約翰·勒卡雷，原名大衛·康威爾（David Cornwell），1931年生於英國。18歲便被英國軍方情報單位招募，擔任對東柏林的間諜工作；退役後在牛津大學攻讀現代語言，之後於伊頓公學教授法文與德文。1959年進入英國外交部，同時開始寫作。1963年以第三本著作《柏林諜影》一舉成名，知名小說傢格林如此盛贊：“這是我讀過的最好的間諜小說！”從此奠定文壇大師地位。

勒卡雷一生得奬無數，包括1965年美國推理作傢協會的愛倫坡奬，1964年的英國毛姆奬、James Tait Black紀念奬，1988年獲頒英國犯罪推理作傢協會（CWA）終身成就奬，即鑽石匕首奬（另外在1963年與1977年兩次獲頒金匕首奬），以及意大利Malaparte Prize等等。2005年，CWA更是將其最高榮譽“金匕首奬中之奬”授予勒卡雷。至今已齣版21部作品，已有11部被改編為電影與電視劇。

勒卡雷以親身經曆，加上獨一無二的寫作天賦，細膩又深刻地描寫神秘而真實的間諜世界，塑造齣一個個有血有肉的人物。兩難的道德處境、曖昧的善惡定義，內容富含哲理，情節引人入勝，讀來欲罷不能，不愧為享譽全球的大師級作傢！

THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLE

Frightening, heartbreaking and exquisitely calibrated, The Constant Gardener is a profoundly moving story of a man ennobled by his wife’s tragic murder, and a magnificent exploration of the dark side of unbridled capitalism.

“Another classic narrative. Nobody writing today manipulates suspense better. Nobody constructs a more tantalizingly complex plot. A powerful, moving novel that stands with le Carre’s best. It is, in other words, essential reading.”

------ Sunday Telegraph

“Le Carre poses deep spiritual questions about the damage [the human race] has done, and continues to do, both to the planet and to itself. He does so in a page-turner which reminds us that the master storyteller of the Smiley books has lost none of his cunning.”

----- Daily Mail

“Richly detailed, full of righteous fire to offset its desperate prognosis, The Constant Gardener is a very impressive piece of work. It is certainly one of John le Carre’s best books.”

------ The Times Literary Supplement

“This is le Carre with a new twist, the Old Master developing new techniques for a new age. . . What is different in this book, however, is the passion.

----- The Times