Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of his youth: every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as a travel writer, capturing the changing, intriguing landscapes of a world in the grip of the Cold War, and very occasionally couriering packages and obscure messages for his brother, whom he quietly suspects of being a spy. A tap on the shoulder, though, pulls Gabriel further into the shadows of his life, and into the orbit of Faith Green, a beguiling and persuasive MI6 handler. She soon makes Gabriel a seemingly irresistible offer: he must simply make a trip to Cadiz, Spain, and buy a painting, and in turn will receive a life-changing sum. But in that sun-drenched, suspicious sea town he will find more than just a paycheck and spy craft: in the rolling waves of Mediterranean, life-changing choices and consequences beckon.