WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER: Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
BACK IN THE USSR is a YA thriller for fans of Alex Rider, Code Name Verity, and I Must Betray You — and readers of all ages who love the music of The Beatles.
When Harrison George, teenage son of American diplomats, arrives in Cold War Moscow for winter break, he plans to daydream and hang out with his friend Prudence Akobo, street-smart daughter of foreign correspondents.
Instead, he and Prudence stumble onto the trail of the Album, a long lost Beatles relic and priceless symbol of freedom in a country where rock music is banned.
Chased by treasure hunters, gangsters and spies, they don’t know who to trust. If they don’t find the Album first, they could end up missing — or dead — themselves.
Harrison and Prudence face a choice. Will they be pawns in a game of global conflict, or can they help a maverick KGB agent on a mission of personal redemption?
Read a sample | Check out the discussion guide
From readers:
A book about rock ’n’ roll and its power to fight suppression, feed the human spirit and kick butt. -Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
If you love spy thrillers, slick heist capers, National Treasure-ish quests, you’ll enjoy this. -Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
Vibrant sense of place buzzing off every page … spy-thriller tension is shot through with friendship and sly humor. -Amazon reviewer, 5 stars
Read this in two days – couldn’t put it down … I’d give it 6 stars if you’d let me. -Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
Sign up for author updates and receive a FREE companion short story! Your privacy will be respected and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Praise for BACK IN THE USSR:
“Joyce displays masterful control over the narrative, beautifully weaving in a thread connected to the Beatles’ White Album … The prose is clear, sharp, and expertly paced. The story of a diplomat’s son could have taken a very familiar turn, but this novel remains fresh, poised, and multilayered from beginning to end … Character development fluidly blends with a riveting storyline, never disappointing readers.” –The BookLife Prize, 2023
“Joyce’s duo of intrepid young protagonists are vividly painted and irresistible, and his firsthand experience of Moscow and diplomatic corps are evident in the details that animate and enliven this fast-moving novel of international intrigue. Add to this parallel love stories, uncanny visions, and a recurring theme of Beatles songs coming to life, and you have the recipe for a fun, rich, and sophisticated page-turner. A most worthy addition to the pantheon of YA spy novels … Highly recommended!” –Tim Weed, award-winning author of Will Poole’s Island
“In this fast-paced thriller, the reader happily tags along with the young protagonists as they navigate around the Moscow metro, the city parks, the American embassy, the unnamed and winding streets, and the huge Russian cars—Chaikas—that swallow them up against their will. The premise of the novel is unique, focusing on a quest for the Album, a Beatles recording that seemingly everyone in Moscow, including the mafia, is willing to kill for … Clever plot twists abound, keeping the reader spellbound up to the colorful and dramatic ending.” –Laurel Davis Huber, award-winning author of The Velveteen Daughter
“Back In The USSR is a pleasure from cover to cover! A Dan Brown-esque thriller, the book kept me turning the page to see what happened next, all the while delighting with easter eggs, lyric references and the pure joy that The Beatles bring to the world. … May there be many more Harrison and Prudence adventures to come!” –Obadiah Jones, host of Beatles podcast “Gimme Some Truth”
“Author Patrick Joyce has a keen sense of espionage thrillers, combined with the real-life state of affairs that was the Soviet Union, circa 1983 … Joyce’s staggeringly detailed account of Russian topography and language is lovingly supported by the main theme: how American teenager Harrison George (the name is explained with humor) and his close ally Prudence Akobo stumble into a tangled web that involves black market collectors, the KGB, and stalwart Australians, couched in a believable backstory on how a defective White Album test pressing is the key to Cold War dominance.” –Amy McGrath Hughes, host of pop culture & Beatles podcast “Write Hear”