I was a bit nervous about this one on account of that fact that, let’s face it, the title is a bit rubbish. In bringing the spy world into the modern era, Brexit, Trump and everything else, I was concerned that Le Carre, would seem rather out of date. Not so. For an old chap, he doesn’t sound like one and this is a brilliant book.
It is classic Le Carre – tense, intelligent, well thought out and in possession of that extra dose of sophistication it is hard to put your finger on. There is no action, no explosions, no car chases. Just pure espionage and is actually quite touching towards the end. It wouldn’t surprise me if the machinations of the story were not quite an original template, it doesn’t feel stale and the modern applications are not jarring at all.
An excellent read.