‘The Ghost’ – a successful British ghostwriter – has been asked to write the memoirs of Prime Minister Adam Lang. The publishers have promised Lang millions for his book and time is running out. For the ghost the assignment means a giant leap in his career, and a princely fee. But the project is ill-fated from the outset, not least because the first writer, Lang’s long-standing advisor, has just been killed in a tragic accident.
Brushing his misgivings aside the new man travels to the Atlantic island Martha’s Vineyard, where the ex-prime minister and his wife Ruth have retreated together with a small team including the prime minister’s attractive assistant, Amelia Bly. But the island’s peace is deceptive: Lang’s holiday home is tantamount to a maximum security prison. What secret is contained in the book manuscript in the safe that cannot leave the house?
No sooner does the ghostwriter arrive on the island than a top-ranking British politician accuses Lang of having condoned the arrest of some alleged terrorists who were subsequently handed over to the CIA in secret; moreover, since the men were tortured – allegedly with Lang’s knowledge – this implicates him in a war crime. The accusation causes the press and enraged demonstrators to spring into action and, before long, the premier’s house is besieged. In the midst of all the commotion the ghostwriter makes a discovery that puts the clever ex-premier in a completely different light. He comes across a global conspiracy and the knowledge suddenly puts his life in great danger. Can he bring the truth to light, before it’s too late?