Killing Time in London

On a quiet Sunday morning in the spring of 1940, Detective Inspector Crisp of Scotland Yard is summoned to investigate a murder. A lifeless body lies sprawled on the wet ground beside the River Thames. The victim, dressed in an elegant suit of the finest Savile Row fabric, stands in stark contrast to the grimness of violent death. The scene sends a jolt through Crisp's veins; the suit suggests a world far removed from the gritty streets of London where he works.

As the investigation unfolds, each clue uncovers unsettling details about the victim: a man whose very presence in Britain poses a threat to the nation's survival amid the escalating war against Germany. This revelation weighs heavily on Crisp, who is already grappling with his own inner turmoil. Haunted by poignant memories of loss and guilt from his service in the First World War, Crisp confronts these shadows daily. The recurring ghosts of lost comrades and questions of murder in the trenches echo constantly in his mind, leading him to question whether these lingering shadows hinder his effectiveness as a police officer.

With a Nazi invasion looming, Britain hopes its secret radar system, "Chain Home," will protect the country from the Luftwaffe. The nation's very survival hangs in the balance. Desperate to defend their homeland, MI5 recruits Bartholomew Quinn, a young agent with complicated childhood memories of Germany and a family trauma that complicates his mission.

MI5 devises a daring plan: lure Karl Becker, a clever German spy and Bartholomew's cousin, to England for a perilous mission. The plan's success hinges on convincing Karl and his superior in Berlin, Admiral Canaris, head of German Intelligence, that Britain's radar technology is at best rudimentary. With only 48 hours until Becker is due to report back to Berlin, the mission becomes a high-stakes race against time.

However, Karl's turbulent and violent past with Quinn's family complicates the narrative. Amid rising tensions and betrayal, Quinn faces the challenge of avenging Karl's childhood wrongdoings while also fulfilling his duty to his country during this tumultuous period in the nation's history.

Can Bartholomew effectively balance his quest for vengeance with his duty to protect his country? What impact will DI Crisp have on Bartholomew's plans for retribution? What role does the law play during wartime? Both war and family demand loyalty. Can one ever claim the moral high ground over the other?