In 2001, scientists in a Melbourne laboratory made a startling discovery. They found thousands of jars of ashed human bone, which had been stored for up to 40 years. All contained evidence of one of the most dangerous poisons on earth – Strontium 90, a by-product of nuclear testing that can cause bone cancer and leukaemia. Moreover, the bone samples were taken at autopsy without consent. 

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Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, Silent Storm reveals the story behind this astonishing case of officially sanctioned “body-snatching”. The saga follows celebrated scientist Hedley Marston, who carries out top-secret animal experiments during the British atomic tests in Australia. He discovers that fallout had landed on cities and grazing land and warned that Strontium 90 had likely contaminated the milk supply. Marston’s findings are not only disputed; he is targeted as “a scientist of counter-espionage interest”.