Tag Archives: John Le Carre

John Le Carre, “The Constant Gardener”

Posted on October 1, 2013 by carolwallace

I don’t go looking for bleakness, at least not these days. So I finished The Constant Gardener with some puzzlement. What is it that periodically draws me back to John Le Carré? He’s like that bad boyfriend who makes you feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, best seller, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 2 Comments

John Le Carre, “A Murder of Quality”

Posted on January 18, 2013 by carolwallace

Actually, I already possessed this little book but found an upgrade on the magic laundry room shelves… and it fitted so nicely into my purse, with a subway ride ahead of me…. Yeah. The truth is that I just wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, mystery | Tagged | 3 Comments

Ian McEwan, “Sweet Tooth”

Posted on December 11, 2012 by carolwallace

I’ve never really known what to make of Ian McEwan. I often feel that I’m not quite clever enough to really grasp what he’s driving at. Actually Sweet Tooth shines a pretty bright light on this weakness, because like me, its narrator, Serena … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, contemporary fiction | Tagged , | 9 Comments

John Le Carre, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Posted on November 3, 2011 by carolwallace

Yes, I’m getting ready for the December release of the film, which stars Brit film giants like Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and (be still my heart) Ciaràn Hinds. But that was really just an excuse. I suspect John Le Carré … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, thriller | Tagged | 8 Comments

Fred Vargas, “Un Lieu incertain”

Posted on January 5, 2011 by carolwallace

The translation for this Fred Vargas title is listed on Amazon as An Uncertain Place. Looks like the English edition will be available in May, though not from Penguin, which has been issuing Sian Reynolds’ translations like Wash This Blood … Continue reading →

Posted in French, mystery | Tagged , | 6 Comments

John Banville, “The Untouchable”

Posted on April 11, 2010 by carolwallace

I suppose this is electronic serendipity. Stuck in a waiting-room somehow without a book, I went to Amazon to order what I thought was going to be the new Benjamin Black murder mystery. I thought maybe I’d recovered enough strength … Continue reading →

Posted in literary fiction | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Thomas Perry, “The Butcher’s Boy”

Posted on February 10, 2010 by carolwallace

Here’s a question: if I can’t follow the plot of a novel, why do I still enjoy reading it? Legions of readers of Dashiell Hammett and John LeCarré have wondered the same thing. I’ve been working recently on the theory … Continue reading →

Posted in thriller | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Lionel Davidson, “Kolymsky Heights”

Posted on November 7, 2009 by carolwallace

A find, by gum! A friend with good taste recommended Lionel Davidson. Sight unseen, I bought Kolymsky Heights and found it quite satisfying. It’s as if someone had put John Le Carré, Lee Child, and Michael Crichton in a Cuisinart … Continue reading →

Posted in thriller | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment