Karla’s choice by Nick Harkaway & John le Carré

Novelist, Nick Harkaway has taken an amazing step, to write another Smiley book, detailing what happened in the years between The spy who came in from the cold and Tinker tailor, soldier spy, two of the nine novels about this fictional spy, written by his father John le Carré.

For the reader, too, it is a step into the unknown. The image of Smiley is so well known, whether it be Sir Alec Guiness, or any other of the readers and actors we are familiar with, readers cannot help but have an image of Smiley in their minds as they read or listen.

An assassin comes to the office of library agent, Banati to kill him, but has a change of heart and wishes to defect. The young woman who also works in the office, Hungarian refugee Szusanna, has been worried that her boss was not there when she arrived ready to read manuscripts, and must now deal with a defector who may or may not have killed. She goes to her boss’ apartment where she finds no clues but takes a small bundle of letters. His disappearance raises concerns at the Circus, MI6 headquarters. 

Taken in by MI6 Szusanna is schooled to return to Europe and play a part in the seducing of an agent to defect to England. Banati, now revealed as Roker, a spy, has to be found and returned to England using the bait of seeing his son, Leo once again.

Winding through the background of this story is that of Smiley, seemingly content with his retirement, feeling closer to his wife, Anne, but dragged back into the service with the possibility of coming closer to Karla, his closest antagonist. His touches are recognised by Smiley, and all is seemingly going well, but novice Szusanna, given a role in the game, takes a leap into the unknown, drawing Smiley into Europe, a most unusual step by this spy master.

The background is wonderfully drawn, evoking the novels of le Carré set in the Cold War, with many of the protagonists known to readers. Harkway takes us further into Smiley’s character giving him a vulnerability when he thinks of Anne and Szusanna, but focussed when he is trying to expose Karla.

Tension builds slowly, taking the reader across places in Europe where fake passports and identities are necessary for survival, and towards the end of the book, a heart stopping shoot out and escape. 

This novel, thought by some to be the first in a series, is masterful in its depiction of the times and will bring people to reread the Smiley books, and hope there is more by Harkaway to come.

Themes: Spying, George Smiley, John le Carre, MI6, Cold War.

Fran Knight