January 1942. Rommel’s seemingly invincible Afrika Korps is at the gates of Egypt – perhaps soon to threaten Cairo itself. And Rommel has a spy in the city – a source so well-informed that the German commander knows in advance every movement of the allied forces. Amongst the teeming streets and bazaars, the British, led by Major Albert Cutler, must find him. But Cairo is a city of fool’s gold, where nothing and nobody, not even Cutler, can be taken at face value.

Praise for Len Deighton:

“Tremendous . . . a must read.”—Daily Mirror

“The poet of the spy story.”—Sunday Times

“Len Deighton’s spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over.”—Malcolm Gladwell

“Few authors writing in the rigorous and finite genre of spy fiction have mastered the craft as well as Deighton.”—Chicago Tribune

“Deighton is so far in the front of other writers in the field that they are not even in sight.”—Sunday Times

“What raises Deighton’s genre to art is not only his absorbing characters but his metaphoric grace, droll wit, command of technical detail . . . and sure sense of place.”—Washington Post

“A master of fictional espionage.”—Daily Mail

“Mr. Deighton is really something special.”—Sunday Times

“For sheer readability, he has no peer.”—Evening Standard

“I love him! So underrated now. The Berlin Game trilogy made lockdown possible.”—Olivia Laing

“The authority of these books seems absolute.”—The Observer on SS-GB

“Changed the shape of the espionage thriller . . . there is an infectious energy about this book which makes it a joy to read.”—Daily Telegraph on The IPCRESS File

“Mr. Deighton’s touch is unfailing… Never a false note.”—New York Times Book Review on Spy Hook

“Deighton is a master.”—Los Angeles Times Book Review on Spy Line

“Cool, intricate plotting . . . excitement and applied violence . . . exactly how entertainment should be written.”—Daily Mirror on Spy Story