Mission Song review

Everything John Le Carré writes has a peculiar quality which is as difficult to convey as it is easy to spot: something rich and thick; the result of his ability to get into the minds of his characters. He doesn’t really manage that in The Mission Song; Red Strangers this is not. Since this psychological acuity is Le Carré’s main attraction, you’d think the book would be crap. Wrong. The plotting is goodish (and informative), the characters are inherently interesting, and I quite enjoyed the sight of a 75-year old author trying several new things at once. Worth several hours of your time.