Peter Craig’s crash course in espionage takes place in Rome, where he is seconded by S.3 – the Special Security Service – with orders to investigate a suspected KGB infiltration of the British Embassy, which has already resulted in the death of one MI6 officer.

Using his cover as a security advisor, Craig investigates the Embassy’s intrigues and clashing motivations to find the spy, with the help of an Ambassador whose disdain for the ‘dreadfully sordid business’ of espionage takes a back seat when he sees a chance to settle old scores with a little ‘disinformatsiya’ of his own.

Within the week, the cast of players has grown to encompass the CIA, private detectives and the Mafia, and with a daring ruse to flush out the spy, Craig makes himself and his friends into targets for the Kremlin.