What is the theme in Q Clearance by Peter Benchley?

Cold War espionage is the motivating factor for many of the characters. Both real and imagined spy games are involved. On the one hand, the espionage activities of Pym, Eva, and Teal use standard spy-novel tactics to gather and pass on information. On the other, many non-spies take on the role of spy, often with more success than the real spies. Ivy Peniston, Dyanna Butler, and even Burnham himself perform complicated acts of espionage in order to further their own aims.