MOSCOW, April 11 (UPI) -- A piece of pulp fiction inspired by the killing of former intelligence agent Alexander Litvinenko is on the book shelves in Russia.
The novel, "Breakfast With Polonium," uses the basics of what is known about the November radiation poisoning of Litvinenko to create a fictional tale of jealous love, a scheming Russian president and a swirl of murder and violence in London, The (London) Independent said Wednesday.
The authors, Alexander and Natalya Pankov, put the book together in about a month, turning the lack of information into a based-on-a-true-story thriller that is their specialty. British and Russian investigators have yet to say who they believe killed Litvinenko by poisoning him with a massive dose of polonium-210 in London.
On his deathbed, Litvinenko blamed President Vladimir Putin. Russia's media have suggested the killing was orchestrated by Boris Berezovsky, a billionaire living in Britain who counted the poisoned man as a friend. Both deny any involvement in the killing.
Pankov said he sees nothing unethical about using the case as the novel's base. The name is changed and nothing bad is said about the agent so, "We don't offend anyone."
