This is the short second novel of Le Carré. While George Smiley is the main character, he's solving a murder rather than sparring with Eastern Bloc spies. Those wanting more of the espionage found in his first novel, "A Call for the Dead", will be a bit disappointed. However, this book is interesting as it develops Smiley as a character and provides an engaging murder mystery to solve. I quite liked it even though it wasn't what I expected.