The year is 1916. Europe is embroiled in a horrific war with no end in sight, and the United States remains hesitant to send troops into the conflict. Yet within the clandestine world of espionage, the U.S. is closely monitoring the operations of German agents throughout the world. Enter Dr. Francis Nash, a professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh-and an undercover agent for the Office of Naval Intelligence. Nash is assigned to courier sensitive photographs to an agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service in Europe.

A chance meeting with the beautiful and mysterious Peggy Harrelson immerses Nash in murder and a deadly cat-and-mouse chase throughout war-torn Europe, pursued by German agents, czarist secret police, and Russian Bolsheviks. The prize is an arcane letter dating back to Catherine the Great that may alter the course of the war. Just who is Peggy Harrelson, and what is she hiding? How can Nash trust and work with Reilly, his British counterpart who seems to play both friend and foe? Of what significance does an 18th century letter have for the British, Germans, and Russians?.