“[A] fascinating thriller…Involving and realistic-seeming.” —Wall Street Journal
A hyper-fast quantum computer is the digital equivalent of a nuclear bomb; whoever possesses one will be able to shred any encryption and break any code in existence. The question is: who will build one first, the U.S. or China?
In this gripping thriller, U.S. quantum research labs are compromised by a suspected Chinese informant, inciting a mole hunt of history-altering proportions. CIA officer Harris Chang leads the charge, pursuing his target from Singapore to Mexico and beyond. Do the leaks expose real secrets, or are they false trails meant to deceive the Chinese? The answer forces Chang to question everything he thought he knew about loyalty, morality, and the primacy of truth.
Read the prologue of The Quantum Spy on MSNBC »
Praise
“[The Quantum Spy] is like a Jason Bourne thriller, except brainy and believable…for inside dope on the day-to-day work and personal lives among America’s espionage personnel, Ignatius is unbeatable.” —Richard Lipez, Washington Post
“David Ignatius gives readers a thrilling spy caper and a look into the future of espionage and war.” —MPR News, “Best Fiction Picks of Fall”
“The Quantum Spy is David Ignatius at the top of his game! A truly thrilling, superbly crafted spy novel that focuses on pivotal contemporary issues—the competition to achieve quantum computing technology, the high stakes rivalry between the U.S. and China, and the conduct of spycraft in a digital age. It is certain to top the best seller charts!” —General (Ret.) David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA, commander of the Surge in Iraq, and commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan
“I’ve read many novels by David Ignatius and have loved them all—but The Quantum Spy takes us to a whole new level of intrigue and espionage. It’s also unbelievably timely. In short: David Ignatius knows his stuff.” —Wolf Blitzer
“The Quantum Spy provides a thrilling window into the future world of high-tech espionage. David Ignatius may call it a novel, but for those of us who know the work of the intelligence community, this book is nothing less than a real-life insight into the ongoing battle for dominance in the digital world. The names may be fictitious, but what they are fighting about is very real!” —Leon E. Panetta, former director of the CIA (2009–2011) and secretary of defense (2011–2013)
“A work for now and forever. A contemporary adversary: China. A contemporary problem: quantum computing. And the ageless battle of spy versus spy. Couldn’t put it down.” —Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA (2006–2009) and NSA (1999–2005)
“Ignatius’s realistic peek into the inner workings of the CIA and its Chinese counterpart shows why he’s at the top of the thriller pack.” —Publishers Weekly
“In this sly, fast-moving story, everyone is hiding something…Ignatius’s latest is up to his usual high standards and should appeal to all lovers of spy fiction.” —Library Journal
Interviews
NPR’s On Point: David Ignatius On Russia, China, The Middle East, and The Quantum Spy.