The Shakeout (Coronet Books)

In the "Shakeout," the main character - Roper - is an industrial spy. He is a clever calculating manipulator, who nevertheless has a different side to him as the reader finds out. The book is one of Follett's early works, and this is obvious from the start. As the author confesses himself in the introduction, the "Shakeout" is between bad and good. It is short (at about 150 pages), a bit disconnected and the characters not as developed as they could be; the writing style is different from later works, and there is an entire chapter devoted to having sex, going to a concert and having sex again, halting the main plot with them. Still, the book is interesting especially for those who are familiar with Follett's later, "improved" writing, and I would recommend it as a quick read.