Forget James Bond, A Superior Spy Series Officially Returns Today

Nick Harkaway’s new novel, *The Taper Man*, was released on 5 November 2026, continuing the spy world created by his father, John le Carré. The article presents it as an alternative for readers seeking a darker, more grounded espionage story while the next James Bond film is still in development.

Set in 1965 during the Cold War, the novel follows George Smiley and the Circus as they target a senior Red Army officer in Moscow. After a British agent is shot in Helsinki, Smiley uncovers a Soviet operation that threatens his source; the investigation takes him to Los Angeles, while an agent in Leningrad pursues a Russian defector.