A MURDER OF QUALITY George Smiley, Book 2

Simon Vance's finely calibrated narration makes this little-known George Smiley novel of special interest. Here le Carré tries his hand at a spy-free English mystery triggered when a faculty wife at the elite Carne School writes a panicky letter to Ailsa Brimley claiming her husband is planning to kill her. Miss Brimley asks her old war-time colleague Smiley for advice. Smiley just happens to have a connection to one of the masters at Carne, thus, an excuse to visit, but by the time he arrives, the letter writer is dead. For Smiley completists, it's a pleasure to watch Smiley deploy his wartime skills in such a Miss Marple-ish bit of nosy-parking, and for anyone, Vance's subtle mastery of tone and voice is an event in itself. B.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2024]