 First edition | |
| Author | John le Carré |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Spy fiction |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
Publication date | 1993 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 443 |
| ISBN | 0-679-42513-6 |
| OCLC | 28528951 |
| 823.914 L456 | |
| LC Class | PR6062.E33 L43 1993 |
The Night Manager is an espionage novel by British writerJohn le Carré, published in 1993. It was his first post-Cold War novel, detailing an undercover operation to bring down a major international arms dealer.
Jonathan Pine, a former British soldier trained at theDuke of York's Royal Military School, is a night manager at the Hotel Meister Palace inZurich. Richard Onslow Roper, a billionaire trafficker in arms and drugs, arrives with his entourage during a snowstorm. Pine bears a grudge against Roper from an incident which occurred years prior, inCairo, where Pine was working as the night manager at the luxurious Queen Nefertiti hotel. The owner of the Queen Nefertiti, Freddie Hamid, had ties to Roper. Hamid's mistress, Sophie, was a French-Arab woman who provided Pine with incriminating documents about Roper, asking him to forward them to the Egyptian authorities. Pine did so but disregarded her warning that Roper had ties to British intelligence. He forwarded copies to a friend withMI6, and a short time later, Sophie was murdered.
In Switzerland, Pine is approached by ex-MI6 Chief Leonard Burr and senior civil servant Rex Goodhew, who are planning an elaboratesting operation against Roper. Eager to avenge Sophie, Pine agrees to go undercover to infiltrate Roper's criminal empire. The operation is jeopardised by an inter-agency turf war within the intelligence community and possible collusion with Roper. Burr's operation, a joint effort between his group and sympathetic American colleagues, is code-namedLimpet. Pine fabricates a criminal identity and cover story, then wins Roper's confidence by rescuing Roper's son from a phony kidnapping orchestrated by Burr. Roper recruits him into his organisation, in preparation for a large illegal arms deal with aColombiandrug cartel.
Unknown to Pine, the cartel's lawyer Dr. Paul Apostoll is an American Limpet informant. He explains to Burr that Roper has convinced the cartel to professionalise its armed forces to better protect itself against possible military intervention. Roper has agreed to supply the cartel with military-grade weaponry and training in exchange for a large shipment of cocaine. Apostoll convinces Roper that his usual front man, Major Corkoran, is unreliable, forcing Roper to use Pine instead. Corkoran is convinced that Pine is a plant, but cannot find any proof. During his work for Roper, Pine gathers intelligence about his activities. He also falls in love with Roper's innocent English mistress, Jed.
Corrupt factions within both theCIA andBritish intelligence are profiting from the illegal arms trade and mount a counter-operation, Flagship. They subtly threaten Goodhew, who backs off the case, and betray Apostoll's status as an informant to the cartels. Under torture, Apostoll reveals Pine's true identity to Roper, and is murdered. Pine is captured and tortured on Roper's yacht.
To save Pine, Burr contacts one of Roper's men, Sir Anthony Bradshaw, a corrupt English aristocrat, and bluffs that he has enough information to convict Roper and all of his associates. He tells Bradshaw that if Pine and Jed are released unharmed, he will likewise allow Roper to get away. Convinced by Burr's lies, Roper releases the two. Pine and Jed retreat to Pine's isolated cottage at theLanyon, a few miles fromLand's End.
Kirkus Reviews praised Le Carré's "mastery in the details".[1] A review inThe Washington Post criticised the "story-book ending... The good guys don't win, but they don't lose either."[2]
The Night Manager features the re-appearance of Harry Palfrey, the Legal Adviser to the British Secret Intelligence Service, who first appeared inThe Russia House. Sir Anthony Bradshaw previously appeared in the epilogue ofThe Secret Pilgrim, in which Leonard Burr also appears as the youthful Chief of the Service.
On 10 January 2015, production of an adaptation was announced. Directed bySusanne Bier, the six-part serial aired on BBC One in the UK and began airing on AMC in the US in April 2016. The cast includesTom Hiddleston as Pine,Hugh Laurie as Roper,Olivia Colman as a gender-swapped Burr,Tom Hollander as Corkoran, andElizabeth Debicki as Jed.[3]
AnIndian streaming series adaption starringAnil Kapoor andAditya Roy Kapur was released in 2023 onHotstar.[4]
