I recently watched mark Lawson's BBC4 interview with Le Carre and this book was referenced by the writer as one of his favourites. What is interesting in this book is Le Carre's ability to develop an initially comic situation within a few chapters into a story about vanity and greed. It demonstrates how a lie develops through the wishes of the intelligence service and media interests into the premise for an invasion. The story itself pitches a newly appointed spy sent to Panama , Andy Osnard, into an opportunity to build his reputation and line his pockets by blackmailing a tailor, Harry Pendel, into divulging secrets. Pendel is tailor to the president, the American army general on their base in Panama, and he knows friends who have been victim of torture by the countries brutal regime in earlier days of revolt. The twist comes in what Harry does, how Osnard reacts and consequently how Britain sees this as a new area of influence post cold war. It is a very clever book which as it progresses sees you move from the comic to a poignant reflection on intimate betrayals and the effects of powerplay. Le Carre moves from the espionage of the cold war into the politics and corruption of money, media and countries scrabbling around to maintain their position as a world player, so the story of the growing Panama crisis is prescient of crises that will come dominate the early 2000's. A brilliant writer who is more deserving of literary plaudits than some of the tosh that wins the major awards .