Agent Running in the Field

A Novel

By: John le Carré

Narrated by: John le Carré

"[Le Carré’s] novels are so brilliant because they’re emotionally and psychologically absolutely true, but of course they’re novels." (New York Times Book Review)

A thrilling tale for our times from the undisputed master of the spy genre.

Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie.

Nat is not only a spy, he is a passionate badminton player. His regular Monday evening opponent is half his age: the introspective and solitary Ed. Ed hates Brexit, hates Trump, and hates his job at some soulless media agency. And it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Prue, Florence, and Nat himself down the path of political anger that will ensnare them all.

Agent Running in the Field is a chilling portrait of our time, now heartbreaking, now darkly humorous, told to us with unflagging tension by the greatest chronicler of our age.

©2019 John le Carré (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"John le Carré, as author and narrator of this stand-alone spy thriller, serves up a wholly engaging audio experience.... It's a privilege to listen to this master author deliver his work." (AudioFile Magazine)

“Superb writing, precise portraiture, clever tricks of tradecraft - all Mr. le Carré’s hallmarks are present in this swift, surprising, bittersweet story.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“So topical it arrives with the beeping urgency of a news alert.” (The Washington Post)

“A word about le Carré's prose: Not only does it hold the coiled energy of a much younger writer, it fits the bitter, angry narrator's voice exceptionally well.” (NPR.org)

Brilliant in every way

Having been a fan of the authors for many years it was Especially. satisfying to hear him read his most parents and revealing tome.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is politically aware, interested in modern history, or lovers of mystery

Couldn't turn it off.

Le Carre's delivery is spellbinding. No surprise the story is top-notch.; but in a contemporary setting that feels like non-fiction.

Disappointing and a bad buy

I have read or listened to all of LeCarre’s books and this is the weakest of all of them. Never mind his often disjointed writing style which often disguises nuggets of gold, in this case he reveals his animosity to Brexit and openly disparages President Trump. In all, I wish I hadn’t wasted my money.

The Russians are Back; Thank the Lord

But the real enemy is the Service itself and its moronic American big brother. Le Carre at his near best is way better than most, though the denouement the reader eagerly awaits would have been better kept untied. While a good reader, LC should have left it to the professionals.

Brisk, Intriguing, Timely, and Satisfying

Timely, memorable, and rewarding Le Carré. He knows how to start off a story with intrigue, hook you, and carry you along briskly to a satisfying conclusion. His characters are fully-realized and recognizable, and he writes as swiftly and beautifully as ever, capturing so much in his dialogue and brief sentences. For instance, I love the way he writes the impassioned, young Ed -- "I want to play you, right? You're the champion. Trouble is, I've only just joined the Club. Last week. Yeah." Or this section describing the town of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic:

"Glistening hotels, bathhouses, casinos and jewellery shops with blazing windows float sedately past on either side. Between them flows a river crossed by a noble footbridge. Twenty years back, when I came here to meet a Chechen agent who was enjoying a well-earned holiday with his mistress, the town was still ridding itself of the drab grey paint of Soviet Communism. The grandest hotel was the Moskva and the only luxury to be found was in secluded former rest homes where a few years previously the Party's chosen and their nymphs had disported themselves safe from the proletarian gaze."

It took me a minute to get used to le Carré as a narrator. He's 88 years old, reading a protagonist who's 47, and that's somewhat jarring. He also reads rather slowly, but I love being able to hear the characters as they sound to him, and especially enjoy the way he drops into various accents, particularly that of Ed, so after the first hour or so I embraced and came to love his narration.

Last but not least I love the relationship between the narrator, Nat, and his wife, Prue. Also I love picking up British slang like "doddle" and "tot."

Le Carré still has the chops

An enjoyable spy tale and a very pleasant read. My only quibble: It was a little hard to follow in spots, as Le Carré seems to brush right by key plot points in a way that says, “Keep up or get left behind; I’m not going to spoon-feed this to you.”

Poor Editing

Extremely poor audio editing and cleanup. I struggled to listen. Mouth clicks have not been removed, and inexcusably sloppy edits abound. To those interested in this novel, I’d suggest reading a hard copy.

Abrupt ending!

At the ninety percent completion point I would have given this a four or five stars, but the ending was so abrupt and unresolved I dropped the score to three stars.

smart and captivating

author reading his own work is perfect in this case. emotionally onsiteful view of a spies life and thoughts.

Loved it! Le Carre as narrator is brilliant

Enjoyed this -- didn't see the end coming. Le Carre was the perfect narrator for this.