Synopses & Reviews
A half-starved young Russian man is smuggled into Hamburg in the dead of night with an improbable amount of cash secreted in a purse around his neck. He is a devout Muslim. Or is he? He says his name is Issa.
Annabel, an idealistic young German civil rights lawyer, determines to save Issa from deportation, even if the price is her career—and her safety. Searching for clues to his mysterious past, she confronts the incongruous sixty-year-old scion of a failing British bank—and a triangle of impossible loves is born.
Meanwhile, scenting a sure kill in the “War on Terror,” the rival spies of three nations converge upon the innocents.
Thrilling, compassionate, peopled with characters the reader never wants to let go, A Most Wanted Man is a work of deep humanity with uncommon relevance to our times.
Review
"Turn the pages slowly, because an era is passing, and with it, an illuminating view of the troubled keepers of an uneasy peace." -- James F. Sweeney, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Review
"Intricately plotted, beautifully written, propulsive, morally engaged, but timely as today's headlines.... The protagonists are brilliantly drawn." -- Tim Rutten, Los Angeles Times
Review
"Highly recommended." -- Library Journal
Review
"This is le Carré's strongest, most powerful novel... Extraordinary." -- Alan Furst, New York Times Book Review (cover review)
Review
"An instant classic... A provocative and incendiary ending that only le Carré, the master, can pull off." -- USA Today
Review
"As sharp as he ever was.... Le Carre ... remains a class above his neighbors on the bestseller list." -- Jeffrey Westhoff, Chicago Sun-Times
Review
"Breaks notable new ground... Le Carré's dialogue has snap, rhythm and wit... immaculate timing." -- Peter Wolfe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Review
"Le Carré's ... secret agents exist in a world of stalemate, moral compromise, ambiguity and betrayal... Like his books, le Carré is a mix of unblinking realism and hopeful humanism." -- Jill Lawless, Associated Press
Review
"What le Carré has always done terrifically is to capture the nuances of the spying game. His spooks are wonderful... In A Most Wanted Man you are, unlike the modern world, in thrillingly deft, safe hands." -- The Guadian (UK)
Review
"Astounding, nearly perfect ... beautifully paced, awesomely crafted ... desperately readable" -- John Freeman, San Francisco Chronicle
About the Author
John le Carré was born in 1931. His third novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, secured him a worldwide reputation, which was consolidated by the acclaim for his trilogy: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable Schoolboy; and Smiley’s People. His novels include The Constant Gardner, The Little Drummer Girl, A Perfect Spy, The Russia House, Our Game, The Tailor of Panama, and Single & Single. He lives in Cornwall, United Kingdom.