The spy who came in from the cold

[actiongirl1978]

I have just finished this (my first JLC) and raced to the library to see what else I could read from his back catalogue.

Any recommendations on what else I might enjoy?

I like the Mick Herron Slough House series and have his new one on order at the moment.

If anyone could give me any pointers, I would be super grateful.

Thanks.

I liked this very much too. A bit different, but you might like Raymond Chandler. I've just read and enjoyed The Long Goodbye.

As for Le Carre, I read the Constant Hardner before, more modern and different subject matter, it was ok but preferred the Spy. I am going to look out for more of the George Smiley series - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the most well known. I've seen the tv and film adaptations but haven't read the book.

Gardener! Sorry, The Constant Hardner sounds like the dirty version

Thanks Satsuki. I will look up Raymond Chandler later.

Ditto with tinker tailor, mind you I have seen the film twice and still can't remember whodunnit!

Radio 4 did some dramatisations of the Smiley stories with Simon Russell Beale which are brilliant. Well worth looking out for.

Sniggering at the Constant Hardner .

I love pretty much all JLC up to A Perfect Spy, and then I think his books really went down hill (although I didn't mind The Night Manager and The Constant Gardener).

My favourites are Tinker, Tailor, Smiley's People, and The Little Drummer Girl, all of which I have re-read many times (The Honourable Schoolboy which goes chronologically between Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People I really didn't enjoy and you don't have to read it to understand Smiley's People).

There are a couple of shorter ones, A Murder of Quality and Call for the Dead which are more like detective novels but which are also good.

How I envy you having all these to read for the first time!

ooh thank you all!

I think I downloaded TSWCIFTC after the Night Manager had been on last year and it sat on my kindle unread until this week and I couldn't put it down. There was a real sense of fear and tension that I don't find often in fiction.

Right then, I will get ordering from the library (On a kindle download ban sadly).

I've read the Night manager and The Constant Gardener - both really good.

Am meaning to dig out his earlier stuff

I love the Smiley books, the trilogy as it were. A Perfect Spy is great too, quite autobiographical.