First published 1965
In the waning days of the Cold War, a hapless espionage outfit attempts to revive its former glory by verifying a Soviet defector's claim of a missile buildup. But as the mission unfolds, these bumbling spies find themselves outmatched by the professional, ruthless operatives of the Circus. With careers and lives on the line, the stakes have never been higher in this darkly comic tale of bureaucratic ineptitude and the grim realities of the espionage game.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, espionage
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: bumbling-heroes, grim-realities, professional-antagonists
Setting: Great Britain
Period: Cold War
255 pages · Paperback · Pan Books