Helpful Score: 2
Highly descriptive, tediously detailed, and sometimes dizzyingly disorienting. LeCarre is always interesting as his experiences in the intelligence world are fictionalized in his books. Your imagination will run wild with stereotypical spy stories trying to figure out the mystery as you read, like any good spy novel. For anyone who wants to understand how closely linked diplomatic work is to intelligence work, this is a great example, provided by someone who really knows. In the end, you get to see what the reality of diplomatic and intelligence work can be like; often gritty, saturated in humanity, and not nearly as orderly and policy oriented as one might think.
After 40 pages of unintelligible spy patter I finally connect to the story. A temp at the Bonn Embassy has disappeared with a host of files, letters, and a mysterious green case. London send an investigator to ferret out the perp. In Bonn, everyone tries to be uncooperative; no one seems to know what is missing. Trial and error, our investigator finally stumbles upon the truth. Its not what you think! Boring at times, arcane at others, the final twist is worth the effort to read this book.
A brilliant mystery
Le Carre is an excellent mystery/espionage author.
