Michael Idov is a novelist, director, and screenwriter. A Latvian-born American raised in Riga under Soviet occupation, he moved to New York after graduating from the University of Michigan. Michael's writing career began at New York magazine, where his features won three National Magazine Awards, and he has also been the editor-in-chief of GQ Russia. He is also the author of Ground Up and Dressed Up for a Riot. Michael has worked on numerous film and TV projects, including Londongrad, Deutschland 83, Leto, and The Humorist. He and his wife and screenwriting partner, Lily, divide their time between Los Angeles, Berlin, and Portugal.

"This is a hell of an espionage thriller--thoroughly modern and frighteningly relevant, yet with clear reverence for the genre's roots. This book has it all--memorable and well-drawn characters, globe-spanning locales full of fascinating and authentic detail, and a complex plot that unfolds at just the right pace. Idov's prose is first-rate--concise, colorful, and insightful. He is a writer who understands the power of life's small details, which adds another layer of texture to this highly entertaining novel. I did not want to put this book down." --Alex DeMille, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Lines

"What the ever expanding world of espionage fiction needs, it turns out, is a Yale-educated Millennial field operative who dresses in Weezer t-shirts and knows his way around a semi-automatic. . . . [The Collaborators is a] slim, well-paced, deceptively complex novel of American and Russian intelligence. . . . a novel as cool as it is accomplished, that knits together action, tradecraft and quippy dialogue with flair." --Vogue

"[A] globe-trotting spy adventure . . . Idov balances modern-day intrigue with Cold War flashbacks, tracing spy bloodlines from the former Soviet Union into today." --Paste magazine

"A cutthroat international financial scheme with grave political implications . . . Unlike most spy fiction, it's driven in the liveliest sense by young characters who reflect their generation. Falk, a millennial who wears Weezer tees, and Maya, who was up for a part in a Peacock vampire series, are an irresistible pairing. . . . Sharp, freshly conceived, thoroughly entertaining spy fiction." --Kirkus (starred review)

"The Collaborators is a terrific espionage thriller with a propulsive plot and fantastic twists, but what really sets this book apart is the writing, sparkling on every page." --Chris Pavone, New York Times bestselling author of The Expats and Two Nights in Lisbon

"Compulsively readable, with more twists than a bar full of martinis, The Collaborators takes a deep dive into global espionage, what-ifs, and the things we do for those we love." --I. S. Berry, Edgar Award-winning author of The Peacock and The Sparrow

"I was completely charmed by Ari and Maya, the hero and heroine of this novel, who are just as irreverent as they are brilliant. The Collaborators is a refreshingly fun update to twenty-first century spy fiction, a novel that delivers modern thrills as well as the classic satisfactions of the genre. This book is smart, stylish, and propulsive from the very first page. I can't wait to see what Michael Idov writes next." --Anna Pitoniak, author of The Helsinki Affair

"If you are in the mood for a high-stakes global espionage novel, with secret agents jet-setting all over the world, you have come to the right place. . . . cleverness and subterfuge abound, followed by a believable, real-world sort of denouement. PS: Idov is a screenwriter in addition to being a novelist, and this book has silver screen written all over it." --BookPage

"A ripping gem of a novel. . . . Propulsively paced, and containing as much humor, romance, philosophy, and whimsy as classic spy-thriller action, this brilliant novel will charm readers and linger long after its final pages. . . . Idov's intelligent, emotive spy novel is funny and sweet, as well as blood-soaked; clever and riveting in its plot twists; and focused on idiosyncratic characters first and foremost. . . . Entertaining, rocketing, and unforgettable, The Collaborators is not to be overlooked." --Shelf Awareness

"Idov gathers stories from the headlines and blends them into a hipster spy smoothie." --The Times (UK), Named a Best Thriller of the Year

Publisher: Scribner Book Company

Pub date: 2025-07-29

Length: 304 pages