Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Jacob Hunter #1

The Kyiv File

Rate this book
Failure to secure the document will have devastating consequences...

PERENNIAL USA TODAY BESTSELLER DAVID ARCHER JOINS NEW THRILLER AUTHOR DAMIEN WILD IN AN ACTION-PACKED ESPIONAGE THRILLER OF THE LIKES OF VINCE FLYNN, DAVID BALDACCI, AND LEE CHILD.

Against the backdrop of the brutal military conflict in Ukraine, elite intelligence operative Jacob Hunter embarks on a perilous mission – infiltrate Moscow’s government and retrieve a letter that has the power to reshape the geopolitical landscape. A linguistic genius without peer, Hunter must gain the trust of the Russian Minister of Finance and steal back the letter, written in 2014 by the US State Department on the eve of the Maidan Revolution.

Failure to secure the document will have devastating consequences – for the reputation of the United States and for the fate of Ukraine itself. With intel suggesting Putin plans to reveal the secret letter to the world on the anniversary of the invasion, the stakes could not be higher.

Hunter joins forces with IT expert Irina Frolova, a Ministry employee who bears a terrible grudge against the regime. They soon learn the letter is not in Moscow at all, but secreted in a Swiss bank. After accessing the safe deposit box, they secure the letter before fleeing through the Balkans and hiding out in a safehouse on a Greek island. With the might of the Russian security forces hot on their tail, in a heart-stopping climax Hunter and Frolova must outsmart their pursuers to safeguard the explosive information contained in the letter.

345 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 18, 2024

1762 people are currently reading
52 people want to read

About the author

David Archer

188 books501 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

David Archer was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. He is a fiction author and novelist, writing in the mysteries and thrillers genre. His approach to writing is to hit deep, keep you entertained, and leave you wanting MORE with every turn of the page. He writes mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels, all of which are primed to get your heart pumping.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
531 (49%)
4 stars
366 (33%)
3 stars
134 (12%)
2 stars
32 (2%)
1 star
15 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Danny Adams.
4 reviews
October 20, 2024
a good read

It was entertaining and held my attention solidly. Nice to have a book about the importance of linguistic skills. Try it out.
194 reviews2 followers
October 29, 2025
Jacob Hunter

Taking the reigns from Noah Wolf keeps the action flying. Relevant Russian and Ukrainian theme makes for timely thinking. ENJOY!
Profile Image for Susan Clair Holt.
1,359 reviews1 follower
June 22, 2024
The Kyiv File

A little hard to follow in the beginning but a great read. A new super spy for this fantastic author.
423 reviews7 followers
October 15, 2024
Excellent Reading

Gripping reading from start to finish, storyline and Characters blend well and plot very credible all in all an excellent book a good opener in what is a new series, well worth the read and highly recommended by myself
25 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2025
Good story line

It’s a good book. Lots of excitement and suspense waiting to see what will happen next. I guess it would have made for a short story, but if the letter was so damaging to the US, why not just destroy it right away rather than take the chance that the Russians will get it back.
Profile Image for Kirsten Ryan.
4 reviews
November 30, 2024
The book seemed current and relevant. Almost like peeking in and watching history happen! Looking forward to next in the series. The characters are compelling.
1,455 reviews3 followers
May 1, 2025
Good read

Really good 👍 story Relaxing intriguing and suspenseful Could not put it down Looking forward to the next story Thank you
Profile Image for Ricki.
1,366 reviews14 followers
August 9, 2024
Jacob Hunter is an operative for Skia that does off the books assignments for the US Govt. The pay is extraordinary but it comes with many risks. He is a linguistic genius (which developed after a severe concussion playing football) and can pick up languages easily and sound like a native.

His newest assignment is to infiltrate the Russian Ministry of Finance, steal a letter written in 2014 by the state dept. Meanwhile, the operatives helping him infiltrate Russia think he's there to assassinate Putin. He meets IT expert Irina whom he convinces to help him but it turns out the letter is not there but rather in a Swiss safety deposit box.

Together Jacob & Irina escape Russia, head to Switzerland to steal the letter and are barely one step ahead of Putin's SVR.

The book had a slow start but it was just ok

27 reviews
July 18, 2024
undressing the Russian dictator

Excellent plot. Great location details. The author accurately describes the characters and their flaws. A black eye for Putin. How the author managed to imagine the inner workings of the Kremlin is a state secret, perhaps
424 reviews8 followers
August 12, 2024
CC1

Excellent read. Jacob and company did really well in getting the letter back. Putin got the intended result. Hopefully someone will take him out in real life. But very good start to series. 10 stars plus!!!! Thanks Carl Clause
Profile Image for Michael.
571 reviews8 followers
August 23, 2024
Intense!

Running into the mouth of a vicious predator and seizing an important document, only to have that monster come after you and those you are trying to protect. This is a very intense stor.
Profile Image for Greer Andjanetta.
1,419 reviews7 followers
October 13, 2024
A spy thriller about an American superhero (who is a member of yet another secret group) who is tasked with stealing a letter from a Russian govt. official's safe in Moscow. Some adventure and too much profanity. An ok story, easy to read but nothing unique.
Profile Image for Kenn Goslin.
798 reviews7 followers
November 20, 2024
Jacob Hunter is an exceptional man with a job no one wants!

Jacob Hunter is set on a course with no hope of success! Embedded into a Russian Ministry of Finance office, he has been tasked with the impossible!!!
9 reviews
November 26, 2024
A Spy gets the girl

Took a bit of time to get going, slow burner. However when the fuse was lit the story, like the heroes, flitted from country to country. Throw in a bit of lovin and it has all the makings of a great series.
38 reviews
July 1, 2024
Good Start to a New Series

Fast paced, as a spy novel should be. I liked the character development and look forward to seeing Hunter’s develop more.

Again, good start.
31 reviews3 followers
July 6, 2024
Quite Interesting

The book seemed current and relevant. Almost like peeking in and watching history happen! Looking forward to next in the series. The characters are compelling.
4 reviews
August 8, 2024
Kyin

Exce!!ent book. Beginning was a little tedious, nonetheless, the middle and end made up for this. Can't wait for the next book.
10 reviews
August 13, 2024
A slow burner

More background needed on the main character, but overall not a bad read.
Interesting to have an insight into Russia
4 reviews
June 22, 2025
Started so well. Finished as if he just got tired or ran out of ideas. Could have been so much better.
10 reviews
August 28, 2025
Needs a new editor.

Too many grammatical errors in the text. It's not that exciting. Too many boring and predictable sections. I wouldn't recommend it.
2 reviews
August 11, 2024
First time reader of this author

I like the plot, but it’s very unrealistic. It did make for entertaining reading, so I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys this type of action. I’ll be watching for other titles with these same characters.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.