1999. Saddam Hussein has been defeated in the Gulf War but is still in power in Iraq. As international sanctions place the Iraqi people in abject poverty, the United Nations introduces the Oil-For-Food Programme, designed to allow Iraq to sell oil to approved companies in return for food and vital medical supplies. The system is rife with corruption from the corridors of power in Geneva right down the ranks to the war-torn streets of Iraq. This corrupt system goes unchallenged until an Oil-For-Food Programme official is murdered as a result of discovering a small shipment of illegal arms. This unplanned act of violence sets off a chain of events that echoes around the world.

This story is carried by Victoria Noble, the hero of the series. Victoria is blessed with a fine mind, a relentless desire for justice and a back story that drives her to face and overcome challenges in a way that her protagonists could never have anticipated. However, it is her flaws that make us root for her, forgive her, and understand why she simply cannot flinch in the face of the enemy. Victoria is an idealist in a world where such a quality is considered a weakness for others to exploit and manipulate. Unless she is able to dig deep and confront her own shortcomings, she is doomed to martyrdom and failure. In the corridors of power in 1999, martyrs and failures are soon forgotten. Victoria’s idealism comes at a cost. She must learn to watch her friends, family and allies suffer death or destruction as she moves ever closer to exposing corruption on a global scale.