William Stamford is known by his friends as a prolific and plausible teller of tall stories but, when recovering from injuries sustained in the Battle of the River Plate, he is astonished to learn that his reputation has come to the notice of British Naval Intelligence. He is to join a team whose sole purpose is to deceive the enemy.

The Admiralty has yet another surprise for him when he meets his assistant. Lucinda Pendleton is young, attractive and extremely personable, but she has failed so far in every task she has been set.

William recognises, however, that she has special, hidden qualities that will make her his ideal and invaluable aide. They work successfully together and inevitably become secretly attracted to each other, a situation that might easily become an untimely distraction as they work on a scheme that could change the course of the war.

As dramatic events unfold in Nazi-dominated Europe, it remains to be seen whether their unusual circumstances will draw them together or keep them apart.