Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy  (English, Paperback, Carre John Le)

A retired spy must return to “the Circus” to take down a mole planted in the British Intelligence years ago by Moscow Centre. He has four suspects to choose from, but which one is it? Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a thriller from John le Carre.

Summary of the Book

During the frigid years of the Cold War, Moscow Centre planted an agent within the British Intelligence. At the time, “the Circus”, as the Intelligence took to calling itself, was headed by “Control”, a no-nonsense man who set his best agent to Czechoslovakia on a crucial lead. The mission fell apart and the agent was captured by Russian soldiers. Control is forced into retirement, and his deputy, George Smiley, follows suit. Control dies a disgraced man, but the memories of the event lie heavily with Smiley. Years later, the case is opened once again when a British agent uncovers that the Circus could be under serious threat from a mole planted during Control’s period. Smiley is brought back on board to assist the investigation. Smiley discovers that the operation which led to Control’s disgrace was aimed at discovering the mole’s identity. Now, he only has a few pieces of the puzzle, and four targets where there should have been one. These four were among five who were assigned code names by Control: “Tinker”, “Tailor”, “Soldier”, “Poor Man” and “Beggar Man”. Now, four remain and one of them is a spy.

About John le Carre

John le Carre, born David John Moore Cornwell, is a British novelist known for his spy thrillers. Some of his best books are The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, A Murder of Quality, A Small Town in Germany and The Tailor of Panama.

Media Note

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was adapted into a 2011 film starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy.

Series Reading Note

This book forms the first part of the Karla Trilogy. Smiley returns in The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People.