The Innocent

It is 1955 and post-war Berlin is crawling with subterfuge. East eyes West, and the West is eavesdropping on Soviet communications through Operation Gold, a daring technological collaboration between Britain and America which is already straining with distrust.

That freezing winter a young British Post Office technician, Leonard Marnham, begins his dizzying descent into ever deeper echelons of electronic surveillance beneath the surface of Berlin. At the same time he is lovingly initiated by a beautiful young German called Maria. He feels he is throwing away his life - and the abandonment is delicious. As these two worlds - personal and professional - claim Leonard, he senses, rightly, that his life is about to change. But he cannot foresee the horror that is to come.

The Innocent’s final surprising reconciliation captures the bittersweet spirit of the Cold War’s end. The novel is a startling departure for Ian McEwan -a journey into espionage and the secrets of the heart to dazzle and disarm his many followers. For anyone who has yet to discover his storytelling genius, this is the supreme introduction.