A review by laticsexile
The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

As a story, it’s right up there with his other great books and apposite even 40 years on (reading this in 2023 during yet another dark period in Middle East politics). The reason I have it down as a 3.75 rather than 4 or higher is that Charlie seems to me to be too easily sucked into the opposite camp of her initial character’s leanings. It just doesn’t ring true. The plotting and detail and descriptions of places are all top drawer Le Carré