Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: George Smiley, Book 5

It's the oldest question of all, George. Who can spy on the spies?

There’s a mole in the Circus.

Pulled out of (forced) retirement by his old protégé, Peter Guillam, George Smiley must determine who among the high command at the British Secret Intelligence Service is in fact a Soviet spy—one who’s been climbing their way up the ranks for decades. The stakes are high: the mole is behind more than one failed operation and has lain waste to some of their best informant networks.

With scant resources and few allies, Smiley must use every skill at his disposal to identify and destroy a traitor who threatens the very fabric of the Circus.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, following the events of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, introduces Smiley’s Soviet counterpart and nemesis, Karla, the head of Soviet foreign intelligence. One of John le Carré’s most enduring works, the 2011 feature film adaptation (starring Gary Oldman and Colin Firth) received three Oscar nominations and won two BAFTAs, including Outstanding British Film.