A Murder of Quality by John le Carré

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"Nobody seems to understand you can't build society overnight. It takes centuries to make a gentleman."

A Murder of Quality (1962), the second novel by John le Carré, was written before his Cold-War spy books that brought him wide international acclaim. And although George Smiley is a protagonist in Murder, it is not a spy story but rather a traditional British murder mystery, a quality murder mystery, to use a lame pun on the title.

The plot revolves around Carne School, a well-known public school (note that in UK "public school" means "exclusive private school"), founded almost 500 years ago by monks and endowed by king Edward VI. One of the school housemasters is celebrating his 30 years at the institution and we are introduced to the dramatis personae - masters and tutors at Carne and their wives. Meanwhile, in London, a Miss Brimley, the editor of a Christian newsletter, receives a letter from Mrs. Rode, wife of one of the Carne masters. Mrs. Rode comes from the family of long-time newsletter subscribers. She asks Miss Brimley to come immediately to Carne as she is convinced her husband is trying to kill her. Miss Brimley, in turn, asks George Smiley, with whom she worked during the war, to go to Carne and help Mrs. Rode. Well, Mr. Smiley arrives too late for help, but not too late to solve the murder with the assistance of the local police inspector Rigby.

There are many clever twists and turns in the plot, a boon for readers who like these devices. The phrase "long nights" appears quite a few times, suggesting a clue. A local transient woman claims she had seen a devil "flying on the wind, his silver wings stretched out behind him." Charity clothing collection for Hungarian refugees is cleverly woven into the plot. I cannot reveal the nature of another strong undercurrent and motif as it would provide a spoiler, but it is masterfully handled by the author.

I have to admit it would be hard to get entranced by the dynamics of plot, which is not a major problem because - in my view - the novel is really about the British class society and its peculiarities as reflected in the education system. Mr. le Carré's writing is first class, on par with the best classical British mysteries. It's hard not to like erudite sentences like

"'The moment of truth in a good meal! Übergangsperiode between entremets and dessert,'[...]"

Characterization of George Smiley is also top-notch and I recognize in him exactly the same personality as in the later books. Yet to me, the novel does not rise to the excellence of The Spy Who Came from the Cold, Smiley's People, or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. However one nice effect of reading A Murder of Quality is that now more than ever I want to re-read those later novels.

Three stars.




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