William Blencoe

The Somme William Blencoe

In the heat of May in 1916, the First World War has entered something of a stalemate. The Allies have found themselves making little ground around the River Somme in France, despite hatching an action plan that seemed guaranteed to lead them to an easy victory. Those high up in the chain of command have become increasingly worried that their orders have found their way into the hands of the Bosch, who are always ready for their offensive manoeuvres. Needing to get to the bottom of why their attacks keep getting undermined by the enemy, Major Horace McCracken, a member of the recently-established MI6, is called into France to discover the source of the leaks. Having proven his mettle infiltrating those responsible for the uprisings in Ireland, if there really is someone - or maybe even a group of traitors - leaking military tactics to the enemy, he's the man capable enough to find them out. However, the realities of the Western Front don't offer the best conditions for an operation of this magnitude, and McCracken is forced to face the disturbing inhumanity of the conflict head on. Picardy might have once been this idyllic French getaway, but the ravages of fire and brimstone have rendered that image all but a distant memory. But, for McCracken and the Allies, it's a memory worth dying for.