Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Short, well-plotted, and a must read if you plan on reading le Carre's later work....

This is the second George Smiley book in le Carre's incomparable and timeless espionage series. In this short novel (140 pages or so) a retired Smiley does an old friend from his spy days a favor by looking into a murder in a small town that houses a prestigious and elite school for boys. Whodunit, of course, is the order of the day. It's brilliantly written and, more important, builds the character of Smiley himself for later, more famous, novels. We learn a little about Smiley's failed marriage, as well as a tad about his espionage work during World War II. It's a worthwhile read and really, in my opinion, an absolute must if you wish to continue on to read the later Smiley novels. Highly recommended!