After surviving the brutal conditions of a Viet Cong prison camp, Ellis Jackson finds his life in England shattered when he is discovered standing over the bodies of his mistress and his best friend. Jackson must navigate the aftermath of this violent discovery while grappling with the possibility that his wartime trauma has finally fractured his psyche. As he attempts to reconstruct the events of the night, he faces the looming threat of a conspiracy that suggests his past may not be as buried as he believed. The narrative utilizes a tense, investigative framework to explore the intersection of psychological instability and external manipulation.

This work reflects the signature pacing and thematic focus characteristic of Jack Higgins' thrillers. The premise suggests a narrative that prioritizes the tension between internal psychological decay and external political intrigue. Readers likely encounter a story that leans heavily into the tropes of the mid-century suspense genre, emphasizing the vulnerability of the individual against larger, unseen forces. The structure points to a methodical unraveling of mystery, where the protagonist's history serves as both a burden and a key to the unfolding conflict.