A Murder of Quality [Hardcover]

John le Carré (Author), Otto Penzler (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004

A bloody and apparently senseless murder had been committed at Carne School, one of the oldest and most glittering ornaments in the British public school system. George Smiley, whose connections with Carne were complicated by sentiment, had had a curious forewarning of the crime and, in a private capacity, pursued its investigation. Without his espionage-trained insight into the workings of the human mind, Smiley might never have solved the case. But logic and insight were hardly enough to spare him the emotional aftermath of a conclusion he did not want to face.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"To honor [their] 45th anniversary, Walker is reissuing these first two George Smiley mysteries in affordable hardcovers. Grab em."—Library Journal

“Beautifully intelligent, satiric and witty.” —The Observer (London)

“Vastly entertaining.” —Sunday Telegraph (London)

About the Author

John le Carré made his literary debut in America on Walker & Company’s first lists, in 1962 and 1963, introducing his famous character, George Smiley. Now, as part of our 45th anniversary, we are proud and excited to re-issue these two early masterpieces in new hardcover editions, with introductions by the author and forewords by P. D. James and Otto Penzler.

John le Carré has been called “simply the world’s greatest fictional spymaster” (Newsweek) and “one of the half-dozen best novelists now working in English” (Chicago Sun-Times). “No other contemporary novelist has more durably enjoyed the twin badges of being both well-read and wellregarded,” wrote Scott Turow. He has created many memorable characters, but none with more worldwide acclaim than George Smiley, the bland, paunchy, yet deadly British Secret Service agent.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Walker & Company (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802714420
• ISBN-13: 978-0802714428
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John le Carre 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: Tinke, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; The Honorable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People. His novels include The Little Drummer Girl, A Perfect Spy, The Russia House, Our Game, The Taileor of Panama, and Single & Single. John le Carre lives in Cornwall.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A first, faint glimpse of Smiley, January 25, 2005

By 

Kaye Barlow (Vancouver Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Murder of Quality (Paperback)

This slim book is fascinating as an introduction to le Carre's earliest writing. It was written in the 60's and preceded by "Call For the Dead." Both books feature George Smiley but are not of the spy venue, but are more classic mysteries. His unfortunate marriage is referred to and there is a hint of the work he had done and is perhaps still doing in the spy field. But we must wait for future works to get a true taste of Smiley.

A murder in the prestigious private school, Carne, propels Smiley into a search for the murderer. There are many twists and turns and a dramatic denouement at the end. The story in all is quite dated but one must remember that it was written in the 60's.

As a fan of the later le Carre, I found the book interesting and really quite a neat mystery story but when you compare with his later work, it is quite innocuous. I am indeed grateful that he swerved to go into the espionage field and give us so many truly fascinating books.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read for Smiley's Character Development, January 13, 2007

By 

Happy Chappy "An Avid Reader." (Elk Grove, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Murder of Quality (Paperback)

Having first read Absolute Friends, by John LeCarre, I decided to go back to the beginning and read all of the author's works in chronological order. The first in the Smiley series was Call for the Dead. In that novel, we learn much about Smiley and get a glimpse into the world of spycraft. In the second Smiley novel, A Murder of Quality, spycraft takes a backseat to an average murder mystery. I look forward to reading the 3rd Smiley novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, because I expect that it will be continue in the same manner as Call for the Dead. I rated this book 3 stars as it is not a bad read. It is simply a read. Not great, not bad, but just a touch above average. This is not a knock on the author's style, as he is clearly gifted. This is more so a knock on a novel that lacks much suspense and intrigue. In a genre (the British Murder mystery) clearly dominated by the likes of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, P.D. James, Martha Grimes, and the like... this story pales in comparison. I would certainly suggest reading the book if you, like me, are interested in reading the entire Smiley series; however, I would temper your expectations if you are looking for an enthralling read.

A solid 3 stars.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Subtle Clues for early Smiley, May 26, 2000

By 

Bill Mac "hmcs_kenogami" (windsor, ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder of Quality (Audio Cassette)

A Murder of Quality is the second of LeCarre's novels that feature George Smiley. Unlike the others in the series this novel is not about the Cold War and espionage, at least not overtly. In this one; a woman with whom Smiley worked during the war contacts him. She publishes a small Christian paper and has a subscriber who fears that she will be murdered. Smiley investigates and eventually finds the murderer. It is a classic murder story but not a spy story or is it? I did find myself wondering why the paper was kept in business by the owners. Is it owned by British intelligence? There might be more to this murder mystery than meets the eye or perhaps not.

Smiley has to solve a murder and also face his wife's past. It's ironic that the basically decent and brilliant Smiley is considered unsuitable for his higher class but serially unfaithful wife. LeCarre includes much social comment about Britain as he leads Smiley to the solution of the crime.

Things are not what they seem and Smiley's investigations lead to truly nasty revelations. The twists, turns and betrayal that are LeCarre constants are present in A Murder of Quality. The reader gets to see the author as he is developing his craft.

A Murder of Quality is a murder mystery and perhaps LeCarre was considering pursuing this genre. Instead he reinvented the spy story incorporating seaminess and betrayal. A Murder of Quality shows us how deep his talents as a writer are.