Call for the Dead

Short review: This is the first of John Le Carré's novels and the first of the George Smiley books. It is not a great novel, but if you like Smiley and have read the better known Karla trilogy then it is worth going back to this first book. I don't think I would recommend starting with this first book, but instead starting with either Tinker Tailor or the Spy Who Came in from the Cold and then coming back to this later. Again, this is a slow burn spy novel. Smiley knows something is going on, but not really what. So thing just keep happening until eventually enough occurs that he can put the pieces together. Don't think James Bond action, think Ms Marples, but as a short, somewhat dumpy international spy. I like them, but I can see that they are not for everyone.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/call-for-the-dead/