A razor-sharp British thriller about secrecy, power, and the price of knowing too much.

Jason Harper, a brilliant but introverted cryptographer, thinks he’s found the perfect role when he’s recruited into a classified Ministry of Defence programme in Corsham. But the project is far more extraordinary—and dangerous—than he imagined. Hidden deep beneath Wiltshire: recovered non-terrestrial craft, sleek, silent, and still humming with alien code. His task? Decipher their language.

The oath of secrecy nearly breaks him. It also shatters his relationship with Madison Thorne, an ambitious reporter desperate to escape local news. In a moment of weakness, Jason confides in her.

Months later, a mysterious object crash-lands in a Lincolnshire field. The Ministry scrambles—covert ops, press misdirection, military lockdowns. Torn between her instinct to investigate and her promise, Madison is dragged into the cover-up.

As the State tightens its grip, the pair confront a terrifying truth: some secrets aren’t protected for the public good, but for the power they give those who control them. Exposing the biggest lie of all could cost them everything.

The Citadel Directive blends conspiracy, moral conflict, and a charged love story into a gripping, slow-burn thriller.

Perfect for fans of Slow Horses, The Capture, and Bodyguard.