April 1945. Hitler's Reich is on the verge of extinction and its enemies are already plotting against each other. Assaulted by Allied bombs and Soviet shells, ruled by Nazis with nothing to lose, Berlin has become the most dangerous place on earth. On the Oder front line John Russell's eighteen year old son Paul awaits the Soviet's final onslaught, and the certain prospect of either death or imprisonment. Inside Berlin, Russell's girlfriend Effi has a Jewish orphan to care for, and the Gestapo on her trail. The advancing Red Army promises liberation, but is also seeking retribution, particularly from German women. Russell is in Moscow. To find and save his son and girlfriend, he must reach Berlin no later than the Red Army. But only the Soviets can get him there, and the price of their help will threaten both his and the world's postwar future. AUTHOR: David Downing is the author of numerous works of fiction and non-fiction. The first 'John Russell and Effi Koenen' novel, Zoo Station, was published in 2007 and became a word-of-mouth bestseller. It was followed by Silesian Station in 2008, Stettin Station in 2009 and Potsdam Station in 2010. David lives in Surrey with his wife and two cats.