Smiley's People

the long version

***John le Carré's classic novels deftly navigate readers through the intricate shadow worlds of international espionage*** with unsurpassed skill and knowledge, and have earned him -- and his hero, **British Secret Service Agent George Smiley -- unprecedented worldwide acclaim.** **In Smiley’s People, master storyteller John le Carré brings his acclaimed Karla trilogy to its unforgettable, spellbinding conclusion.**George Smiley is asked to come out of retirement for one last confrontation with his soviet counterpart, Karla.** Smiley's people crisscross Paris, London, Germany, and Switzerland in an extraordinary final showdown of unrelenting suspense.***--LibraryThing*** ***A very junior agent answers Vladimir’s call, but it could have been the Chief of the Circus himself. No one at the British Secret Service considers the old spy to be anything except a senile has-been who can’t give up the game—until he’s shot in the face at point-blank range.*** Although George Smiley (code name: Max) is officially retired, he’s summoned to identify the body now bearing Moscow Centre’s bloody imprimatur. As he works to unearth his friend’s fatal secrets, Smiley heads inexorably toward one final reckoning with Karla—his “dark grail.”***--Amazon***