Janice - reviewed on 1/24/2016 + 647 more book reviews

A master suspense writer; a huge influence on Alan Furst, who is my favorite historical spy/suspense author. This is not a historical novel; Eric Ambler was writing during the time when these events would have occurred, and he knew his world well. If you want a feeling for the times and attitudes that your grandparents lived with and understood, you couldn't do better than to read Ambler. He's a terrific writer.

This particular book was the basis for the classic movie "A Mask for Dimitrios"; the English writer character Latimer of the book was changed to a Hollander called Leyden so that Peter Lorre could play him. Ambler's novel has more emphasis on the political aspect of Dimitrios's activities; he was essentially a terrorist for hire. But if you've seen the movie (which I had before I read this), you know the ending, but you don't know all the ramifications of the events that preceded it.

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