- Cold war intrigue in France and Hungary.
- During the 1950s, the Cold War is pitting the USA and its allies against the USSR and its satellites. One such Soviet satellite nation, Hungary, arrests an American named Anderson, and charges him with spying. Communist Hungary is putting on a show trial which is broadcast internationally, to prove the hostile aims of aggressive American Imperialists. The heavily censored news from the trial in Budapest come down the wire to the Paris office of the New York Herald-Tribune where editor-in-chief Nick Strang anxiously awaits more details from his Budapest correspondent, Barker. Nick also assigns journalist Jeanne Moray, a Frenchwoman, and the paper's top reporter, American Jimmy Race, to interview the Hungarian ambassador in Paris. Unbeknown to them, Hungarian agents clandestinely follow Jeanne and Jimmy Race to the embassy. These agents have a good reason to follow Jeanne. While she was in Budapest, she was investigating a lead that could prove the Hungarian leadership is attempting a secret rapprochement with Yugoslavia's President Bros Tito, in defiance of the Soviet policy that banned its satellites from getting cozy with non-aligned Yugoslavia. If this information is true and can be proved, it could land the Hungarian leadership in hot water with the Soviets. That's why Hungarian agents shadow Jeanne and it could also be the reason why Hungary retaliated with a phony trial on spying charges against the American citizen Anderson. When the Hungarian spy trial of Anderson ends, the verdict is 20 years in a hard labor camp. The Hungarian leadership vows to hang the next American spy caught in Hungary. The Hungarians also are interested in a Hungarian defector, Gabor Chechi, who escaped Hungary but is assumed to have been assassinated. The Hungarians suspect that Chechi remains alive somewhere in France and that reporter Jeanne Moray might know where Chechi is. When the newspaper's Budapest correspondent, Barker, ends up in a Budapest hospital after a heart-attack, editor-in-chief Nick Strang assigns top reporter Jimmy Race to replace Barker. Jimmy Race arrives in Budapest and that's when his nightmare begins.—nufs68
- Jeanne Moray and Jimmy Race are reporters with the New York Herald Tribune's European edition based in Paris. It isn't until a few months after Jimmy's arrival in Paris, he a brash American who had worked out of the New York office prior and who is considered a crusader albeit a hot headed one, that the two meet as Jeanne had been in Budapest covering the trial of American Robert Anderson, ultimately convicted for espionage on what all in the know were trumped up charges, and his confession in court in admitting to spying for the Americans done under coercion. Jeanne's return to Paris is despite she believing she having a first foot into a major story - that Hungarian Prime Minister Ordy has been secretly colluding with Yugoslav Prime Minister Tito behind Russia's back - and if given the opportunity of more time behind the Iron Curtain in Budapest that she could have uncovered conclusive evidence. As Jimmy, using his tenaciousness, was able to make some headway into the Hungary file, including getting an exclusive interview with Anderson's wife, Editor Nicholas Strang assigns him temporarily as the Budapest field reporter to fill in for the regular now incapacitated field reporter, he armed with information from Jeanne. Jimmy or Jeanne are aware is that their work has caught the attention of the Hungarians, including Ordy, who are determined to quash any information coming to light. That quashing includes they in search of specific evidence, the reason that Anderson was targeted. This places both Jimmy and Jeanne's lives in danger, which is made all the more painful as they have fallen in love with each other despite Jeanne being in a relationship with Strang.—Huggo
It looks like we don't have any synopsis for this title yet. Be the first to contribute.
Learn moreContribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content