In 1971, whilst on a routine patrol in the Arctic, Russian patrol ship Novgorod attempts a secret rendezvous with a tanker and sinks. After abandoning ship, one survivor discovers the ship's true mission and disappears.

Thirty years later, American actor Greg Sherridon's life collapses around him. Proof of a fatal, alcohol-infused party in Greg's hotel room results in the loss of a lucrative film contract and the destruction of his reputation. Greg's inability to remember what happened makes matters worse.

A leading role in a Russian film could revitalize Greg's career, even if the offer seems suspiciously well-timed, coinciding with a shocking revelation about his father-information which demands Greg must travel to Russia urgently, a country still wracked by internal power struggles.

As Greg searches for answers, his situation grows ever grimmer. Thugs attack him at home. The CIA is determined to stop him leaving. A Russian undercover agent dogs his every move, while a powerful politician in Moscow eagerly anticipates the American's arrival for his own sinister purpose. Greg's life is tied to the mystery of the Novgorod, a life he must now risk in the wild forests of the Siberian taiga.