The Ipcress File

Len Deighton´s classic first novel, whose protagonist is a nameless spy -- later christened Harry Palmer and made famous worldwide in the iconic 1960s film starring Michael Caine. The Ipcress File was not only Len Deighton´s first novel, it was his first bestseller and the book that broke the mould of thriller writing. For the working class narrator, an apparently straightforward mission to find a missing biochemist becomes a journey to the heart of a dark and deadly conspiracy. The film of The Ipcress File gave Michael Caine one of his first and still most celebrated starring roles, while the novel itself has become a classic. "Deighton’s witty, stylish debut about a wisecracking MI5 officer caught up in a sinister Cold War conspiracy." (Charles Cumming)