Tremor of Intent

Burgess’s purpose was to write a novel which would investigate some of the moral grey areas of the Cold War. The book deals with the misappropriation of nuclear secrets by the Russians, following the decision of Edwin Roper, a leading atomic scientist, to leave England and form a new allegiance to the Soviet Union. The novel begins with a long letter written by Roper’s old school friend, Denis Hillier, a professional assassin who has been sent to bring him home or kill him.
Hillier encounte...