The vast holiday resort of Tripitaka, carved out of the jungle of northern Burma, is close to completion. It is to be the jewel in the crown of Straits Royal Group, a hotel chain whose recent growth and massive capital have surprised the financial world. Patrick Hyde suspects the chain's casinos are being used to launder drug profits. The West is being flooded with ever greater amounts of Burmese heroin. Could Straits Royal also be one vast distribution network for the drug? His suspicions alone make him a target - but for whom? ... Meanwhile Marian Pyott, MP, has just rekindled a passionate affair. But when Hyde convinces her that a young man in her constituency was murdered, they become desperate to unearth the evidence that will keep them alive. For Hyde and Marian, Burma becomes the most dangerous place on earth ... The master thriller writer has created an unforgettable adventure and a passionate love story encompassing international politics, global finance and drug dollars; forces that create a whirlpool which threatens to destroy Hyde and those around him.