The Potsdam Bluff

Accomplished storyteller Hunter keeps things moving apace in this thriller set during the closing months of WW II. Distraught by Stalin's plans to abrogate Allied agreements and take possession of all of Germany once the fighting has ended, a Russian general passes a cryptic message to American spymaster C. G. Brandt before committing suicide. Because President Truman distrusts Stalin in any case and requires as much information as possible before their Potsdam conference, Brandt sends inexperienced Alex Lukas into Germany during the final days of the Third Reich to help another Russian general defect to the West. Proving to be a top-notch operative, Lukas discovers Stalin's true intentions although he fails at his primary task. Lukas's involvement with a beautiful and deadly Russian spy serves as the set-up for an intricate scheme orchestrated by Brandt to allow Truman, an avid poker player, to carry off a clever bluff at Potsdam. Hunter's intriguing tale also offers a fascinating speculation as to the real purpose of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan. The ``surprise'' in the novel's closing pages may be foreseen by readers, but it ties things together nicely. (Mar.)