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My Friend the Spy takes readers into the shadowy world of international espionage, where secrets surface and spies are unmasked against the volatile backdrop of modern-day Belarus. Fact and fiction intertwine to illuminate the ruthless politics of the moment, where love and passion collide with war and tyranny. The story centers on Sybil Edwards, a film professor and aspiring spy novelist, who discovers that her teaching assistant at the United Nations has close ties to Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. What begins as a writer's opportunity—a chance to understand a tyrant from the inside—quickly becomes something far more dangerous, as Sybil's student becomes entangled in the brutal power struggles of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
"A lyrical and moody work... the writing has a lovely, dreamy quality, and references to Proust’s madeleines, the psychological drama film Tár, and the works of Chagall and Picasso add depth to the narrative."
—Kirkus Review
“This book is a rare journey where facts blend with reflection, and a single insight feels capable of changing history.
It blends real history with personal stories in a way that feels both intimate and mysterious.
You’re never fully sure what is fact and what is imagination, and that’s exactly what makes it so powerful.
It is a beautifully crafted work, written almost as if for one reader, the one who might transform themselves and, through that, transform history.
Through intimate human stories, the broader drama of an entire region unfolds.”
—Dr. Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, expert in cognitive security and strategic communication
“My Friend the Spy is a powerful story set in the real political context of Belarus and the war in Ukraine. It is told by my former English teacher, who now works at the United Nations and forms an unexpected friendship with her assistant—the wife of a Belarusian diplomat with a past linked to an authoritarian regime. As their trust grows, the narrator becomes involved in a world of secrets, loyalty, and power, where the line between observer and participant slowly fades.
Based on real political realities, the novel explores how personal relationships survive under pressure and whether individual conscience can resist state violence. Part spy story, part political reflection, My Friend the Spy reminds us of the importance of truth, art, and humanity in times of war.
And… I am already looking forward to the sequel, because life goes on.”
—Martynas Ivinskas, Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur
“An excellent combination of a deep understanding of geopolitics and a love story. Through vivid descriptions of characters, places, and feelings, the author manages to make the reader a part of the story, and to experience the reading with their heart.”
—Katia Tinajero, Ecuadorean International Law & Policy Specialist
“Roberta Seret knows how to keep a secret; she’s spent years hiding the physical scars of a barbaric medical battle. But her Teaching Assistant, Laryssa, is hiding something far more dangerous: a past as the strategist for an autocrat and a present linked to the highest levels of the Kremlin.
As Russian forces move through the Belarusian corridor, the two women are propelled from New York into a high-stakes investigation of war crimes and international espionage. Blending chilling contemporary facts with a heart-pounding fictional chase, My Friend the Spy explores the "chiaroscuro" of the human soul. In a world of master chess players and double agents, Roberta must uncover the truth about her friend before the clock runs out on Plan B.”
—Saulius Kondrotas, author of The Glance of the Serpent
In Appreciation
Dedication
Author’s Note
Part One: New York City—September 2022 To February 2023
Chapter One: A Friendship of Secrets
Chapter Two: Waiting at the United Nations; My Personal Détente
Chapter Three: Bomb Scare at the United Nations; Films and Life: The Certainty of Chance; My Friend Is Her Father’s Daughter
Chapter Four: Who Is the Real Spy?
Chapter Five: A Death in Minsk—What Does It Mean? Checkmate in Chess
Chapter Six: Chess in Minsk: Masters and Spies; Secret Truths
Chapter Seven: A City of Surprises; Pity and Pleasure
Chapter Eight: Secrets and Clues—What They Mean; Survival—More Important Than Love
Chapter Nine: Venom and Poisons; Crimes and Punishment; Plans to Visit Mexico
Chapter Ten: Talk of Mexico
Chapter Eleven: The Chinese Connection; More Mysteries
Chapter Twelve: Plans for Mexico
Part Two: Mexico—Winter, Spring, Summer 2023
Chapter Thirteen: Vacation in Mexico
Chapter Fourteen: Coincidences Don’t Just Happen
Chapter Fifteen: A New Toy with a New Surprise; The Devil Lurks in Still Waters; Dining Amidst Russian Threats; Mysterious Alexey
Chapter Sixteen: Donkey with a Mystical Rose; Russian Roulette; Pegasus Spyware
Chapter Seventeen: Miracles Do Happen
Chapter Eighteen: Time Stops for Love; Laryssa’s Confessions
Chapter Nineteen: Demonstration and Intimidation in the Mexican Pueblo; Laryssa’s Mission
Chapter Twenty: Mexican Wedding in the Pueblo; Bacchante Dancing
Chapter Twenty One: Chess at the Kremlin with Laryssa as Dealmaker; Yevgeny Prigozhin: Checkmated by the King
Chapter Twenty-Two: Suicide or Homicide: A Warning; Pegasus Spyware Revisited; Plan “A”
Chapter Twenty-Three: Plan “B”; Love Stops Time; Miracles Do Happen
Chapter Twenty-Four: Separate Ways, Together