The Mission Song: a novel by John le Carre

Out of Africa**** February 4,2007

With the end of the Cold War 15 years ago , John le Carre had to find new plot lines. The Mission Song is a return to the African theme, although the plot and plotting takes place in London and an island in the English Channel. The narrator is Bruno "Salvo" Salvador, a 29-year-old interpeter of mixed parentage born in the Congo, but now married to a wealthy Britsh journalist, Penelope, and doing some interpretation work for a covert British agency on the side. Bruno's marriage is in rough shape and he has fallen for a Congolese nurse named Hannah. The main plot revolves around Bruno being asked to provide interpretation for a secret conference involving a shadowy Syndicate that is prepared to underwrite a revolution in the Congo to get their hands on its mineral and petroleum wealth.The other particpants include representatives of three factions the Syndicate wishes to use to put their puppet in power. At first, Bruno sees this as an opportunity to help the Congolese people but gradually he realizes the Syndicate's true purpose. He then sets out to thwart their plot. But he gets caught in a web of his own making. This is not on a par with le Carre's Cold war novels but it's enjoyable read nonetheless.