Silverview

 Silverview by John Le Carre

This was my first John Le Carre novel and from what I understand it was the last one he wrote, not being published until after his son (author Nick Harkaway) found it packed away in a drawer following Le Carre's death. I knew he'd been a prolific writer but thought his books were gritty spy novels, a genre I was never much drawn to. I don't remember how I came into possession of this one but gosh, it was good. 

The main character, Julian, leaves his high-paying city job to open a small town bookshop. A couple of months in, a man called Edward comes into the shop and and charms Julian into renovating the basement to sell old and rare literary works. He offers to do all the sourcing and Julian, to his own surprise, quickly agrees. 

Elsewhere, news of a leak within a covert goverment sector sends chief Proctor on a hunt to find the weak link. His inquiries into Edward's past reveal a complicated world of spycraft and an Edward who is much more than simply a charming, aging bibliophile.

It is indeed a spy novel but with a lot of heart and very little, if any, grit. Edward has a fascinating story, as does his wife Deborah (also a spy), and their daughter Lily, who doesn't know much about either of their secret lives and becomes the love interest for Julian. Much of the plot lies in the back stories but that doesn't lessen the intrigue; it was hard to put down. 

The characters are well constructed, vivid and realistic, touching in their unique ways. These are people you can root for; they aren't perfect but they are likeable and you want things to work out well for them.

Good writing, solid plot, and authentic characters. Excellent book.