The ipcress file - len deighton

A high-ranking scientist has been kidnapped, and a secret British intelligence agency has just recruited Deightons iconic unnamed protagonist--later christened Harry Palmer--to find out why.

His search begins in a grimy Soho club and brings him to the other side of the world.

When he ends up amongst the Soviets in Beirut, what seemed a straightforward mission turns into something far more sinister.

With its sardonic, cool, working-class hero, Len Deightons sensational debut and first bestseller The IPCRESS File broke the mold of thriller writing and became the defining novel of 1960s London.