The classic story of an ordinary man seemingly out of his depth, this is Ambler’s most widely acclaimed novel, “one of the masterpieces of the genre” (The New York Times Book Review).A chance encounter with a Turkish colonel leads Charles Latimer, the author of a handful of successful mysteries, into a world of sinister political and criminal maneuvers. At first merely curious to reconstruct … curious to reconstruct the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue, Latimer soon finds himself caught up in a shadowy web of assassination, espionage, drugs, and treachery that spans the Balkans.
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A classic in the realm of international intrigue and mystery. It was one of the first such crime/spy novels I ever read, and opened a world for me. Better than Le Carre. A must read for anyone fascinated by the fascinating world beyond our borders.
It’s a classic, of course. State of the art for suspense/mystery. Written in a leisurely style, this book is in a way a period piece of 1930’s noir. The narrator, a mystery novelist, decides to investigate the life of a real life criminal, presumed dead. But the criminal is not dead and neither are his friends or enemies, and the novelist finds …
I am in the middle of this vintage classic suspenseful mystery. I’m really enjoying it.
Published in 1939, a classic from a groundbreaking writer, basis of the 1944 film with Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. Ambler more or less invented the modern spy novel, downplaying cloak and dagger melodrama in favor of the nitty-gritty details of espionage as it was practiced in the real world. He introduced readers in Britain and the U.S. …
Interesting characters and a plot with lots of twists and few surprises make this an entertaining read about European spies and underworld characters in the 1930s. I would have appreciated a list of characters and an interpretation of the many non-English words and phrases, though.
Great premise for the story line, but there was way too much introspection and forehead slapping from the protagonist, which really slowed the story down.
My favorite mystery of all time owing to the great characters, the era it captures with such wit and cynicism and the keenly intelligent writing.
Brilliant classic Ambler!
Classic espionage. You have to be prepared to read something old school.
Ambler is a fine writer who knows how to construct a gripping tale and uses the language with elegance.