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Silverview

The Sunday Times Bestseller

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Silverview

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: Toby Jones
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Julian Lawndsley has renounced his high-flying job in the City for a simpler life running a bookshop in a small English seaside town. But only a couple of months into his new career, Julian's evening is disrupted by a visitor. Edward, a Polish émigré living in Silverview, the big house on the edge of town, seems to know a lot about Julian's family and is rather too interested in the inner workings of his modest new enterprise.

When a letter turns up at the door of a spy chief in London warning him of a dangerous leak, the investigations lead him to this quiet town by the sea . . .

Silverview is the mesmerising story of an encounter between innocence and experience and between public duty and private morals. In this last complete masterwork from the greatest chronicler of our age, John le Carré asks what you owe to your country when you no longer recognise it.

© The Literary Estate of David 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Espionage Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Political Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Thriller Law Crime
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Critic Reviews

Valedictory, with a final turn of events that ends surprisingly but pleasingly in a cock-up, this is a satisfying coda to the career of the finest thriller writer of the 20th century
A compelling character study of a supposedly retired spy . . . Such was his rare command of language and unique understanding of how the world really works that I finished the book with a sense that the only real grown-up in the room had left (Jake Kerridge)
As graceful an exit as we could hope for, the old master remaining at the top of his game to the last (Mick Herron)
Nothing will ever match the Cold War spy novels written in his prime, but his later work illuminates themes of loyalty, betrayal and conflicting values in a modern context (Vince Cable)
A superb example of le Carré's enduring and exquisite genius
Gripping and involving, an elegant farewell by a much missed writer (Siân Phillips)
Silverview has many of le Carré's characteristic virtues . . . engaging characters and three or four splendid set scenes in which veteran spooks stir the embers of old fires
Silverview is a cat-and-mouse chase from an East Anglian seaside town to the Eastern Bloc. Published ten months after he passed away, it marks a fitting final work by the master of spy fiction
A taut, thrilling spy novel. Read it as a tribute to a master
Silverview has all the old magic . . . it offers a rewarding post-script to the long-distance spell-binders The Little Drummer Girl and Absolute Friends (David Bromwich)
All stars
Most relevant
not the usual sort of spy mystery and quite intriguing. plenty of twists and turns

interesting characters

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The reader is not left disappointed with John le Carre's last novel, He stays committed to delivering a story that almost turns each page on its own. Not a word wasted. The narrative is delicate and restrained and we have spies with doubts, with emotions. They look into the mirror and have no answer. The story looks at the service with more humanity than any previous novel. And I loved that rawness. It's a truly wonderful book and Toby Jones spins the yarn with vigour.

Still committed

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Le’Carre has in my opinion exceeded himself with this book. Absolutely superb. He leads the listener on a merry dance, steering us to expectations that don’t surface. Teasing the listener along the garden path and may I say with better success this time. The best literary writer and he will be greatly missed

One of the best

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Found it difficult to follow the narrative , came together somewhat in the last chapter

Not as good as other books

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I was doubtful of being interested in a work without Smiley heading the service, but this is one of Le Carre's best.
Well worth a listen!

Exciting reading.

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