As Hitler’s forces smash into Soviet territory, a lone German scout plane is forced down. Contained in a briefcase within is a seemingly inconsequential painting of a red moth. Military Intelligence dismisses the picture as insignificant, but Stalin suspects a German plot. He summons his old adversary, Inspector Pekkala - the Finn who was Tsar Nicholas II’s personal detective - to discover the real significance of this strange cargo.

As the storm gathers, Pekkala and his assistant from the Bureau of Special Operations find themselves on the track of the most formidable art thieves in history. Their real target is a secret and prized possession of the Romanovs, once considered to be the eighth wonder of the world. But as the Soviet Union crumbles, and the chaos of war is everywhere, Pekkala realises that to protect the Tsar’s treasure he must break through enemy lines. He must outfox the Germans, or face the wrath of Stalin …