Alistair Maclean's thriller explodes into action with what looks like a driver's miscalculation, a consequent crash, and a powerful racing car that is transformed instantly into a blazing funeral pyre. Johnny Harlow, number one winner on the Grand Prix circuit, seems to be responsible for the "accident"- the latest in a series of disasters that has included the elimination by violence of Johnny's younger brother. The pit boss says he's doubtful that the troubles are being caused by explainable mechanical failures, the head of the team begins to believe that Johnny is losing his nerve, and jealous rivals start referring to Harlow as a has-been. But as the pressures and the tensions mount, a vicious pattern begins to emerge- and Johnny finds himself in a hair-raising race where the prize is survival and the penalty is death. In this fast-paced novel of danger and suspense, one of today's master storytellers tells a tale that moves with the speed of racing motors towards a finish that only one can win.