A phony Russian princess murdered and stuffed in a trunk. A mysterious message - "M.K. will die." A bogus colonel with inscrutable aims. Ruthless killers on the hunt for lost letters from one of the great figures of the 19th century. General Kirk of British Intelligence believes it all adds up to an assassination plot that will throw the world into turmoil. With the help of his new secretary and her rare book dealer boyfriend, Kirk is determined to unravel the riddle and avert tragedy - but will he be too late? "There are plot and counterplot, torture and treachery in the best cloak-and-dagger style." - The Sydney Morning Herald "A most restrained, intelligent spy thriller ... John Blackburn graduates in this one from a sort of science fiction to the most chilling of pure thrillers with a wind-up guaranteed to stir your imagination to the full." - Daily Post "A tense and exciting spy story." - The Guardian Journal "Top grade thriller. Very neat, very twisty." - Montreal Star