Return to the world of the Livonia Saga where Detty and Mara are recovering from the horrors they experienced before and during the civil war. Detty is happily married to Marc, an intelligence officer in the German army. An aspiring international classical singer, Detty is trying to develop the Livonian music school in collaboration with the Runyonesque American tenor, Hank Schliessen and the national orchestra along with the conductor Helge von Grunstrand. Meanwhile, Mara is having a torrid time in her love life all whilst faithfully supporting her father, who is the President. Although her loyalty to her father is unwavering, Mara finds it constrains her personal life and freedom. Detty and Mara discover that the enemies, although defeated in the war, are still hostile. Together and separately, they face several crises and dangers and their quest to track down the criminals take them all over Europe against a background of the classical music scene. But are their resources enough to see them through? The Speed of a Flame is the long-awaited third book in the Livonia Saga.