The Tailor of Panama by John le CarréMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
It is an atypical spy book. There is no suspense. A tailor in Panama is selected by the British to provide information to the British intelligence because his customers include top level officials of Panama including the President himself.
The tailor has been a con from the beginning of his life. His whole life is based on lies. The British use the information they have on him to coerce him to provide them with intelligence reports based on what he hears his customer's speak.
Finding no way to get out of the bind without jeopardizing his life he starts conning the British Intelligence Agent and starts feeding him stories of his own making interspersed with some real life hearsay.
The British Agent who recruits him is himself a fraud who is trying to make a quick buck by using this posting as a milking cow. Both together create a situation which leads to the friend of the tailor committing suicide. This provides the Americans a "peg" based on which they invade of Panama. This breaks the heart of the tailor who gives up his life while the British Agent having made is money starts making merry.
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