"Circus" by Alistair MacLean

This is a book of Cold War intrigue but not a book to keep you up late to read the next chapter. To steal plans from a lab in eastern Europe, you would expect an elite team to be sent in or at least a James Bond. In this story, they are sending in a circus. The first thing I noticed was that the author was getting rid of characters fairly soon, narrowing the field for heroes. 
The main character is an aerialist and mentalist whose feats are far-fetched and greatly exaggerated. I find the character unlikable. The main female character is an inept CIA agent, chosen for her looks rather than her intelligence. It's an easy read and might even be considered a YA yarn.