The IPCRESS File

An unnamed narrator working in military intelligence is tasked with finding a missing biochemist. This seemingly straightforward mission carries him deep into the heart of the Cold War, and a dark and deadly conspiracy. It is a tale of brainwashing and betrayal, atomic bombs and seedy London nightclubs.The IPCRESS File was Len Deighton's first novel, and it revolutionised the thriller genre when it came out in 1962. With its laconic, rebellious, working-class hero - most famously portrayed by Michael Caine - and focus on the grinding mundanity of spy work, it reflected a post-war Britain on the cusp of dramatic change.