"Very astutely plotted -- with many surprising twists and a sharp bite." The New York TimesEx-British spy John Smith is nearly broke, has bad teeth, is lousy in bed, and drinks too much. But he's no fool. He's a man who knows his own limitations and works within them. He blackmailed his way out of the secret service years ago and is barely making a living as a London private eye when his ex-wife comes calling and asks him to follow her philandering husband. But that sleazy, all-too-common job leads to some uncommon trouble...and Smith is thrown like a chunk of raw meat into a lion's den of international espionage, betrayal, and killing. His only hope of surviving is to outwit his clever and brutal adversaries at their own deadly game."There's nothing ordinary about this adventure. It's big league intrigue." Kirkus Reviews

"A deadly, cold, serious drama of counter-espionage." Atlanta Constitution

"A witty spy story in the anti-James Bond tradition." The Cedar Falls Courier

This novel was original published under the title private I and was adapted into a feature film starring Robert Horton, Jill St. John and Sebastian Cabot.