The Little Drummer Girl

Another superb le Carré novel that had me gripped from the outset and saw me finish on a flight over to San Francisco. As ever at the heart of le Carré is the question about whether to do the right thing. Think of it as a dilemma based around moral utilitarianism, where the best outcome is ultimately reached even if many others have been considered along the way too. Although The Little Drummer Girl is over 40 years old, it still feels incredibly relevant since it pertains to the (sadly still unresolved) Israel-Palestine conflict. I particularly was impressed by the development of Charlie, a bohemian British actress whose greatest "act" is becoming an agent for the Israelis. Totally plausible and equally as compelling, nine and a half out of ten.

By John le Carré