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A Murder of Quality

By: John le Carré
Narrated by: Michael Jayston
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Summary

George Smiley is one of the most brilliantly realised characters in British fiction. Bespectacled, tubby, eternally middle-aged, and deceptively ordinary, he has a mind like a steel trap and is said to possess 'the cunning of Satan and the conscience of a virgin'.

Miss Ailsa Brimley is in a quandary. She's received a peculiar letter from Mrs Stella Rode, saying that she fears her husband – an assistant master at Carne School - is trying to kill her. Reluctant to go to the police, Miss Brimley calls upon her old wartime colleague, George Smiley. Unfortunately, it's too late. Mrs Rode has just been murdered. As Smiley takes up the investigation, he realises that in life - as in espionage - nothing is quite what it appears. His investigation raises a multitude of questions. Who could have hated Stella Rode enough to kill her? Why was her dog put down shortly before the murder? And what did Mad Janie see on that fatal night? To discover the truth, Smiley must lift the lid on a world of hidden passions and dangerous hatreds.

©1962 le Carré Productions (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
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What listeners say about A Murder of Quality

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

pure class

excellent narration - you could almost picture Alec Guinness playing Smiley again - most enjoyable

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Can’t say, i found it all excellent

I’m already a fan of the author and of the reader, so I guessed I would like this and I certainly wasn’t disappointed

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

As usual Mr le Carre weaves a tale that keeps one guessing all the way through, a very interesting story with well described characters. Shorter than some of his novels, but good just the same.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An old favourite.

Really enjoyed this reading, the story is not new to me but I still enjoyed it and will no doubt revisit this again.

It's Smiley that bring me back to all these stories time and again.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Short but Sweet

Great narrator, I can't imagine anyone else giving voice to George Smiley. A short novel but thoroughly enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not a spy thriller but great all the same

really enjoyed this book, it's well read and with a great twist.

although this is not a spy thriller i think its well worth a listen

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

journey back to childhood

I remember watching tv dramatization of the smiley books and being completely drawn in... 30 years later... I know the names and Author but not the stories. great story great narration.
and as both partner and I enjoy something to share... just like my mum n dad

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Quaint

Couldn't quite get to grips with this one as the story seemed to concentrate on those who didn't do it rather than the actual culprit. Quite atmospheric though, but not what one would expect from le Carre who is more renowned for espionage novels. Still, quite a short novel and quaint in its own way I still enjoyed it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

enjoyable tale

exciting, well drawn, complex believable characters . grew to like Smiley. well described place with sense of history and snobbery.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An Enjoyable Murder Mystery

Another short book from Le Carré’s early days, this one follows George Smiley as he ventures to Dorset to investigate the murder of a private school master’s wife. Le Carré writes in a way that I really enjoy and although it’s a somewhat different style to most murder mysteries, it works well and keeps you interested throughout. Whodunnit?

That’s something you’ll just have to find out for yourself! This one didn’t grab me quite as much as the first Smiley book but it was still good. Less about espionage and more about solving a case, perhaps the third (and arguably most celebrated) pushes us more on to a spy footing? As it is though, a very enjoyable listen and excellently read by Michael Jayston! I'm certainly looking forward to the next one.

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1 person found this helpful