An enchanting potpourri of dialogue between an Oxford professor and a deep cover intelligence agent, both retired and living on Northern Spain's Costa Brava. The pair meet almost daily for Caf and croissants at Carlo's Caf where they are frequently joined by other regulars of varying nationalities. Cyril and the spook are very likeable intellectuals each of whom would deny that epithet out hand. What they say however is amusing, absorbing, and often too intellectually shocking. Like any other book this one can be put down...but not without great effort.