I first found Michael Gilbert through the British Library crime classics series - Death has Deep Roots and Smallbone Deacesed are 2 stand out titles from a generally excellent series. Mr Behrans and Mr Calder appear in several short stories - middle aged spies and assassins, those collected here come from across the 1960s. I'd give this 5 stars but for some old fashioned attitudes and the death of a dog which makes me feel it's not for every reader. There are also some annoying typos. On the other hand I'll be enthusiastically recommending it because Gilbert is very, very, good. Here he verges in a hard boiled style, with a very dark humour and a coldness of delivery that leaves Ian Flemming standing. I know that Gilbert's crime novels were based on his actual war experience, I can't help but wonder if he knew more about cold war spying that the potted bio on the back of the book and Wikipedia admit. Altogether a fascinating period piece, and compelling reading.