John Le Carré did not invent the spy thriller, but there is no doubt that over the past half century, he has perfected it in ways that his predecessors can only imagine. With this new release, the 79-year-old master spins another gripping tale about international skulduggery. Our Kind of Traitor begins with a friendly Antiqua tennis game between former Oxford tutor Perry Makepiece and avuncular Russian businessman "Dima" Krasnov. That match (which the Russian loses) becomes the prelude to a daunting proposal: Dima wants to defect and asks Perry to become the middleman. From there, as the story escalates and the pace heightens, Makepiece and his lawyer girlfriend find themselves entangled in matters far beyond their experience. An artfully accessible literary thriller by the author of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; and The Tailor of Panama. Editor's recommendation.