Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway

(son of John Le Carre)

I decided to dip a toe in the audiobook world as DEAD WATER is about to become available in that format, so I jumped in with British actor Simon Russell Beale narrating this book by John Le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway.

If you’re a fan of George Smiley and his wide cast of characters and the shadowy nemesis of ‘Karla’ the Russian spymaster, undoubtedly, you’ll love this book.

It’s beautifully written, complex and full of intrigue, and seamlessly interwoven with the world Le Carré created. I’d even go so far as to say he’s a better writer than his father.

Beale’s voice is rich, eloquent and wonderfully evocative as he breathes life into the various characters – a real plus point.

But the ending left me feeling empty and the emotional heart was absent by the choice Karla made. I was left feeling, wondering, “what was the point?”

We never see Roka or Bogdan, and a major character dies needlessly, and the character of Susannah, at the heart of this heartless story, has a certain moral ambiguity, too. Is Smiley morally ambiguous? I’ve never thought so before, but now, I wonder: can you write a morally worthwhile spy? They’re professional liars, after all…

Karla is revealed to be a ruthless fanatic, hardening both Control and Smiley’s resolve to unmask him. Smiley is faced with the choice of a happy retirement with Ann, or a return to his life with the ‘grey mistress’ (The Circus), in pursuit of Karla. He, of course, chooses the latter.

‘Is this new ‘le Carré’ novel even better than the master himself? Harkaway has done an extraordinarily good job with his father’s legacy. Karla’s Choice is note-perfect.’ — Jake Kerridge ― The Telegraph

You may be interested to know that for much of his adult life, John Le Carré lived just a few miles away from where all the action takes place in my Cornish Crime Thriller Series. I like to think he’d have approved.