About the book

In the summer of 1914, secret negotiations between Britain and the United States are endangered by the theft of plans for a new weapon. Halkett, an English messenger carrying crucial papers, crosses Europe pursued by men prepared to kill him. His route brings the international conspiracy into the world of Philippa, whose apparently obscure position conceals her own involvement in dangerous affairs. Chambers joins espionage and romantic adventure to an emphatically partisan account of the approaching war. Pursuit, disguise, and the difficulty of knowing whom to trust provide the immediate suspense, while the larger crisis makes private decisions consequential beyond the people taking them. The novel's invented diplomatic intrigue belongs to wartime fiction, even where historical names and events supply its framework.

Espionage and loyalty
Love amid war
Secrets and identity

Why read it

The opening pursuit makes a single envelope the meeting point of personal danger and an approaching international catastrophe.

Contents and reading sections

About the book

Why read it

Read next