#3 George Smiley

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

John Le Carré
4.09
122,043 ratings 7,685 reviews
In this classic, John le Carre's third novel and the first to earn him international acclaim, he created a world unlike any previously experienced in suspense fiction. With unsurpassed knowledge culled from his years in British Intelligence, le Carre brings to light the shadowy dealings of international espionage in the tale of a British agent who longs to end his career but undertakes one final, bone-chilling assignment. When the last agent under his command is killed and Alec Leamas is called back to London, he hopes to come in from the cold for good. His spymaster, Control, however, has other plans. Determined to bring down the head of East German Intelligence and topple his organization, Control once more sends Leamas into the fray -- this time to play the part of the dishonored spy and lure the enemy to his ultimate defeat.
Genres: FictionThrillerMysteryEspionageClassicsMystery ThrillerCrimeHistorical FictionNovelsAudiobook
212 Pages

Community Reviews:

5 star
45183 (37%)
4 star
49688 (41%)
3 star
21111 (17%)
2 star
4615 (4%)
1 star
1446 (1%)

Readers also enjoyed

Other books by John Le Carré

George Smiley Series

Lists with this book

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
The Bourne Identity
Best Spy Novels
1229 books • 2209 voters
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
The Day of the Jackal
Espionage
969 books • 999 voters
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
And Then There Were None
The da Vinci Code
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
A Story of Yesterday
The Shadow of the Wind
Best Literary Mysteries
2499 books • 4493 voters