Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

There’s a reason why this book is a defining classic of the genre. TTSS moves at a stately pace in a mole hunt inspired by the real-world escapades of the Cambridge 5. What makes this book shine is the painterly attention to detail, the way that Le Carre crafts 1970s England, and the strange and insular world of the professional spy. For George Smiley and others of his ilk, the world is full of hidden signs, dead drops, patterns of travel and communication. A beautiful and ambiguous book.