The Second World War has just ended and the Secret Service has 'mislaid' two lists of German war criminals. Peter Everard Quayle is the head of the Department concerned and he was responsible for the compilation of the list. Instead of handing the job over to his agents he decides to call in a group of people who operated behind enemy lines during the war. Among them is Michael Frewin, Quayle's second-in-command, who appears to be a bit of a fop - but outward appearances are deceptive for he is a cold-blooded killer ...