Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré, Viking, $32.95
The key question whenever a new Le Carré comes out is: is it a good one? He’s the master of the spy thriller but, as even fans concede, he can be patchy. The good news: yes, novel number 22 is a very good one.
A rattling mix of old and new Le Carré, with a plot as current as the headlines. Dima, money-launderer to the vicious Russian mob, wants to turn rat and trade what he knows in exchange for asylum in London for his family. His secrets implicate not just his cronies but the highest-level British politicians, power-brokers and bankers.
Two dedicated but disenchanted intelligence agents — fantastic characters both — work to cut a deal with the would-be defector but their own bosses seem to be blocking it. So which side are the spy-masters on? Who are they protecting?
As ever, Le Carré plays with notions of honour, betrayal and villainy — with a twist at the end that will make you gasp.
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