A Spy by Nature (2001)
by Charles Cumming
A brilliant debut from a writer set to be the bestselling heir to Len Deighton and John Le Carré. Frustrated in his ambition, Alec Milius is a young man more comfortable with deceit than the truth. So when he's unexpectedly approached by MI6, he believes he's found the perfect outlet for his talents. But, operating alone within a complex web of bluff, counter-bluff, paranoia and betrayal, the difference between the truth and a lie can be the difference between life and death. And Alec's soon having trouble telling them apart... Taut, authentic and compelling, A SPY BY NATURE is the calling card of a major new thriller writer.