Some Bits: Nelson's books
The cover of Agent Running in the Field

Agent Running in the Field

★★★★★Read Dec 31, 2020

Read this on le Carré's death, his last book (at least so far). Eh, its OK? I do appreciate reading him modernized into the world of Trump and Brexit and the insight of how demoralizing that would be for the spy services. It was a very weird conceit of writing to have Ed and his traitorousness and relationship with the narrator be this giant coincidence. Also that he coincidentally decides to marry another agent. I like how le Carré dropped hints about that plot early without explaining it and letting that develop with partial dramatic irony, it's a deft trick of writing.

Mostly I just didn't find much of the plot or characters compelling. Entertaining enough but it did not grab me.

Goodreads readers give it 3.83★, from 24,386 ratings. I gave it 2★, −1.8, where I'm usually −0.9: I liked it less than most.
Readers call it Thriller, Espionage, Mystery, Spy Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Politics, British Literature.