In this episode we continue our look at John le Carré’s 2008 novel, A Most Wanted Man.

I’m pleased to welcome back poet Clarissa Aykroyd to the show.

If you missed Part 1, you can find it here.

We talk about parallels between the novel’s characters and another famous spy duo, Jackson Lamb and Catherine Standish from Mick Herron’s ‘Slough House’ series. The conversation highlights the novel’s exploration of complex characters, long-term espionage strategies, and critiques of American actions post-9/11. We also discuss the film adaptation’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly praising its ending and Hoffman’s portrayal of the main character. Additionally, we speculate about a new TV adaptation of the novel for German television and its potential impact. The episode closes with a personal anecdote from Clarissa related to the novel.

All that and more in this episode.

Ernst Barlach Haus, the museum Clarissa mentioned from the book – https://www.barlach-haus.de/

Clarissa’s Website – https://thestoneandthestar.blogspot.com/

Clarissa’s Twitter – https://x.com/stoneandthestar

Jeff’s site – SpyWrite.com

Jeff’s twitter – @spywrite