Character profiles

NESSA STEIN 

Witnessing her father’s assassination at the hands of the armed wing of the PLO as a small child has left an indelible mark on Nessa Stein. An Anglo-Israeli businesswoman who now heads up the Stein Company and all its philanthropic output, she took her father’s former arms company and has inverted its purpose – providing high-speed data cabling across the Middle East in an effort to remove barriers, increase learning and knowledge, and table peace in an area that has only ever known conflict. Recently ennobled in the House of Lords, Baroness Stein is as fearless as she is compassionate; as wise as she is determined; and works tirelessly to promote her company’s work. However, she also harbours a dark secret from her time held hostage in Gaza eight years previously that threatens to blow apart her world and all that she has fought for, as she is forced to confront the demons from her past amidst a high-profile game of political cat and mouse, played out on the world’s stage. 

EPHRA STEIN 

Nessa’s brother has taken something of a back seat since his sister’s ascension into the business world and subsequent peerage. A seemingly quiet family man, mysteriously eight years ago it was he who controlled the Stein Group before stepping aside, and now he often feels overshadowed and disempowered by his sister’s brilliance. He too has secrets from his past, including very real ones that he will go to any lengths to keep concealed in order to protect those he loves. But are Ephra’s actions borne out of love and loyalty? Or do they originate from a darker, more twisted place that secretly harbour’s ill-will against those closest to him? Only time will tell… 

RACHEL STEIN 

Ephra’s wife. Expecting her and Ephra's third child, Rachel is very much a maternal figure over the Stein family and, although tightly wound and far more emotionally volatile than her sister-in-law, she too is fearless when put under pressure. Not always entirely trusting of her husband, or indeed the relentless work that the Stein’s carry out at such a high pace, Rachel’s sense of isolation grows as the story unfolds and she is confronted with secrets and deceptions that threaten to tear the family apart. 

ATIKA HALABI 

Nanny to Ephra and Rachel’s children, Atika is a trusted and loyal employee of the Stein Family and often seen in and around the family home. Not only a loving Nanny to Ephra and Rachel’s son and daughter, she also raises her own son, Kasim, who she is fiercely protective over. Having first encountered the Stein Family eight years previously while working as a translator for Nessa during her ill-fated trip to Gaza, she has formed a close bond to Nessa and friendship between these two women runs deeper than anyone could ever imagine. While her public persona is that of unwavering duty and servitude to the Stein family, she is the keeper of a secret so intense that it has the power to rip the family apart, and she must battle her conscience as she becomes a pawn in a game engineered by Nessa’s tormentors, who are intent on ruining her.  

SHLOMO ZAHARY 

Family friend, cunning businessman and surrogate uncle to both Nessa and Ephra, Shlomo has been at the heart of every major transaction that the Steins have masterminded since they came of age, and his relationship to them stretches back to when they were children. Intensely loyal to the Steins, he’s a proud, brash man, full of energy and vigour who isn’t afraid to speak his mind and doesn’t care who he might offend in the process. That said, he has nothing but love and the utmost respect for Nessa and her brother, though this is tested like never before when a key business decision worth millions is awarded by Nessa to one of his direct competitors, owing to an apparent indiscretion. Is the damage irreparable or will Shlomo rise above it and prove he can be trusted by coming to Nessa’s aid when she needs him the most? 

SIR HUGH HAYDEN-HOYLE 

The outgoing head of the Middle East desk of MI5, Sir Hugh has one last assignment to oversee before his departure: that of finding out who is intent on destroying the Steins and how Nessa’s past directly correlates to the present and the forces that are conspiring against her – both at home and on the international stage. A cunning and astute operator, Sir Hugh is fazed by little and knows all too well how the higher offices of government operate and the lengths to which they’ll go in order to protect national interests. A man who wants only the truth, he is an unlikely ally to the Steins and must engage in an intellectually superior game of espionage and international relations in order to preserve the Stein family name and get to the bottom of why Nessa’s enemies (domestic and foreign) are so intent on her destruction. Having never had to make a stand on anything, as he now faces the end of his career, Sir Hugh begins to discover a moral compass. 

DAME JULIA WALSH 

Sir Hugh’s immediate superior in MI5, Dame Julia is as wily as she is enigmatic. A supreme political player who is no stranger to playing the long game when it comes to dealing with foreign intelligence agencies – the CIA in particular – her past affair with Sir Hugh means that there is a certain amount of strained cordiality between them. Though she doesn’t let this prevent her from telling him what to do and her desired outcome of his investigation. Unflappable and cool in the face of hostile encounters and deep-seated revelations of those that her agency are charged with monitoring, Dame Julia is an imperious presence who, like Sir Hugh, is intent on discovering who is the mastermind behind the plot to unseat Nessa. 

MONICA CHATWIN 

A high-flying, ambitious tactician attached to the Foreign Office in Washington DC, Monica is a dark horse in Nessa’s world. Intent on making a name for herself and with a self-expressed interest in the Middle East, it soon becomes apparent that she is not all that she seems. But just how deep does Monica’s involvement with Nessa go, and how is she connected to Ephra? Is she indeed friend or foe, and what lengths will she go to in order to make a name for herself? 

FRANCES PIRSIG 

Nessa’s private secretary and one of her most trusted confidantes, Frances is a resolute and unwavering presence by Nessa’s side, though isn’t afraid to give her opinion when asked. All too aware of balancing Nessa’s public persona with the work of the Stein Company, Frances is adept in making sure Nessa stays ‘on message’ and is soon caught up in the violent scheme to undo the Steins.

NATHANIAL BLOOM 

Nessa’s chief security advisor, Nathanial is a reassuring and vigilant presence in her life, providing around-the-clock monitoring and support. Very much the ‘strong and silent’ type, he is pitted against the forces that mean to do harm to Nessa and her family, and works tirelessly to protect her at immense personal sacrifice. 

ANJELICA HAYDEN-HOYLE 

Sir Hugh’s estranged wife, Anjelica is a cool and calm individual who knows only too well the strains and stresses of his job. His past infidelity aside, Anjelica is still fond of her former husband and in many ways becomes a constant for him when others have retreated. But will she reciprocate the feelings that he still clearly harbours for her and can she put the past behind her in order to repair their marriage?