"The Tailor of Panama" by John Le Carre
Since he also wrote a wonderful spy thriller called "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy", where those occupational references were "code names" for suspected turn coats, I wondered if the "tailor" referred to a character from a previous novel?
But no. In this post-Soviet era novel, published 1996, Harry Pendel is an expert and savvy British tailor to the cream of society in Panama: local dignitaries including the President, as well of foreigners of all nationalities--but all wealthy and powerful. In the perfect position to facilitate espionage; Harry is trapped into assisting his government in the effort to keep a finger on the pulse of the disposition of the Panama Canal once the Americans turn it over to the local government at the end of the century.
There is a perfect anti-hero and some great characters who populate the British Embassy. I'm not going to say one more word about the plot, since the twists are part of the enjoyment.
My favorite part of the book is the method the author uses to tell the story: it's as if we are sitting in the pub or bar having drinks with the worldly, all-knowing narrator. He tell the story in casual diction, it feels like the story wanders pleasantly as the narrator has a few more drinks--no, he is providing back ground. After I finished the book, I had to go Google all I could find on Panama and the Canal. I watched several You Tubes and satisfied my curiosity.
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