John le Carré

Stella Rode has twice disturbed the ancient cloisters of Carne School: firstly by being the wrong sort, with her doyleys and china ducks, and secondly by being murdered. George Smiley, who has his own connection with the school, is asked by an old Service friend to investigate. As Smiley probes further beneath Carne's respectable veneer, he uncovers far more than a simple crime of passion. In his second George Smiley novel, le Carré moves outside the world of espionage to reveal the secrets at the heart of another particularly English institution. The result is a pitch-perfect murder mystery, with Smiley as master detective.

A Murder of Quality

John le Carre

Now retired from the British Secret Service, former spy George Smiley agrees to do a favor for an old friend and investigates the mysterious demise of the wife of an assistant master at the distinguished Carne School. But Smiley gets more than he bargains for and is plunged headlong into a labyrinth of skeletons and hatreds.

The synopsis hooked me so I gave this book a try, but it was a struggle getting through the first few chapters. The language and imagery was needlessly complicated and dry, getting into intricacies of English social standing. Once the plot starts it does get more interesting, but it was overall a slow read that felt like a chore to finish. Maybe his other works with other settings are more interesting. 

Anthony Teo

erin

John le Carré makes smooth writing look easy. It's not needlessly florid, nor is it noticeably sparse and hardboiled. It it very Smiley-like: unassuming but effective. 

As others have said, this isn't a spy novel, it's a mystery George Smiley happens to be in. But a good mystery! 

I enjoyed a nice meander through class politics and academic culture alongside the murder mystery. My only gripe is that the ending wrapped up a bit too quickly. All the build up was great, and then a three page "so here's what actually happened" speech and it was over. 

Excited to plough ahead to the actual spy novels!

Tom Turner

Was disappointed with this. I understand that le Carré was still finding his feet as a writer here. But I felt this was a step down from his first Novel "Call For The Dead". Saying this I know he picks himself up in his next novel to the point where he starts forming his now legendary status as a novelist. So I am looking forward to reading "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold"

Darren Olivier

Daniel Gynn

Brendan M

John le Carré’s second novel, A Murder of Quality, offers an exquisite, satirical look at an elite private school as it chronicles the early development of George Smiley. Miss Ailsa Brimley is in a quandary. She’s received a peculiar letter from Mrs. Stella Rode saying that she fears her husband—an assistant master at Carne School—is trying to kill her. Reluctant to go to the police, Miss Brimley calls upon her old wartime colleague, George Smiley. Unfortunately, it’s too late—Mrs. Rode has just been murdered. As Smiley takes up the investigation, he realizes that in life—as in espionage—nothing is quite what it appears.

A Murder of Quality

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