Donald James’s first novel. Every detail of his strange twilit world is beautifully realised… all the characters are superbly etched… all in all this is the most exciting debut since John le Carré himself.’ THE SPECTATOR

‘A superb thriller clearly disguised as another saga. Handled with a dexterity Archer J. can only dream about. It deserves success.’ THE TIMES

Donald James grew up in London during the Second World War. After graduating from Cambridge University he worked in Fleet Street and for the BBC, subsequently enjoying a highly successful career as a scriptwriter. He also wrote a number of best-selling novels, including the Inspector Vadim series. He died aged 76 in 2008, survived by twin daughters from his first marriage.

Endeavour Press is the UK’s leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.