Though they've never gone out of style, spy thrillers are making a bit of a comeback in these volatile and anxious times. Hell, I just saw Jared Kushner sneak through the hallways of The Day wearing an Alexander Solzhenitsyn mask! He was muttering "fake news" in Russian and carrying stolen reporters' notebooks under his arm.

Fortunately, that's not the plot of "Defectors," the latest novel of intrigue by bestselling writer Joseph Kanon. You know Kanon, of course, as the author of the Edgar award-winning "Los Alamos," "The Good German," which was made into a film starring George Clooney, and "The Prodigal Spy," among others.

In his latest, Kanon writes about Frank, one of the earliest superstars of the newly formed CIA who becomes the Cold War's most notorious defector. After years in a Soviet prison, he writes his memoirs and drags his innocent brother Simon into a totally unexpected scheme — and Simon is caught between the CIA and the KGB in a ruthless game of manipulation.

Kanon discusses and signs copies of "Defectors" Wednesday in Westerly's Savoy Bookshop & Café. It's free.

Joseph Kanon, 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Savoy Bookshop & Café, 10 Canal St., Westerly; free, copies of "Defectors" available for purchase; (401) 213-3901.