From Russia with Love

It is not just a question of blowing up a building or shooting a prime minister. Such bourgeois horseplay is not contemplated. Our operation must be delicate, refined and aimed at the heart of the Intelligence apparat of the West.

From Russia with Love is perhaps the best of the Bond novels, with all the ingredients that epitomise the series - exotic locales, stunning women and calculating villains.

When Bond is offered the chance to bring the Spektor deciphering machine from Russia to England, it seems too good to be true. Attractive young cipher clerk, Tatiana Romanova, receives him in Istanbul, but the plot becomes one of cross and double cross as multiple forces seek to bring about Bond''s downfall.

In this tale we see SMERSH raise their ugly head, and tensions of the Cold War cast a shadow on the already murky operation.