The setting is 1952 at the height of the cold war and the murder victim is Max Stensness, a scientist who has made a discovery that will "change the world," and has put his secret up for auction to the highest bidder. Among the suitors are the British, Russian, and American spy networks. Of course Herbert isn’t immediately aware of the complications and proceeds to conduct a murder investigation. Hannah Mortimer, a diver hired to scour the river bottom for clues, summons more than average notice from Herbert because she’s not only beautiful but she’s blind.

This plot begins to get very complicated at this point. Herbert is a thorough investigator with a background in international espionage and he eventually finds the dead scientist's secret. Apparently Max Stensness had begun to unlock the secret of DNA. He has identified the structure, the first major step in understanding all living things. It’s information that governments would kill for.

Author Boris Starling is an absolute master at making characters come to life and seem as real as your next door neighbors. He’s every bit as clear when it comes to describing scenes and places. The plot interweaves with actual history, using real people from the period to add believability. It’s hard to tell where the fiction leaves off and actual events begin. I never saw the ending coming.

If I had one complaint with the book, it would be the frequency with which Starling describes the fog; but it’s not frequent enough to be annoying.

The entire book is decidedly British in flavor and style, but then it’s a British story. The reader should keep this in mind. I’m not sure if everybody would enjoy that quality but I sure liked it.