After treating readers to a bonafide sequel to his George Smiley series in 2017 with A Legacy of Spies, renowned spy novelist John le Carre is set to release another book in 2019 titled, Agent Running in the Field.
The New York Times had the story first, running an exclusive on Monday announcing the new book, along with quotes from le Carre’s publisher, who confirmed that Smiley will not appear in Agent Running in the Field. Instead, the book will be set in present-day London and will follow a character the Times described as a “solitary figure.” In another report, The Guardian said that le Carre will tackle “division and rage” in his new book.
Here’s the full quote from The Guardian: “Agent Running in the Field follows a 26-year-old “solitary” man who, “in a desperate attempt to resist the new political turbulence swirling around him, makes connections that will take him down a very dangerous path”, according to publisher Viking.”
While an official pub date is still unknown, le Carre’s twenty-fifth novel is said to be slated for release in October of 2019, two years after A Legacy of Spies came out. While plot details are hard to come by right now, one interesting tidbit I can add is that back in 2017 when his last book came, sources told me that there were those around le Carre who wanted to bill Legacy as his final novel. Instead, le Carre, now 87-years-old, wouldn’t commit to that because he felt he had at least one more story in him. Now we know that was indeed true, as thriller fans everywhere wait with bated breath to see what le Carre has come up with this time around.
Praised as “one of today’s finest book reviewers” by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, Ryan Steck (“The Godfather of the thriller genre” — Ben Coes) has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.