Agent Running in the Field

Great to read another page-turner — this time in the realm of fiction — straight after Gladwell. Similarly, John le Carré is an author to whom I will always happily return. This novel — one of his last — was finished in two sessions, back-to-back London to Athens flights. From the get-go, the reader is immersed into le Carré's world. The formula may be predictable, but it makes the outcome no less compelling. le Carré offers the reader multiple feints and red herrings before tying up the loose ends in a final flourish, like any good espionage novel should do. Agent Running in the Field is also interesting as it provides le Carré with a platform to write his (justified) criticism about Brexit and disdain for both Trump and Putin. The ‘good guys’, the principled ones, win out at the end of this work. 9 out of 10.

By John le Carré