John LeCarre's son does John LeCarre. I'm irresistably reminded of the extended family of crooks that surrounded the larger-than-life father in A Perfect Spy, for some reason. Jarkaway is an accomplished writer in his own right, and this ends up being a kindof improvised variatio on a theme. All the recognisable elements are here, and hadled deftly and confidently, but there are subtle differences in emphasis and focus. Smiley gets to do a bit more hands-on espionage adventuring than he's normally associated with. It's really good, but it's a Nick Harkaway novel, however much it homages his father and his creations. Which is as it should be.