They invaded his country, stole his home, and imprisoned his fiancée and family. Now they want him to spy for the Kaiser.On the eve of World War I, only a week before final exams, Dieter Jaeger learns of a fatal heart defect. Devastated, he leaves his Swiss engineering school, returning to his family and fiancée in Lille, France. Fearing to chain the woman he loves to a death sentence, he ends their engagement. He vows to live life to the fullest, even if it ruins his father's plans for him.Then his uncle, a Lieutenant-General in the Prussian army, comes to visit, warning that Germany may someday invade through Belgium. He begs Dieter's father, Manfred, to return to Germany.

But long ago, Manfred escaped Prussia and its military mindset. He'll never abandon his new life and his successful restaurants in France and Belgium.German troops soon swarm the streets, take over their home, and soldiers lock Dieter in prison. Dieter's brother joins the French resistance, and the Kaiser's men ship his family and fiancée to an internment camp. Examining his life in the confines of his cell, Dieter realizes he's never done anything to help anyone but himself.Then Dieter's uncle presents his appeal: "Spy for the Kaiser, and I'll release your family."All Dieter wants is to make a difference in this world and live his life in peace. Now he's torn.

He hates what the Germans have done to his country and his family. Could he pretend to work for Uncle's suspicious spymaster and become a double agent, deceiving them all? But if he were caught, his family and fiancée would never go free. And what if his weak heart betrays him first?This historical spy thriller is set in occupied France and Belgium before and after the 1914 invasion.