Maura, a shy Englishwoman, works for her dentist husband, Harold, who tries to restrict her many outside interests. To his chagrin, Maura appears on a major TV Quiz show. She wins a prize to visit the US and attend a Celebrity New Year’s Eve Ball in Washington DC. Patrick, a Frenchman, embarks on a dangerous geo-political mission. He kidnaps Harold and poses as Maura’s husband. She has no option but to travel with him to the US, where they meet with celebrities, other prize-winners, and senior political figures. She is racked by guilt, but her worries shift as she realises that Patrick is more a misguided idealist than a terrorist. She can’t help being drawn towards him. Maura begins to fear for her life and his.

The Washington Ball approaches. Tight security is coordinated by a shrewd and ambitious FBI agent with support from Homeland Security. Maura tries desperately to persuade Patrick to abort his mission.

Maura grows in adversity, becomes stronger and more questioning. Even in captivity, Harold is the same old fogey. Then after all seems lost, Maura makes a remarkable discovery that will change everything…

Against a backdrop of Washington covert dealing and heartless calculation, two figures find their truer selves. Patrick’s idealism battles with human desire. As the plot develops, carefully and unpredictably, we see Maura unfold too, as stronger and more complex than she ever imagined. In a deft storyline told as though in a single breath, the inevitable crisis is a long-delayed reckoning.
- Peter FitzGerald