Agent Running in the Field

rs at a steady pace, leaving the reader wondering what is going to happen next. A real page turner.
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Each book John Le Carre is a treasure. Each an amazing insider view of complex, dedicated characters in challenging situations. Within the first pages, you will be thrilled to meet someone new. You will also avidly read another Le Carre novel you don't want to end.

I've been reading Le Carre since 1963, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold!
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Good until near the end, great in parts. Spoilers.

I particularly enjoyed Nat’s trip to see on old badminton friend in Karlov Vary, Arkady being one of the standout characters in the book. The other standout character is the meticulous Valentina, whose presence is felt similar to Karla in earlier books. Florence is a kind of sweary Peter Guillam, almost a great character but slightly less plausible after the unlikely Ed situation. Bryn reminded me of Lacon, and was another standout. Ed never really seemed fully formed to me somehow, despite featuring heavily. Prue is the strong and credible backbone of the book.
There were some open questions for me at the end - what happened to Sergei? What will happen to Nat and Prue? Would they really have made these decisions for some relative strangers? What happened to Steff?
Being a keen fan of both John Le Carre and Brexitcast, I thought I would love this. I really was enjoying the book when Moscow Centre turned up and we were back in fairly vintage Le Carre land, in the middle of an operation that could yield a double. However, it all sort of fizzled out when love conquered all. I am not sure Smiley would have been so kind, but maybe that is Le Carre’s point.