For fans of John le Carré and Robert Ludlum, The Spy with No Name is the unbelievable true story of Erwin van Haarlem, a Cold War secret agent whose stolen identity broke the heart of an innocent woman - who thought she'd found her long-lost son.
In 1977, Johanna van Haarlem, 52, finally tracked down the son she had abandoned as a baby, during the Second World War. She was delighted that he had grown into a charming Dutch waiter in London. But Erwin van Haarlem was actually a dangerous Communist spy who had stolen her son's identity to uncover British and American military secrets.
In this true-life spy thriller, award-winning journalist Jeff Maysh tracks down the former spy in Prague, who tells his remarkable story. Maysh skillfully reconstructs one of the most unusual cases in espionage history, as Erwin van Haarlem maintains his top secret mission for 11 years...while pretending to be a stranger's son. Enter a world of betrayal, secret codes, invisible ink, and mysterious radio messages, where nobody is beyond suspicion.
Jeff Maysh investigates unusual true crimes and urban legends. His deeply immersive stories have appeared in publications including The Atlantic, Playboy, and Smithsonian.