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A Delicate Truth

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A Delicate Truth

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: John le Carré
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About this listen

A counter-terror operation, codenamed Wildlife, is being mounted in Britain’s most precious colony, Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms-buyer. Its authors: an ambitious Foreign Office Minister, and a private defence contractor who is also his close friend. So delicate is the operation that even the Minister’s Private Secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it. Suspecting a disastrous conspiracy, Toby attempts to forestall it, but is promptly posted overseas.

Three years on, summoned by Sir Christopher Probyn, retired British diplomat, to his decaying Cornish manor house, and closely watched by Probyn’s daughter Emily, Toby must choose between his conscience and his duty to the Service. If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can he keep silent?

John le Carre was born in 1931 and attended the universities of Bern and Oxford. He taught at Eton and served briefly in British Intelligence during the Cold War. For the last fifty years he has lived by his pen. He divides his time between London and Cornwall.

©2013 John le Carré (P)2013 Penguin Audio Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Fiction Scary Inspiring

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Critic reviews

"One of those writers who will be read a century from now" (Robert Harris)
All stars
Most relevant
I have read and listened to books by Le Carre before, of course, and found the plots, the writing and the performances by Michael Jayston for the audio books all to be excellent. He is undoubtedly not just a good but a great modern writer. However, I think this latest story stands out for a number of reasons. First, there is the the story itself and the obvious commitment of Le Carre in developing it and the implicit critiques of both state and private commercial power. His use of language and descriptive power is once again outstanding. Secondly, however, it is Le Carre's own reading that is the revelation . I was surprised to see that he was voicing this presentation not least because Jayston has been so good, but also because, frankly, I was not sure from the various interviews etc. I've seen of him whether Le Carre would be suited to this role. I need not have worried: he gives the reading a quality and tone which seem, to me, to fit perfectly to the social and political contexts and the people he describes so well, and he also manages to present convincing characterisations of all the story's actors.
Overall, I think this is one of Le Carre's best tales in terms of content and also the quality of writing, at least amongst his most recent works, and his reading on this audio version made for a truly masterly production. Highly recommended.

Masterly!

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I very much enjoyed the book. Great characterisation, complex plot well put together. Have not had great experiences with books read by the author but le Carre does a great job. He's great at all his various accents!

Wonderfully plotted, well read by le Carre

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Needs full concentration to appreciate. A battle between people moving events and events moving people. With the big question over whether you do what appears to be morally right or you do what is in your's and your family's best interests. Extremely well written and read.

Intriguing and full of moral implications.

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Beautiful descriptive prose, read by the man himself. What more could you want? Well a better microphone, perhaps, as the piercing sibilants were painful at times, and Mr le Carré deserves better - but with an audiobook of this quality I feel churlish for commenting on it.

Simply excellent

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Le Carre is pure genius. The master of all he surveys
Nobody can reach him

Lives among the giants of the genre

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