A MURDER OF QUALITY

Intelligence officer George Smiley arrives at rural Carne College to find an old wartime friend in need, a class-conscious faculty, two grisly murders, and, of course, a drawing room. John le Carré's only non-espionage novel may owe more to Agatha Christie than the Cold War; nonetheless, the story and quality performances shine in this sure and haunting BBC Radio adaptation. Like the late Sir Alec Guinness, who played Smiley on BBC TV, Simon Russell Beale subtly conveys Smiley's world-weariness and piercing intellect. The evidence and confessions at the story's end are ample proof that when he wrote this early work, le Carré had already developed into a writer of rare insight and style. B.P. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]