The first George Smiley novel
An anonymous letter had accused Foreign Office man Samuel Fennan of being a communist. George Smiley, assigned by the Secret Service to vet Fennan, had assured him he had nothing to fear. No one believed this nonsense. But clearly something had rattled Fennan, for a day after the interview he killed himself.
Smiley is told by his angry superiors to fix this mess. The last thing anyone wants right now is a scandal. It is immediately obvious to Smiley, however, that the suicide story doesn't make sense.
Piece by piece he uncovers a conspiracy - one originating in East Germany and led by a wartime ally of Smiley. To expose it, he must turn a former friend into a deadly enemy...
About the Author
John le Carre was born in 1931 and attended the universities of Bern and Oxford. He taught at Eton and served briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For more than fifty years he has lived by his pen. He divides his time between London and Cornwall.
Industry Reviews
"Brilliant. Realistic. Constant suspense"
Observer
"Intelligent, thrilling, surprising ... makes most cloak-and-dagger stuff taste of cardboard"
Sunday Telegraph
