I haven't read a good spy novel in a while - and this was a great one. Truly well written, and an amazing story given how short the book is. I tore through it in one day! 
 It really dove into what it's like to be in the spy world. A world where, as Le Carre mentions several times in the novel, the only rule is to do what's best for your country. When you play that kind of game morals are thrown out the window. Murder, traitorism, disloyalty - are all ok in the name of great good. And operatives who live in this world have a hard time "coming in from the cold" - as did Laemas. 
 The description of how Laemas had to go to personally go to pieces in order to get thrown in jail and get recruited by the Germans was impressive. He had to basically pretend to become an alcoholic, start sucking at his job, ostracize all his friends and anyone he met, and hit total rock bottom, until he was thrown in jail. That's impressive. Not something I think most people could do - which is why the Spy world is such and interesting one. 
 The issue of the unmorality of the spy world was Liz (Laemas' love interest)'s main issue with the events. But Laemas was hardened to it and still looked at it from the greater good angle - though people were killed in the end it was a win for London, after all. It was interesting that the last lines of the novel had him thinking about some kids he almost ran over in his car once: as though he wanted to get back to that place where normal rules applied.