In 2023, Penguin Random House announced[1] that their imprint, Viking Press, would be publishing a novel (at the time untitled) written by Cornwell's son and set in the world of George Smiley.

Troubled by the death of field agent, Alec Leamas, and disaffected with The Circus (le Carré's fictional version of the British Secret Intelligence Service MI6), spymaster George Smiley has retired, apparently happily with his wife, Ann.

In the office of a small London literary agent, Szusanna Gero discovers that her fellow Hungarian émigré and employer László Bánáti has gone missing.

On the same day a professional killer Miki Bortnik, arrives at the office with the intention of killing Bánáti, but apparently has a religious vision, and allows himself to be taken into the Circus by Gero, who acts with remarkable initiative and calmness under pressure.

For reasons Smiley cannot understand, he has sought the assistance from Bogdan, a former friend he unwisely attempted to falsely betray many years before during a wave of purges, necessitating his exile from Hungary.

Meanwhile Bortnik seems willing to defect and Smiley persuades him to make a final crash meeting with his Moscow Centre handler before disappearing (into a Circus safe house).

At the meeting, following Smiley's instructions, Bortnik explains that the killing has not yet happened because somehow Róka ran before it could be achieved, but gives the impression that he intends to complete the job.

Guillam asks Mundt to trace Léo and he reports back that the Stasi paper trail implies that he was arrested but released.

Realising they have lost their advantage, and unable to do anything further in Berlin, Smiley, Gero and Lake travel to Vienna, with the intention of approaching Iren across the border in Budapest.

Gero meets Iren who explains that Róka, despite the danger, approached Bogdan for assistance because he had been a father figure to a senior Moscow Centre operative, we know to be Karla.