Fantastic. Le Carre has this god-gifted ability to construct ripping yarns that also informs the reader about some obscure conflict that the world has chosen to ignore. And the deeper he goes into the story, the easier it is to understand exactly why the media are under gag orders when it comes to reporting on some geopolitical events.The stance that Le Carre takes, particularly im his later novels, puts him squarely at odds with many who feel pride in the west as custodians of liberal and humanitatian values. His " Absolute Friends" was absolutely ripped apart on account of its pronounced anti-US slant. However, I have yet to come across any critiques of his work systematically rebutting the concerns that he raises through his novels.For those who have read his autobiographical work " The Pigeon Tunnel", the plight of the Ingush and how it affected the author would be nothing new. This isn't a novel for readers looking for car chases and shoot outs involving spooks. This is for readers who would like to invest some of their time into questions that can't be readily answered.