The cast of characters includes a bright, twisted former hero of the German underground, a once-beautiful woman with a terrifying secret, a high-ranking pompous fool of a bureaucrat, and a suspect British civil servant. The protagonist, George Smiley, is bitter, wearyhe has seen too much and done too muchyet he cannot refuse one last desperate call for his services.

Frederick Davidson is a recipient of the Golden Voices Award and numerous Earphones Awards. After performing for years in many BBC radio plays, he came to America in 1976. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks.