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A Murder of Quality

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Brought to you by Penguin.

Stella Rode has twice disturbed the ancient cloisters of Carne School: firstly by being the wrong sort, with her doilies and china ducks, and secondly by being murdered. George Smiley, who has his own connection with the school, is asked by an old Service friend to investigate. Smiley knows that Stella feared her husband would murder her, but as he probes further beneath Carne's respectable veneer, he uncovers far more than a simple crime of passion. In his second George Smiley novel, le Carré moves outside the world of espionage to reveal the secrets at the heart of another particularly English institution. The result is a pitch-perfect murder mystery, with Smiley as master detective.

THE SECOND GEORGE SMILEY NOVEL

'Beautifully intelligent, satiric and witty' Daily Telegraph

(P)2024 Penguin Audio Classics Crime Crime Thrillers Thriller & Suspense Murder Witty Fiction
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John Le Carry was a master craftsman of prose and storytelling, and here he show he was in full possession of those gifts from the very start. Absolutely brilliant, and wonderfully read by another master craftsman - of the voice.

A master of his craft delivers an early classic.

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George Smiley gets involved in a murder. Really enjoyed this second Smiley outing but found some of the characters toxic ….tutors within a posh school. I found myself really getting into George’s thought processes as he solves the problems the story contains. Well recommend.

A murder of quality

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Written with Le Carré's typical pace and style, Smiley encounters a cast of unlikeable characters with the chill snobbery of an elite public school. This is Le Carré's second book so it's unfair to compare but I enjoyed it less Smiley's spy novels. I missed the variety of characters and the complexity of plot. These characters were so charmless I longed to hear more from Smiley's colleagues, the delightful Ailsa Bromley and Detective Inspector Rigby. Having heard the afterward Le Carré clearly had a lot to get off his chest about his own grim time at the Sherborne of the 1950s.

Smiley plays detective in English public school murder

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George Smiley skillfully investigates this case as an amateur sleuth cajoling his suspects to reveal all. Excellently read by Simon Russell Beale.

Brilliant whodunit

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I’m new to the author and enjoyed his first novel but this was even better. The characters he creates are fascinating. His narrative arresting at times and I look forward to the next novel. Downloading now.

Insightful social commentary

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