I’ll start this review by saying that it was a terrible choice. I’m not saying it’s a terrible book, but it wasn’t a great choice to begin. I’ve never read any of this author’s work before now, and from what I’ve read about the author, this is something that was a little different for him. Le Carré, born David John Moore Cornwell, was a former intelligence officer and British author of numerous beloved novels of espionage. His George Smiley spy novels have amassed a cult following and his work has inspired numerous adaptations for film and television, including 2005’s The Constant Gardener and 2011’s Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy. Following his death in 2020, his son, Nick Cornwell, a writer who publishes under the pen name Nick Harkaway, decided to continue the George Smiley series. In addition, he released his dad’s last manuscript, one which the author had chosen not to publish. According to Harkaway in the afterward for the novel, he believes his father didn’t publish Silverview because it “does something that no other le Carré novel ever has. It shows a service fragmented: filled with its own political factions, not always kind to those it should cherish … and ultimately not sure, any more, that it can justify itself.”

I’m glad he chose to publish it, as I feel it gives us a little insight into the psyche of the author as he aged, looking back on his own career and sharing his doubts and dismay about the world in which he’d funneled his energy for his entire life. It’s entirely more intimate than his prior mass-market works geared toward his target audience.

The novel follows former London financial worker, Julian Lawndsley, who gives up his career and moves to a seaside village to open a bookstore. When an enigmatic older gentleman named Edward Avon enters the bookstore at close just to chat, Julian finds himself unwittingly pulled into the world of espionage. Avon, as it would seem, is a former MI6 agent and ex-communist who is currently under investigation by a certain high level domestic security agent, Stewart Proctor. While Julian attempts to sift through his own doubts about Avon’s true identity and history, he finds himself a vital part of the official investigation as well.

The book as a whole offers a compelling narrative with an engaging mystery, and I enjoyed the emphasis put on the effect of a long-time career in espionage to individuals involved in the service, including the effect on their families. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t really offer up a satisfying conclusion. The ending is abrupt and feels like something that would have been continued had the author not passed. Considering this manuscript was finished by Harkaway, I hypothesize either he maybe intends to continue the story or he simply didn’t want to change too much of his dad’s original work so left it mostly as-is.

One of these days I will pick up something else of le Carré’s. Maybe I’ll choose to take on the whole Smiley series, as I do feel he’s a very talented writer, and there’s something intriguing about the fact that he actually lived the life about which he writes. It lends a greater authenticity to his work. This one, however, I would say is a 3 star read. It’s engaging and well-written but lacks that satisfying eureka moment ending of a lot of other works in the genre.

Published January 1, 2021 by Viking. ISBN 9780735244467. Hardcover. 224 pages.