A breathtaking story - Wall Street Journal. A mole, implanted by the Moscow center, has infiltrated the highest ranks of the British intelligence service, nearly causing its downfall. Former head of espionage George Smiley is brought out of retirement to hunt down the traitor at the heart of the circus, even if it could be one of his closest associates. The first part of le Carré's acclaimed Karla Trilogy, "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," marks the beginning of the covert cat-and-mouse game in the Cold War between the taciturn, tenacious Smiley and his cunning Soviet counterpart. A great thriller, the best le Carré has ever written - Spectator. The fifth novel featuring George Smiley.