In Europe, the Americans are pulling out their troops in a tide of isolationism. Britain, torn between loyalties to America and the continent, is caught betwixt and between. In America, a space shuttle crashes on landing, killing all but one of the crew on-board: A British man named Mike Dreyfuss, who will become vilified by the US press and protesters. Halfway across the world, Martin Hepton, an English ground control technician watches as they lose contact with the most advanced satellite in Europe. A colleague of Hepton's who suspects something strange is going on is signed off sick, and never comes back. Hepton decides to investigate his friend's suspicions and his trail leads him to Dreyfuss, the MI6, the American military, and back to his former girlfriend, Jill, who is an up-and-coming journalist with the contacts and the courage to cover the story. But there is much more at stake than anyone realises - and many more people on their trail than they can possibly evade...

イアン・ランキンが描く本作は、国際政治の荒波に翻弄される個人の孤独と闘争を鋭く抽出した傑作です。米国の孤立主義という予見的なテーマを背景に、情報の空白が真実を歪めていく恐怖は圧巻の一言。技術の進歩がもたらす疎外感と冷徹な国家間の力学が交錯する様は、単なるスパイ小説の域を超えた文学的な重厚さを放っています。 物語の核は、巨大な陰謀に立ち向かう平凡な個人の倫理観にあります。一人の管制官が抱いた違和感が、やがて国家の暗部に触れるうねりへと変わる過程は、読者の知的好奇心を強烈に刺激します。信じるべき友、かつての恋人、そして沈黙する宇宙。あらゆる繋がりが断絶する絶望の中で、真実を求める個人の叫びが、私たちの魂を熱く揺さぶるのです。