Penguin Modern Classics

''The master at his peak'' Daily Telegraph

A Russian scientist is defecting to the West, in order to realize his dreams of contacting extra-terrestrial life among the stars. But when an insubordinate British agent and a top CIA operative are sent to the Sahara desert to bring him in, things don''t go to plan. The result is a violent chase stretching across three continents, where loyalties - between spies, partners, nations and lovers - become fatally divided.

''Classic, world-ranging, marvellously knowledgeable ... in a word, quality'' The Times

''Tightly and complicatedly plotted, so credible in detail'' Financial Times

A PATRICK ARMSTRONG NOVEL