Agent Running in the Field

A British spy, Nat aka Nathaniel aka Anatoly, returns home to retire, only to find himself placed in charge of The Haven, a derelict sub-station managing a handful of Britain's double-agents and their handlers. Outside of work, he strikes up an unlikely acquaintance in the form and shape of a young, gangly Englishman, Ed Shannon, who challenges him to a game of badminton.
Over their post-game drinks, Ed - who believes Nat to be a harmless retired attache - lets loose with his verbal volleys against Brexit, Trump, and the British leaders who divorced the nation from Europe. It is the politics of post-Brexit Britain and pro-Russia Trump America that give rise to the events that unfold.
It is Nat who we follow for the entirety of the book. He's smart, polished, and over-confident, and makes for a compelling narrator. His family, wife Prue and daughter Steffi, also play a role, Prue playing a much larger role than the long-suffering spouses of spies in other novels. The only other female character of substance is Florence, Nat's young co-worker, also an idealist like Ed.
I had expected an intelligent but slow tale of espionage, but the events in this book develop with satisfying rapidity. They call into question to the meaning of loyalty, patriotism, and idealism. The different threads come neatly together and if there were parts that raised questions, it's to do with the narrator's inability to deal with emotional pain points as well as the hopeful, but abrupt, ending, which left me wanting for a couple more pages of narrative.
This was a solid read from beginning to end, allowing readers a glimpse into the world of modern espionage. Le Carre's genius in this book is the inter-weaving of big issues with individual actions, and the resultant - dangerous - dominos that fall.
Given the views espoused in this book and from what I have read of le Carre's own political views, I would imagine the author must have been relieved by the results of the recent US elections, even though the consequences of Brexit still remain for his country to sort out.