1914. When war in Europe is declared, a young American cartographer, Michael Clifton, is compelled to fight for his father's native country, and sets sail for England to serve in the British Army. Three years later, he is listed as missing in action. 1932. After Michael's remains are unearthed in a French field, his devastated parents engage London investigator Maisie Dobbs, hoping she can find the unnamed nurse whose love letters were among their son's belongings. It is a quest that leads Maisie back to her own bittersweet wartime love - and to the discovery that Michael Clifton may not have died in combat. As a web of intrigue and violence threatens to ensnare the dead soldier's family and even Maisie herself, she must cope with the impending loss of her mentor and the unsettling awareness that she is once again falling in love.