A deeply, thoroughly competent MI6 novel. The last spy novel I read was Red Notice, a truly poor piece of fiction: one which had me concerned that perhaps I was left with Le Carré and that was it.

Thankfully, that is not the case: Berlin Game does not speak to truths about the world nor does it surpass its genre form, but it's a very good book: surprising (albeit not too surprising), engrossing, worth its weight. Deighton's protagonist is rich in way few of Le Carré's (outside of Smiley) is; I'm excited to read more in the series.

★★★★