The Man from St. Petersburg

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The Man from St. Petersburg is a thriller novel published in 1982 by Ken Follett.

[edit] Plot introduction

The story is about a Russian revolutionary who travels from St. Petersburg to London to assassinate a Russian diplomat in 1914. The diplomat is in London to negotiate the terms of Russian participation on the side of Great Britain in World War I. Once in London, the anarchist-assassin finds that he has ties to the wife and daughter of the British lord negotiating with the Russian. As his assassination attempts fail, he gets closer to the two women and eventually gains cooperation from them, culminating in a daring attack. As the story unfolds, both the assassin and the lord's family struggle with doubts as to their long-held values. Follett pictures in detail the vast differences between the lifestyles of the British aristocracy and those at the bottom of the economonic rung in early 20th century England.