In the 1950s, the boffins of the British Secret Service believed there was “a Red under every bed” and were recruiting spies all over the world. And according to novelist and ex-MI6 agent Graham Greene, they were gullible enough to accept whatever those spies told them.

In this fast-moving satire, Jim Wormold is a not-very-successful vacuum cleaner salesman whose income can’t cover the expensive tastes of his teenage daughter. Along comes MI6 with an enticing offer – they’ll pay him to be their “man” in Havana.

He’s a vacuum cleaner salesman – what does he know about spies and espionage? But he needs the money, and so he agrees – and sets about recruiting make-believe agents and reporting make-believe enemy activity. As he seeks to shore up his increasingly unbelievable stories he encounters a bizarre world of exotic and seedy characters – and his reports eventually turn out to be dangerously close to the truth.

Greene knew both Havana and MI6 extremely well – hilarious though Jim’s exploits are, they could be close to the truth.

Contains themes of gambling and suicide