In July 1939 John Russell returns to Berlin as the newly-appointed Central European correspondent of an American newspaper. With his communist past, German son and English-American parentage he's the perfect catch for any of Europe's warring espionage services. Through the long Berlin summer, through trips to Prague, Warsaw and Moscow, Russell seeks to satisfy his secret masters, protect his girlfriend Effi and his son Paul, and retain some fragile sense of personal integrity. As if this wasn't difficult enough, a friend needs his help in finding the missing Jewish niece of an employee. Surely saving just one person shouldn't be so difficult.