Smiley's People - Review

John LeCarre' concludes his trilogy of cold war espionage in Smiley's People.George Smiley discovers a clue that leads him toward a consummate adventure in pursuit of his nemesis. The KGB operative known as Karla may have made a mistake, he may have set a trap. Smiley has no choice but to investigate by using every tool in his kit. An exhaustive trail of agents and handlers reveals a secret more powerful than death as George Smiley ends the chase of a lifetime. Smiley's People is a quintessential work from John LeCarre'. It is smart, brooding, and understated. The reader watches this epic unfold through the eyes of George Smiley and shares an innate ability to sense the future before it happens. Each chapter is laced with tension as we watch the fuse burn closer and closer to the point of detonation. The book is full of nuanced action and high drama. It depicts intellectual espionage where intrigue trumps explosions.

Smart, brooding and understated.

I would recommend reading this book; LeCarre' is not for everyone but it is for me. His ability to tell stories is powerful and intelligent. He says as much in the negative space surrounding events and characters as he does in the foreground. If you want your spy racing cars, exploding buildings, and shooting machine guns then this book is not for you. But if a story filled with dead drops, double agents, and entendre then this book is for you.