- Our Kind of Traitor
-
Our Kind of Traitor 
First edition coverAuthor(s) John le Carré Country United Kingdom Language English Publisher Viking Press Publication date September 16, 2010 Media type Print (Hardcover) Pages 320pp ISBN 0670919012 Our Kind of Traitor is a 2010 espionage novel by the British novelist John le Carré about a Russian money launderer seeking to defect to the UK after a close friend of his had been killed by the new leadership of his own criminal brotherhood.
Contents
Plot summary
On a tennis holiday in Antigua, British university lecturer Peregrine "Perry" Makepiece and his lawyer girlfriend Gail Perkins meet mysterious Russian business oligarch Dmitri "Dima" Vladimirovich Krasnov and his family. Dima who describes himself "the world's number one money launderer" deliberately sought contact with Perry hoping that he is a British spy or knows one, because he wants him to pass on information about his criminal activities to British intelligence in exchange for protection for himself and his family. Dima fears for his life, because "The Prince", the new leader of his criminal brotherhood, had a good friend of his and his wife murdered and wants him to come to Bern to sign over control of his money-laundering operations to him.
Back in the UK, Perry contacts a colleague with contacts in the British intelligence community and hands over Dima's notes. Since these implicate a high-ranking decision maker in the UK, British intelligence decides to put government fixer Hector Meredith in charge of a secret semi-official investigation. Hector recruits disgraced intelligence officer Luke Weaver to handle the investigation. Luke, eager to redeem himself, makes all the necessary arrangements. Dima insists that Perry and Gail be present during his first contact with British intelligence in Paris during the 2009 Roland Garros final, so the couple travel to Paris where they again meet with Dima and his family.
After Dima signing the papers handing over his assets to a representative of "The Prince", he meets with Luke and is extracted along with his family to a safehouse in the Swiss Alps where they wait until British intelligence insists that only Dima travel to the UK; his family will be allowed to join him later if his information proves correct. Reluctantly, Dima agrees and travels with Luke to catch the charter plane that is supposed to bring them to the UK, only to be killed as the plane explodes after take-off.
Reception
New York Times reviewer Michiko Kakutani described it as "part vintage John le Carre and part Alfred Hitchcock" calling it the author's most thrilling thriller in years.[1]
References
External links
- John le Carré on His New Novel, Our Kind of Traitor - video interview by Democracy Now!
- Book review by The Independent's literary editor, Boyd Tonkin
- Book review by The Telegraph's literary editor, James Naughtie
- Book review by The Scotsman's literary editor, Ian Campbell
- Book review by The Guardians's literary editor, Christopher Tayler
Novels by John le Carré Call for the Dead (1961) • A Murder of Quality (1962) • The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963) • The Looking Glass War (1965) • A Small Town in Germany (1968) • The Naïve and Sentimental Lover (1971) • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) • The Honourable Schoolboy (1977) • Smiley's People (1979) • The Little Drummer Girl (1983) • A Perfect Spy (1986) • The Russia House (1989) • The Secret Pilgrim (1990) • The Night Manager (1993) • Our Game (1995) • The Tailor of Panama (1996) • Single & Single (1999) • The Constant Gardener (2001) • Absolute Friends (2003) • The Mission Song (2006) • A Most Wanted Man (2008) • Our Kind of Traitor (2010)
Categories:- 2010 novels
- Novels by John le Carré
- Thriller novels
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