An Expensive Place To Die [First Edition]

The story begins with our hero (who remains nameless throughout the book) living in Paris. We spend 30 or 40 pages with him, playing Monopoly in French, going to parties, drinking with his friend and eccentric painter, and various other mundane activities, before the plot begins. You don't ever really get a hold on what the espionage part of the plot is actually about: instead, it's all very murky and uncertain, and the author leaves you wondering about everything that occurs. Finally, when one of the characters gets killed, things begin to become more interesting, but then the plot takes some confusing turns again, without the author giving you any help as to what's going on. The nameless hero apparently works for some intelligence organization, but you never really know who, or what he's supposed to be doing: everything just happens.