On the death of her husband Olivia Prettyman steps into his shoes as the chief executive officer of Celtic Literary Enterprises. She has a decision to make. Should she honour the memory of her husband and publish The Party at the End of Time, a novel in which he had a passionate interest, or follow the advice of her board and cancel it? Can she believe in its prophecy that the world is shortly to end? If so there is a party to prepare for, the mother of all parties - the party for the end of time.
Victim of a misinterpreted gesture, pursuit by a would be 007 and victim of a botched Asiatic assassination attempt our hero bob bobs on the Mediterranean, sustained by his state-of-the-art survival suit but terrified at the prospect of mafia recrimination. They all seem to be out to get him and they, for a while at least, include the Pope. It is enough to induce paranoia.