Le Carré shows he remains the master of dialogue. Although he takes a waspish but highly enjoyable swipe at contemporary politics, the core of the piece is surprisingly parochial. Aficionados of spy fiction will be amused that Le Carré's Haven, a defunct substation of 'London General' has uncanny echoes of Slough House, central to Mick Herron's Jackson Lamb stories (see bwl 94 review of Joe Country). Ragtag spies are in vogue. The king is alive thank goodness, but his successor is named.
(Jeremy Miller - bwl 95 Winter 2020 ) |
