U.S. intelligence agent Blackford Oakes remains the handsome, brave, and talented hero of the earlier novels.

He is still in love with Sally Partridge, a college English professor, specializing in Jane Austen. The novel describes the tragic events of Sally's earlier life: the death of her brother in World War II and the subsequent deaths of her parents. The area of Connecticut where she grew up is the same area in which Buckley himself grew up.

Despite the fact that she loves Blacky, Sally marries Antonio Morales, a wealthy Mexican, and becomes pregnant by him. This breaks Blacky's heart but does not interfere with his mission.

Blackford's American colleagues include Rufus, the real head of American intelligence, a counsellor to presidents since World War II, and Anthony Trust, Oakes's former schoolmate.

Although they have their idiosyncrasies, Buckley portrays them as brilliant and capable. Oakes's Cuban colleagues originally...