US charges of China cyber-espionage sparks new interest in minstrel’s alley novel

The United States accusations against China of Cyber-Spying have renewed interest in The Guys Who Spied for China. The novel was written by Gordon Basichis and published by Minstrel’s Alley in 2009 and was a quarter-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition. “The Guys Who Spied for China is an exciting novel detailing how Chinese Espionage Networks were discovered to have been operating for years here in the United States,” said M.J. Hammond, Minstrel’s Alley publisher. According to the May 19th article in the Washington Post, the United States Government is indicting five members of the Chinese military. Since the article first broke, Minstrel's Alley is experiencing renewed interest in this book. Sales are up and we have had a couple of emails about film rights.” Hammond described The Guys Who Spied for China as a roman a clef, based on Gordon Basichis’ own experiences in working with a veteran cold warrior who was partly responsible for uncovering and dismantling the espionage networks that had been established in just about every major American city. She noted the novel is set not in foreign cities but in Beverly Hills, San Francisco, and other parts of California. “It is a home grown spy story," said Hammond. “It is very cinematic and races through some of the tonier neighborhoods in California,” said Hammond. “This is not your typical spy story. It is quirky and darkly funny. It has an offbeat narrative and is character driven. It is sometimes violent and nasty, a depiction of how the spy game is played. Men and women both seem to enjoy this book.. Small wonder it did so well in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Competition. “Make no mistake, Chinese Espionage is serious business,” said Hammond. “We see in the media the periodic conflicts between the United States and China, regarding Chinese espionage. Their spying efforts, which have often been ignored, have cost the U.S. a fortune in stolen weaponry and technology and have possibly destabilized some of our defense and security strategy. A 2013 paper from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that Chinese Espionage in the loss of intellectual property, costs this country as much as hundreds of billions of dollars a year. “The Guys Who Spied for China is unique and tells the story of Chinese espionage efforts against America like nobody else has told it," said Hammond. Source: PRWEB