Charles Winter is a spymaster.
One of the leaders of MI-6, Winter earned his reputation during the Second World War. An officer in the British Army, part of the group narrowing avoiding capture at Dunkirk, he quickly moved into the Intelligence community. Though he had no prior training, he impressed his seniors with his drive and his inate talent, eventually turning numerous people into double agents against the Abwehr.
When the war ended, Winter stayed with British Intelligence and rose in rank in MI-6. Along the way, he met and married Geraldine, a woman from the gentry class whose financial standings were not as they once were. Though not rich, the couple were able to maintain a better than decent life style. They lived in a very nice large manor and Winter drove a fast Jaguar.
The two were hardly a match made in heaven. Both were of very strong, demanding personalities and the clashes were, in their minds, impressive. Despite creating a beautiful daughter, Amanda, their marriage, though it did not end, was always a rough one. Winter wonders on more than one occasion if the work stress disrupted the family or if the disruption of the family caused him to work so hard.
The two-book series concerning the activity of this spymaster deals with two interesting periods in American cold-war history and how they affected British life, and how the British MI-6 played a part in adjusting American foreign policy.
Winter is a die-hard Brit, loyal to the government and willing to do whatever he feels is necessary to protect her, even if it means blackmailing an American President. He might find that regrettable but he would not hesitate to do it again.