In the summer of 1942, Max Chadwick is the British officer charged with manipulating the news on Malta to bolster the populationâs fragile esprit de corps, as the small windswept island endures relentless Axis air raids. The fiercely independent Maltese, and a few broken-down fighter planes, are all that stand in the face of Nazi occupation and perhaps even victoryâfor Malta is the stepping-stone the Germans need between Europe and North Africa.
When Max learns of the brutal murder of a young island womanâalong with evidence that the crime may have been committed by a British officerâhe knows that the Maltese loyalty to the war effort could be instantly shattered. Max must investigate the murderâbeyond the gaze of his superiors, friends, and even the woman he lovesâas the clock ticks down toward all-out invasion.