The Cardinal of the Kremlin

The fifth novel in the Jack Ryan espionage series, Tom Clancy’s spy thriller novel The Cardinal of the Kremlin follows Jack Ryan on a mission to rescue an undercover agent from a dangerous scheme. The Jack Ryan novels are popular with a wide fan base; this installment received widespread critical praise upon publication in 1988. Clancy writes both nonfiction and novels, however, he’s best known for his extensive thriller novel credits. Before writing full time, Clancy worked as an insurance broker in Maryland. He died in 2013.

The protagonist for both The Cardinal of the Kremlin and the series is Jack Ryan. Jack is a former US Marine who left active duty due to a chronic injury in his back. He now serves as a CIA analyst. When the book opens, he is working as part of the US delegation to the Soviet Union. He is smart, savvy, and well-trusted by his colleagues.

Jack arrives in Moscow to discuss the most highly placed agent in the entire CIA—a man with the codename “CARDINAL.” Officially, he is the personal aide to the Soviet Minister of Defense. However, he serves the CIA by giving it political, technical, and military information because he feels betrayed by his own government.



At this meeting in Moscow, Jack discovers that Cardinal is Colonel Mikhail Semyonovich “Misha” Filitov, and that he is working on a highly sensitive mission. He is investigating a Soviet anti-ballistic missile (ABM) research project called Bright Star based in Tajikistan. The CIA is concerned about the kind of technology the Soviets are working on and it needs a security risk evaluation as soon as possible.

Jack learns that Filitov carelessly sent one of his own men to Tajikistan to gather intelligence for the CIA and report back to him. However, these actions make the Soviet Committee for State Security (KGB) anxious, and they start shutting down their operations. Filitov, however, does not want to let the project go and keeps pressing for information.

Meanwhile, the CIA deploys another undercover agent, Emilio, to Tajikistan. He is tasked with aiding rebel forces, and he works closely with a rebel called The Archer. The Archer worries once he realizes what the Soviets are building in his homeland. Unbeknownst to Emilio, he orders a strike on the Bright Star base. The Archer dies during the conflict, drawing more attention to the CIA. Once the CIA realizes the Soviet intelligence forces know they’re being watched, they decide the mission is too dangerous. They order Filitov to abort his mission. However, the KGB arrests Filitov before he can escape. When Filitov’s wife, Mary Pat, a CIA agent tries to rescue him, she is arrested too.



Jack knows that the Soviets will torture Filitov until he confesses his crimes. He decides to try to rescue Filitov and his wife himself. This mission gives Jack the opportunity to force the defection of the current KGB chairman, Gerasimov, because of his anti-American ideology. Jack has information on Gerasimov that he can use as leverage to release Filitov.

When Jack arrives at a secure location for “arms reduction talks,” he seeks out Gerasimov. He tells Gerasimov that he expects him to defect and secure the release of Filitov and his wife. Gerasimov refuses, plotting to keep his position by kidnapping a prominent US researcher. Jack uncovers Gerasimov’s plans, telling him that he knows a dangerous secret. He will tell everyone that Gerasimov deliberately wrecked a previous Soviet military mission. Gerasimov pretends he doesn’t know what Jack’s talking about, but Jack won’t let it go. The events concern something that happened to a ballistic submarine in the previous book, Red October.
In Red October, Gerasimov sabotaged a military submarine missile test to make them look incompetent. He did this so the KGB could exercise more control over the military, and both Gerasimov’s and the KGB’s reputations will be ruined if the truth comes out. Gerasimov, however, goes ahead and kidnaps the researcher.

What Gerasimov doesn’t expect, however, is for another mole to reveal the researcher’s whereabouts. The US Hostage Rescue Team saves the researcher; Jack uses this as leverage against Gerasimov. Gerasimov promises to defect, and his wife and daughter are moved to a safe location. In the meantime, The Archer’s loyal followers launch another attack on the ABM to avenge his death, throwing the whole operation into chaos.



Meanwhile, Gerasimov releases Filitov and his wife and concludes the arms negotiations talks. Gerasimov complies with CIA orders and boards a flight with them to the U.S. to discuss his defection. Jack, however, gets to him first to discuss the submarine missile sabotage, but their discussions stall when Filitov passes away from a heart attack after intensive questioning.

Filitov, a CIA agent, is buried at Camp David. This confuses Soviet diplomats who attend the service because Filitov isn’t American. Jack uses this as an opportunity to explain that maybe they are not all so different after all.