Holly and Talin meet in a small town in Ohio where they fall in love. The path to marriage, however, is arduous, and littered with several infidelities. Holly works as a real estate agent in town while Talin, unbeknownst to her, is recruited by the CIA. Holly believes that Talin is operating an import-export firm based in Cleveland, Ohio. In fact, he is sent by the CIA to recover a microchip in the south of France which he does successfully. His second significant duty for the firm, however, fails. He is supposed to take custody of a young woman and place her in the hands of the CIA. Instead, she dives into a lake in an effort to escape with Talin in hot pursuit. In the ensuing struggle, The girl, Miriam, drowns. Throughout the novel, Talin travels to and from Salamanca. Spain where it is believed that a plot is about to hatch. Terrorists in an Islamic Center are preparing to explode bombs, some believe in front of the American Embassy in Madrid. Paco, who has been working with Talin, becomes enraged when he is not offered more money for his services, and attempts to join the other side. Instead, Waleed, one of the terrorists, murders him. In revenge, Talin garrots Waleed. An attempt on Talin's life is made in his hotel, but he manages to escape. In the interim, his wife, Holly, has had an affair with one of her clients which she breaks off when the client becomes serious with her. Talin uncovers this breech, but after taking it out on the client and fighting with Holly, he remains in the marriage when she pleads with him to stay. Talin, himself, has found a Scottish woman named Alice Prore appealing, but she wants nothing to do with a married man. Further, she believes that Talin has yet to suffer enough as a man to be worthy of more than her friendship. Holly resorts to another affair, this time with her gynecologist, the affair uncovered by the doctor's wife and relayed to Talin, . This time he decides to divorce Holly. Talin returns to Salamanca where the plot is now taking shape. Aitor, a Spaniard and one time believer, is put off by the terrorists' need to kill thousands of innocents. To buy his loyalty, the terrorists kidnap his daughter and lock her up in the basement of the Center. Aitor decides after much thought to inform on the terrorists. He tells Talin about their plans to explode bombs in front of the American Embassy in Madrid, but this plan turns out to be a decoy, and he accompanies the terrorists as they leave Spain to explode their bombs elsewhere. Thanks to Aitor, the bombs are harmlessly destroyed, the terrorists killed or captured, and Talin is able to free Aitor's daughter from the Islamic Center. Subsequently, he flies to Scotland to spend time with Alice Prore who now believes that Talin would be a suitable companion for her. They leave for her apartment arm in arm.