Karla's Choice cover art

Karla's Choice

A John le Carré Novel

Preview

Get this deal Try for £0.00
Offer ends January 21, 2025 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pay £0.99/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Karla's Choice

By: Nick Harkaway, John le Carré
Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale
Get this deal Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A gripping novel set in the universe of John le Carré's most iconic spy, George Smiley, written by acclaimed novelist Nick Harkaway

It is spring in 1963 and George Smiley has left the Circus. With the wreckage of the West's spy war with the Soviets strewn across Europe, he has eyes only on a more peaceful life. And indeed, with his marriage more secure than ever, there is a rumour in Whitehall – unconfirmed and a little scandalous – that George Smiley might almost be happy.

But Control has other plans. A Russian agent has defected in the most unusual of circumstances, and the man he was sent to kill in London is nowhere to be found. Smiley reluctantly agrees to one last simple task: interview Susanna, a Hungarian émigré and employee of the missing man, and sniff out a lead. But in his absence the shadows of Moscow have lengthened. Smiley will soon find himself entangled in a perilous mystery that will define the battles to come, and strike at the heart of his greatest enemy…

Set in the missing decade between two iconic instalments in the George Smiley saga, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Nick Harkaway's Karla's Choice is an extraordinary, thrilling return to the world of spy fiction's greatest writer, John le Carré.

©2024 Nick Harkaway (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Espionage Political Thriller & Suspense War & Military Exciting Fiction War Hungary
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

‘Is this new ‘le Carré’ novel even better than the master himself? Harkaway has done an extraordinarily good job with his father’s legacy. Karla’s Choice is note-perfect.’ (Jake Kerridge)
A loving tribute as well as an excellent novel in its own right (Anthony Cummins)
It is difficult to encapsulate what a remarkable achievement this novel is. Karla’s Choice is absolutely first rate, as both a homage to le Carré and as a work in its own right (Stuart Kelly)
Karla’s Choice breathes new life into the murky world of the Circus. If you haven’t read any Smiley books, then this wouldn’t be a bad place to start (David Mills)
Reads like a lost le Carrè. Smiley is back at the Circus in the safest of hands (Richard Osman)
A brilliant and almost uncanny incarnation of le Carré’s voice and world - and an exceptional espionage novel in its own right (William Boyd)
Karla’s Choice is a note-perfect tribute to le Carré that feels fresh and new, and yet fits seamlessly into the world of Smiley’s Circus in its heyday. (Mick Herron)
Le Carre’s legacy is in good hands - Smiley is back with a vengeance! (Ian Rankin)
Tense and atmospheric, meditative and moving. Fans of le Carré will have much to rejoice about (Tan Twan Eng)
The legendary Smiley’s return is a classic thinking person’s espionage thriller packed with more secrets, tricks and deceptions than a roomful of triple agents. We have witnessed the rebirth of an icon (Scott Mariani)

What listeners say about Karla's Choice

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    215
  • 4 Stars
    53
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    218
  • 4 Stars
    41
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    8
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    193
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Style was Le Carre

Liked it all. I couldn't put it down(turn it off). Fascinating. The reading was excellent and, looking back on the era now, it was savage at that level.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Like his father’s writing at the very top of his game

Like his father’s writing at the very top of his game enhanced by Le Carre’s best reader - the incomparable Simon Russell Beale!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect

The writing, pace, characterisation and story lived up to the best of Le Carre. Smiley was utterly convincing, with depths hitherto untold.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Karla’s choice

Beautifully narrated and you’d never guess it wasn’t written by Le Carre himself, but you need to have have read Previous ‘ Smiley’ books to really understand

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

Genuinely apprehensive before listening to this book as I am such a huge fan of Smiley, Connie Sachs, etc and I wasn’t disappointed. Highly recommend. The author was right; the appetite really did arrive in the eating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

LeCarre to the last syllable

A typically complex and tortuous story, old school post-Cold War espionage. Brilliantly written and a masterly performance by Simon Russell Beale, a living, breathing Smiley. Top notch.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Magnificent

I hadn’t heard that this book was in the works so it came as a very pleasant surprise when it was published and all the more so when the reviews were universally positive. I’m a long-time Le Carré fan and I am delighted to say that this is one of the best of the Smiley books. Bravo Nick Harkaway - you have done your father proud. Please, please let there be more. And praise too for Simon Russell Beale for his brilliant narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

simply outstanding

pitch perfect narrative, brilliantly read. I really cannot fault this novel or the reading of it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fills a gap in the Karla/Smiley story

the story flows nicely, and ensures a good fit with the existing Smiley novels by referencing conversations from other books, The characters are faithful to the established personalities, and all in all I thought it was very well executed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Considerate Spy

Very Smiley, in true Le Carre style George Smiley begins his quest to bring to boot his nemesis, Karla the Sandman.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!