“[Le Carré’s] novels are so brilliant because they’re emotionally and psychologically absolutely true, but of course they’re novels.” —New York Times Book Review A thrilling tale for our times from the undisputed master of the spy genre Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie. Nat is not only a spy, he is a passionate badminton player. His regular Monday evening opponent is half his age: the introspective and solitary Ed. Ed hates Brexit, hates Trump and hates his job at some soulless media agency. And it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Prue, Florence and Nat himself down the path of political anger that will ensnare them all. Agent Running in the Field is a chilling portrait of our time, now heartbreaking, now darkly humorous, told to us with unflagging tension by the greatest chronicler of our age.
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"The final prehumous novel by the best ever novelist in a spy fiction genre is as realistic fiction as ever in Le Carre's career. It is deeply rooted in the chaos of British politics of the second decade of XXI politics and inhabited by despicable characters out of the front pages of the media. More than ever, it seems that the plot serves as an excuse to formulate author's viewpoint, full of disgust, towards the UK's political elite. The plot, however, is intriguing and engaging, but the final part of the book leaves readers with some disappointment. Like the loose ends were tied too quickly and what was planned for a dozens of pages more was suddenly wrapped up and submitted to the publisher as if the deadline was approaching. It won't get to the list of top ten books by JL-C, but it is nonetheless worthy a read. "
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Wojciech W. (5 out of 5 stars)