This is the fourth book in the John Russell/Effie Koenin series. It takes place immediately after WWII ends, during the fall and winter of 1945. At the close of the previous book in this series, Russell is reunited with his son, his girlfriend (Effie), along with a few other individuals who are important figures to Russell and Effie, just as the Allies are entering Berlin.

In this book Russell et al are living in London when Russell is called upon to repay an old but significant debt. He's forced to return to a devastated Berlin, which is where the book really takes off. The story is fast and engaging and the main characters as sympathetic as ever.

Just as he did in the previous books, Downing paints a vivid picture of everyday life in Berlin, even as he introduces a variety of historic elements such as the quest for Nazis in hiding, revenge seekers among the Jews who endured and survived the war, as well as the chain of Haganah operatives who smuggled people to Palestine. All this, plus a kaleidoscope of glimpses into how ordinary Germans coped with the war's end.