retired spy george smiley is contacted by a wartime colleague, miss elsa brimley, who now edits a small christian magazine, 'christian voice'. she tells smiley that she has received a letter from a reader, stella rhodes, claiming that her husband is plotting to kill her. the woman's husband is a teacher at a public school in the town of carne. it so happens that terence fielding, brother of a classics professor who was one of smiley's close associates in british intelligence during the war, is a house master at the school. however, before smiley can intercede, stella rhodes is murdered. since stella's father and ancestors had been long time subscribers of the magazine, brimley feels obligated and guilty over the woman's death, asks smiley for help, with whom she had worked during the war as his secretory. smiley travels to carne to investigate.