The Observer

In 2006 Iraq is at the brink of civil war, and Amery Hardenbrook has accepted a ten-month assignment in Baghdad for the New York Chronicle. In the labyrinth of Iraqi politics his command of Arabic and coolness under fire win the trust of sources. They open the door to a perilous secret, reaching from Government parties to separatist militants, Iranian agents, and the sophisticated armor-killing bombs behind a spate of Coalition fatalities. Others are determined to keep the secret, and ready to seal it in blood. As the stakes rise Hardenbrook must choose between his American life and the duty he has found in Iraq.