Like many modern readers, it seems, the book came to my notice via another one: Josh Lanyon's Adrien English Mystery Fatal Shadows. And I am so glad I followed through and bought a copy. 

Spy novels are not normally my jam but this one Cold War thriller, with its gay twist, got me hooked from the start and never let go. Bentley has woven his story with suspense, and although there isn't much action as such (as in gun fights and such), the book has a lot to offer: dream scenery, likable characters, nail biting moments, some moving ones, hot gay sex, and even a bit of romance. Someone needs to turn it into a film! 

As the quote by one Michael Greer states at the back of my copy, it is "a damn good book!" What a shame Bentley doesn't seem to have published anything else (despite the promise of a second novel in the blurb).