One man's disappearance could signal the beginning of World War Three.

Group Captain Gavin Gallagher, after a spectacular career as an airman, was the Commanding Officer of the most powerful nuclear rocket station in the world. Until he vanishes, without a trace.

He left the Zeus launching pads to return home to his wife – and never arrived. From the Provost Marshal's office, Wing Commander Henderson is tasked with investigating the mystery that might well become a national emergency.

Has Gallagher been kidnapped, or has he 'gone over'? Could he have been murdered? And what clues can be found in his past: his rise from wing undergraduate to war hero, to one of the few top men who hold, literally, the key to human survival?

A gripping, deeply moving tale of World War Two and the Cold War, perfect for fans of Alan Furst and John le Carré.