Nick Harkaway Expands Le Carré Universe in New Spy Thriller
The novel, titled 'The Taper Man,' sends George Smiley to the United States in 1965 and explores tensions between British and American intelligence.
By Amit Chukwu ·
Nick Harkaway’s new spy thriller, 'The Taper Man,' hit shelves in the U.K. this week and will arrive in the U.S. on Nov. 17 via Viking. The book is the second novel set in the world of his late father, John le Carré, following the 2024 release of 'Karla’s Choice.' Harkaway, who writes under his real first name, continues the story of George Smiley, the methodical spymaster of MI6.
Set in 1965, two years after the events of le Carré’s 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,' the novel transports Smiley to the United States. The plot follows the British agent as he chases a Soviet operative and navigates cultural friction with the C.I.A., a fictionalized agency le Carré referred to as 'The Cousins.' The title references a deep-cover agent left behind after a ring is dismantled, waiting for orders.
Harkaway described writing a Cold War story in 2026 as 'writing in the mirror.' He noted that the current global situation is 'weirdly the same in some slightly alarming ways' while also being 'weirdly different in some alarming ways.' He observed that many of the same diplomatic and strategic discussions are ongoing.
The author acknowledged the risk of writing within a beloved fictional universe. He stated that every review of his previous book began with the phrase, 'I really expected to hate this novel, and I didn’t.' Harkaway, born Nicholas Cornwell, is the youngest of four sons of David Cornwell, an M.I.6 agent who wrote under the le Carré pen name. Harkaway built his own career in science fiction before returning to the 'Smileyverse.'
He writes in a small office in north London, sitting in a chair he described as 'very uncomfortable' that belonged to his father. Harkaway recalled hearing his father read Smiley passages aloud for up to two hours a day during his childhood. His editor at Viking, Edward Kirke, said the new book is 'profoundly intelligent' and possesses 'beautiful moral murkiness.'
The novel contrasts the passive, listening nature of British intelligence with the aggressive ethos of the American agency. Harkaway wrote that the C.I.A. characters are 'warriors in this Cold War, not shadows.' This perspective aligns with le Carré’s critical view of U.S. foreign policy. The book also revives minor characters from earlier works, including Roy Bland, a left-wing M.I.6 agent from 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.'
Harkaway is currently writing at least one more Smiley novel set in the 1960s. His brothers run a production company behind the upcoming BBC and MGM+ series 'Legacy of Spies,' which stars Matthew Macfadyen as Smiley. The family is holding internal discussions about inviting other authors to write in the universe, with no new writers selected yet. Harkaway hopes the next author will have 'great prose' and might be a woman.
