For the first time in his novels, le Carre has chosen a woman as a central character. She is Charlie, a "half-gypsy, half-flower child" mediocre British actress, inspired by his own half-sister Charlotte. Charlie is chosen, kidnapped, and brainwashed by the Israeli Kurtz to avenge the terrorist attacks on Jews throughout Europe and the Middle East. Charlie must play a kind of double agent, a role considered implausible and unconvincing by Walter Laqueur and other critics.

In preparing his work, le Carre visited the Middle East, Beirut, a PLO prisoner of war camp, and talked with Yasir Arafat, whom he found very pleasing. Hence both the Israeli intelligence officer Kurtz and the Palestinian leader called Khalil emerge as positive characters in the novel. Kurtz, who has brainwashed Charlie, is a fierce urban guerrilla, a man of great energy and purpose. Khalil is intelligent and elusive. Joseph, the pawn...