A Perfect Spy
A Perfect Spy is a 1986 novel by the eminent British author David Cornwell, who wrote under the pseudonym John le Carré.
The ironic title tells the tale of Magnus Pym, a long-time spy for the United Kingdom, who mysteriously disappears, leaving behind his wife and son and a number of his fellow secret agents, who suspect he may have betrayed them, not without reason--through most of his career, Magnus was also halfheartedly but helplessly cooperating with the Czechoslovak secret service. Although the book is filled with intrigue, wit, and suspense, the novel is in part an unadorned recollection of Rick, Magnus's father, who was based on Cornwell's own father Ronnie.
The story itself is non-linear and told primarily in a memoir format, incorporating a number of flashbacks into Pym's childhood with the enterprising and charismatic Rick (who is somewhat of a rogue and a con-man ), his early years at university, his indoctrination into the world of espionage and state secrets, and his numerous adventures on the job. In addition, the novel incorporates multiple narrators, from Pym's wife Mary to his mentor and family friend Jack Brotherhood.
The BBC produced a television miniseries adaptation of the novel in 1987, starring Peter Egan as Magnus Pym.