Andrew Croome
Document Z
Allen & Unwin, 2009
A masterful, taut and atmospheric novel of political espionage and intrigue, telling the story of the Petrov defection during the Cold War of the 1950s.
Evdokia knew that the crowd was here for her. Hunting her. From the back seat of the Cadillac, she peered into their faces beyond the glass. Angry looks. Perplexed and desolate. Some were already shouting, trying the handles on the doors. There were Russian voices. English voices. Several times the sound of her name. She was certain these people would kill her before they'd let her through the terminal and onto the plane. Beside her, Zharkov thrust the door open and Evdokia stepped out following, thinking she must be mad. Just close your eyes, she thought. Keep your feet marching like the Pioneer Youth. Guns under the jackets of her escorts. This might be it, she realised. A chaos building, a climbing potential. Defector's Wife Dies in Airport Shootout.
Canberra, 1951. The Cold War is at its height. Into an atmosphere of paranoia, rumour and suspicion, Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov are among a group of new arrivals at the Soviet Embassy in Canberra. Both are party loyalists, working for the MVD, Moscow intelligence. Yet all is not well in the new city of Canberra. The atmosphere in the Embassy is tense and suspicious; the Ambassador resents their presence, and is secretly working to have Vladimir disgraced and recalled. In the meantime, ASIO are determined to discover who in this new group works for the MVD. Only three short years later, Vladimir has defected and his wife Evdokia is held prisoner at the Soviet Embassy, waiting to be transported back to Russia to face punishment or death for his crime. How did it come to this?
Winner of the Australian/Vogel's Literary Award 2008
Short-listed Ned Kelly Awards Best First Fiction 2010
Short-listed Sydney Morning Herald, Best Young Novelist 2010
Winner NSW Premier's Literary Award
UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing for Fiction 2010
“Very impressive . . . absorbing, sophisticated . beautiful suspenseful writing. A powerful and complex piece, wonderfully crafted.”
About the Author
Andrew Croome was born Canberra but grew up in Hobart and Albury/Wodonga. In 1998, he moved to Melbourne to attend university and is yet to leave. He has worked as a computer programmer, creative writing tutor and copywriter, and is soon to complete a PhD in Creative Writing at The University of Melbourne. Document Z was his first novel. Andrew now lives in Melbourne VIC.
