The Taper Man: A Novel of John le Carré's Circus

George Smiley

by Nick Harkaway, John le Carré

A bold and electrifying expansion of John le Carré’s literary universe, where—for the first time—George Smiley crosses the Atlantic into the perilous world of Cold War America

It's 1965, and the world lives on a knife edge. After the nuclear standoff in Cuba, and with Vietnam even now becoming a major conflict zone, the Cold War is colder than ever. The Circus, home of British intelligence, has one formidable clandestine asset in a senior officer in the Red Army who is privy to deep Soviet secrets. But when a British agent is shot on a routine visit to Helsinki, George Smiley uncovers a counter-intelligence operation which puts all that in jeopardy.

The trail leads not to Berlin or Vienna but to Los Angeles, where Smiley's nemesis, the Russian master spy known only as Karla, may have a long-term, low profile agent—a Taper Man—poised to expose London's man in Moscow.

Hunting the traitor in the heart of US intelligence, Smiley must reckon with American's stark internal divisions over race, patriotism and belonging as he tries to find an answer to the present crisis in the secrets of the past. Meanwhile Roy Bland, a daring but fragile Circus spy presently in Leningrad without the protection of diplomatic cover, must push his luck to breaking point to reveal the Russian end of the operation and rescue a defector whose time is running out - and get Smiley the last piece of Karla’s puzzle.

The Taper Man, the latest novel by Sunday Times bestselling author Nick Harkaway, is a gripping return to the shadow world of John le Carré. Elegant, tense and morally intricate, it is an extraordinary and timely continuation of one of literature's greatest espionage legacies—and a landmark work of modern spy fiction.

Genres: Espionage, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 17, 2026

About the author

Nick Harkaway was born in Cornwall, UK in 1972. He is possessed of two explosively exciting eyebrows, which exert an almost hypnotic attraction over small children, dogs, and - thankfully - one ludicrously attractive human rights lawyer, to whom he is married.

He likes: oceans, mountains, lakes, valleys, and those little pigs made of marzipan they have in Switzerland at new year.

He does not like: bivalves. You just can't trust them.

Reviews

[Martin Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Smiley goes to America.

"The Taper Man" opens in 1965. The Cold War is in full swing, with the East and West each desperately trying to get the upper hand, with the East apparently in front. George Smiley still harbours guilt over his treatment of Alec Leamas, and following the events of the previous book, the Circus has been quiet. But when word comes through that Bill Haydon has been shot, he begins to unravel the events surrounding that, which in true Le Carre style leads him slowly but surely to Finland and on to America, where he must uncover a soviet spy ring.

There's actually two main stories in this book - one involving George Smiley and his hunt for the American mole, and another with Roy Bland, trying to extract information from and exfiltrate, a female soviet asset. Roy is a spy who we meet in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but at this time is deep undercover in Moscow. The two threads slowly converge, as Smiley investigates and Bland fights to remain unseen. There's a large supporting cast of characters too - Connie, Percy, and Bill Haydon are all back, but there's also some very interesting people in the form of former US operatives and assets. Karla even gets a few mentions. It all makes for a complex web of threads to keep hold of, but with the judicious use of conversational recaps, the reader is kept up to speed. And the meaning of the "Taper Man" is revealed in due course.

There's a lot of internal dialogue going on in this book, both from Smiley and Roy Bland. Mostly, it's interesting stuff, especially as we are now privy to some of Smiley's misgivings and regrets about his life so far, while Roy's fears of discovery once again bring home the personal cost to those in The Game. Nick Harkaway has again successfully invoked the voice of his father, and has produced some wonderful prose (Smiley's arrival in the US is just wonderful). The politic-ing between the US and Britain is nicely portrayed, and there's no end of little set pieces from Smiley arriving in America, to clever interrogations of suspects, where the writing is superb.

Fans of Le Carre, will not be disappointed in this latest extension to the adventures of George Smiley - his son has taken up the baton and run with it. Heartily recommended.

[Ryan Davison · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Smiley, a meek, middle-aged man with a physique many steps below dad bod, could easily be mistaken for a simple-minded civil servant. In reality, Smiley is a powerful and brilliant figure, headlining the fight against Cold War communism as the unofficial leader of a British group of spymasters known colloquially as The Circus.

Smiley is awakened to learn that Bill Hayden, one of his senior men in the field, has taken a bullet to the hip. Hayden was meeting with a Finnish source he believed might lead him to highly valued Russian intel when a shootout in broad daylight kills several. Unsure who pulled the trigger, or even the target, Hayden lies in a hospital bed closely monitored, only able to communicate with Smiley through coded, colorful sketches. Without much of a guide, Smiley outwits numerous security apparatuses and discovers a dead letter drop box in a gorgeously choreographed scene. A Fabergé Egg of a plot is launched, a hunt underway.

This is a novel where the details mean the world, but two main story lines emerge in parallel. Smiley is led to California (Yes, George comes to America!), to work with, and often, navigate around, territorial American spies in a search for the titular taper man. This is the term for an individual who stays behind and carries a torch, their job to keep the flame of a hidden spy network alive. While Smiley chases ghosts, the British activate one of their own agents housed in Russia, Roy Bland. Bland is tasked to discover what information was valuable enough to trigger a wild-west shootout and he must shift from dormant to fully operational under the nose of Russian authority. His methodology to do so is plotting genius. Chapters alternate between Smiley and Bland, effective juxtapositions between the tense and cerebral, and runaway gripping.

These are characters made widely famous by the author’s father, John le Carre, and The Taper Man is Nick Harkaway’s second novel using spies from Dad’s much revered creation. The tone and register of this outing feels more like le Carre than the previous entry by Harkaway, Karla’s Choice. At points he channels his father's voice with such eerie similarity it feels as if le Carre might be in the room as part of a creator/character séance. But, once again, Harkaway’s distinct signature inhabits the story and he shows up Dad with his ridiculously high levels of creative, innovative spy craft.

This is a must read for le Carre fans and highly recommended to any espionage junkie. The Taper Man works wonderfully as a standalone and will feel like newly mined gems for longtime fans of the series. Some scenes are so historically authentic, Harkaway seems to construct with the mind of a Russian scholar. Through sharp, heart-felt prose, it is clear this is Nick Harkaway's book, but he remains a respectful, dedicated fan of Dad’s magic.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Viking for a review copy.

[Chris Chanona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel as I had previously read Nick Harkaway’s‘s first attempt at a continuation of the life and world of George Smiley. It has to be said that the literary world would be a poor place without George Smiley in it. I’ve read all of John le Carre and this and the previous novel are very good attempts at continuing in the same vein. I did find I was highlighting good pieces of writing as as I read this. Clever pieces of writing where Smiley gently exerts control, for example.

Smiley: His hand rested lightly on Biles’s shoulder and moved him to a distance more suited to moderate disagreement.

Smiley let the idea leak into his voice.

It is set in the 60s and basically George Smiley is hunting the taper man which is a term for a slow burning spy one who remains in place without being flashy or obvious. There are really two main characters in this story:George Smiley of course who continues with his problems with Lady Ann and Roy Bland who had featured in the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy novel. I actually found Roy Bland’s story very engaging. He is in Russia attempting to get a female with information out of the country whereas George Smiley is operating in the USA, searching for the Taper Man of the title. Some of the latter story really resonates with today’s USA.

There are lots of familiar tropes that you find in spy stories but to reveal more would create spoilers. I just want to say that I thoroughly recommend reading this novel and the one that preceded it.

I received an arc from NetGalley and the publishers for which I’m very grateful. I particularly liked from Harkaway’s Acknowledgements:

To the extent that it’s still possible, I have barred AI from my workflow entirely. I avoid apps which shoehorn it into the process, search without it, dream without it, compose without it. I believe I owe you my writing, my reactions and my thoughts, not the average of everyone else’s.

[Gordon Smart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Nick Harkaway’s previous attempt at continuing his father’s series in Karla’s Choice, and this one is another fine addition to the world of George Smiley. I’m a big fan of Le Carre and it must be a daunting task to take on something so iconic. There will always be critical voices who measure it up to the original books but I don’t think that’s necessary.
In this book, Smiley is employed to look for the taper man, an espionage term for the remaining member of a cell who can keep the flame of the spy network alight or reignite it in the future.
The plot shifts between London, California and Russia and the narrative has a sub-plot involving an MI6 agent in Russia, Roy Bland, that I found even more engaging than the scenes with Smiley in America. The chapters in Russia were highly dramatic and full of action whereas there was a bit too much exposition in the American sections which relied on a great deal of backstory and I did think that that tended to slow the pace down.
However, the book excels at creating the atmosphere of the period and expertly depicts the shadowy, dangerous world of spies. Harkaway also very interestingly shows Smiley’s personality and has created a great character in Bland.
I look forward to the next Smiley adventure.
Thanks to Netgalley and Viking/ Penguin Random House for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Ruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will not pretend the patience it asks is free. The story does not really move until around the midpoint, and until then you sit inside confusion and trust that it means something. I nearly bounced off it. What kept me reading was the texture, the sense that every oblique conversation was laying track I could not yet see, and when the design finally surfaced the earlier fog read as construction rather than evasion. I can still imagine finishing the book and resenting the wait.

Once it kicks off it stays quiet. Nobody here leaps off a train. The tension is procedural and interior, much closer to the film of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, where I also spent half the running time uncertain who was betraying whom and came to treat that uncertainty as the point. Where the novel is strongest is atmosphere. The 1965 setting is heavy with fatigue and suspicion, and Smiley reading an America that will not read him back gives Harkaway a fresh register. I believed the world before I understood the plot.

Come for mood and craft rather than pace. Readers who want puzzle-box clarity will be frustrated, and I would steer a newcomer to le Carré’s world elsewhere first. As a test of whether his son can carry the voice, though, it holds up. He can, and he does, though he makes you work for it.

Full review at murderedpages.com

[Mergulum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel set in 1965 describes George Smiley’s investigation into a Soviet spy ring that was operating and unmasked in the US in conjunction with an undercover operation in Russia that is intended to identify the one member of the ring who was not discovered. I found both these strands very entertaining. The former had an almost leisurely pace as Smiley interviews and interacts with a range of characters and ponders a mass of documents provided to him. This contrasts significantly with the second strand which is a real thriller with some real twists and one of which made me gasp out loud. The only reasons for this not being a five star review are a couple of plot twists in the thriller section. Without revealing any spoilers, I will say that the way the agent identified the location of the intelligence that he was seeking required such an intuitive leap that I could see it as being credible. The second instance is when a character in a hotel room asks for an outside line and then directly dials the Circus in London. It’s inconceivable that that could happen in a Soviet era hotel in 1965. These things aside this is an excellent addition to the Smiley universe. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for this review copy.

[Kate Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Undeniably, sales of popular series' continuation by new authors are usually brisk and successful. Nearly all of them, however, no matter the research involved, the intimate knowledge of the characters, the era, the language or the plot lines, are just not as good as the originals; they lack that indefinable je ne sais quoi of style and atmosphere, which can often jar in a mere phrase. Not so here. Nick Harkaway obviously absorbed all the elements of his father's style at his knee to produce another worthy addition to the Smiley canon.
Granted, it is a bit slow to start, and rather opaque, but Le Carré could be slow in spots too, so, forgiven. And I'm not sure if father would have ever willingly sent his hero into the nest of the Cousins, but I think Harkaway manages it with taste and excellent research. Possibly his portrayal of race relations is more to the taste of modern audiences, but for me, that merely gave the story more depth and resonance.
All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the original series.
My thanks to Netgalley for the Arc, all opinions are my own.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book style is typical John Le Carre with the plot tightly woven together. Mentions of the ‘circus’ and those within it were relevant and made for a good story.

The story started slow and I felt it did not pick up a lot of speed due to the very descriptive background and the detailed environment of each setting/interface between characters.

The story of the ‘The Taper Man’ was a great concept and the investigation by George Smiley to establish who it was provided an interesting story with a few suspects and a couple of false leads.

The Russian situation (no spoiler) was tense and dramatic with lots of will it go well or not!

Overall, a good read in the Le Carre typical style but not the best one I have read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive. I was certainly impressed when Harkaway successfully took on Karla's Choice. I was even more impressed that he went on to create a Circus novel of his own. And for the most part, I consider this effort a brilliant success as well. He knows this cast of characters intimately, and easily slips into their voices. The plot is certainly worthy of its participants. A little judicious editing around the midsection would have helped, but that is a small criticism in the scheme of things. A good addition to the Smiley novels is the equivalent of slipping into a favorite old sweater - comfortable, familiar and eminently enjoyable. Bravo to Nick Harkaway for allowing us to continue enjoying Smiley and the Circus.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a slow burn (pun intended) story which takes place in California, Russia and London with Smiley searching for the “Taper man” in California. The parts of the story in Russia, a sort of sub plot with spy Roy Bland being in danger of exposure having to be extracted were the most readable. These parts were fairly tense but the scenes with Smiley in California contained too much back story, too much old history of the various spies, and took up most of the book. I had some difficulty getting through to the end to be honest.

I expect fans of the Smiley stories will enjoy this book more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my kindle in exchange for my honest review.

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Nick Harkaway's second pastiche of his father's work and he has again done the family tradition for writing exceptional spy novels more than proud.

It can be no easy matter to attempt to continue his father's work with so many readers and critics just waiting to find fault and suggest that they are not up to scratch.

I would instead prefer to pay credit to him and offer up thanks that we have moreGeorge Smiley adventures to engross and entertain us - as this book most certainly does.

The plot is complex and wide ranging put jam packed with action too.

An excellent read and I look forward to the third in the series.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review this Smiley novel.
Nick Harkaway carries on the family tradition of producing high quality spy fiction, weaving a web of deceit, subterfuge and human failings with a dig at American stereotypical attitudes to race and gender inequality.
Of course we know - and he knows we know - what emerges in Tinker, Tailor, which he deals with by making Control very controlling and tight with information.
Not great literature but a thoroughly good read that requires attention all the way through.

[Melisende · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Burn Smiley.

Smiley is chasing "the taper man"- the one who keeps the flame alive - in the US whilst the usual Circus mob - Haydon, Alleline, Esterhase, Control and Bland - all feature in their own capacity, contributing, aiding and abetting, whilst Smiley examines events of the past.

The narrative and tone is recognisable to all fans of the "Smiley" canon. And this does not disappoint. A great follow on from "Karla's Choice" and one I will be adding to my own library!