Hotel Melikov

"[An] enjoyable comic fable . . ." -Wall Street Journal, on Citizen Orlov

"We wouldn't mind at all if this turned out to be the start of a series." -Apple Books Review, on Citizen Orlov

"[An] auspicious debut . . ." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review, on Citizen Orlov

Not every fishmonger can be a double agent.

Return to an unnamed mountainous country in central Europe on the cusp of civil war. Enter once again Citizen Orlov, a former fishmonger who is now the Minister of Security for a government teetering on collapse. When tensions between the government and revolutionaries erupt, Orlov, hoping to escape the conflict and return to his normal life, is instead recruited by both sides to spy on the other.

With war raging around them, the new king and his ministers are whisked away for safety to the highest point in the kingdom, the convent at the peak of Mount Zhotrykaw. But all is not what it seems at the convent, including the nuns, and Orlov discovers a sinister plot that forces him to choose whose side he is on.
Short Summary: An unnamed, mountainous kingdom in central Europe at the end of the Great War. When tensions between the government and revolutionaries erupt into civil war, a simple fishmonger finds that the future of the nation is in his hands.
"Payne follows Citizen Orlov with a superb sequel . . . Once again, the colorful comedic antics are complemented by shrewd plotting. It's another hugely enjoyable espionage satire from Payne." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Once again, we are dropped head-first into the world of Citizen Orlov, whose misadventures amuse us, yet challenge us to ponder the meaning of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And the ending makes us breathlessly want to know what's next!" -Tom Fontana, Emmy Award winning writer of Oz and St. Elsewhere
"Jonathan Payne is in top form with Hotel Melikov, a beautifully orchestrated symphony of glorious mayhem that slyly underscores our current political moment. To miss it would be a sin!" -Elizabeth McCullough Keenan & Greg Wands, international bestselling authors of Trust Issues
"[A] flawlessly entertaining read that raises expectations for the third installment in the series." -Kirkus Reviews
In an unnamed, mountainous kingdom in central Europe, tensions between the government and revolutionaries erupt into civil war, and a simple fishmonger finds that the future of the nation is in his hands.