Alfred Hitchcock said, "Mr. Ambler is phenomenal," and Graham Greene referred to him as "our greatest thriller writer." This is an ideal title for introducing listeners to this master. Ambler brilliantly paints realistic portraits of his characters and the foreign landscape, mixing suspense with a subtle twist for added color.
When Arthur Abdel Simpson first spots Harper in the Athens airport, he recognizes him as a tourist unfamiliar with the city and in need of a private driver—in other words, the perfect mark for Simpson's brand of entrepreneurship. But Harper proves to be more the spider than the fly when he catches Simpson searching his wallet for traveler's checks. Soon Simpson finds himself blackmailed into driving a suspicious car across the Turkish border. When he is caught again, this time by the police, he faces a choice: cooperate with the Turks and spy on his erstwhile colleagues or end up in one of Turkey's notorious prisons. The authorities suspect an attempted coup, but Harper and his gang of international jewel thieves have planned something less sinister but much, much more audacious.
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"I believe the title to this book when I read it was "The Light of Day," or something like that. But this change in title is a good way to attract people who like to see the movie first." — Robert (4 out of 5 stars)
"I believe the title to this book when I read it was "The Light of Day," or something like that. But this change in title is a good way to attract people who like to see the movie first."
“Mr. Ambler is phenomenal.”
“Ambler brings off this comic thriller with consummate zest.”
“Ambler is, quite simply, the best.”
“Ambler is incapable of writing a dull paragraph.”
“Ambler combines political sophistication, a gift for creating memorable characters, and a remarkable talent for turning exciting stories into novels of wonderful entertainment.”
“Ambler may well be the best writer of suspense stories…He is the master craftsman.”
“Ambler towers over most of his newer imitators.”
“Rely on Mr. Ambler to serve a hot thriller in a cool style.”
“Mr. Ambler has never done better.”
“Arthur Abdel Simpson…is one of fiction’s most delightful rogues, and his adventures provide the best Ambler entertainment in years.”
" Ambler's a reliable author. Even his average stuff is better than most people's best. I enjoyed this one, though the ending could have been written better. "
" Existential pre-to-post WW2 spy novel. I listened to a great reader. This story is pure fantasy, though. Hard to believe there could be so many stupid people waging war from both sides! "
" Spy story with quite a bit of action but a fairly bland storyline. "
" Better watch the movie. "
" OK OK. So I'm doing the Ambler thing. Need to go back in time now to the earlier books. "
" A very entertaining book! "
" Inspiration for the 1964 film TOPKAPI. Not as entertaining as the movie, but mercifully free of Melina Mercouri's hideous laughter. "
" The book is so good as the movie. Must try to watch this movie again. "
" Meh. Atmosphere and resolutely uncharming antihero don't make up for anticlimactic plot. Written so he could write off tourist trip to Turkey? "
Eric Ambler (1909–1998) graduated from London University and established himself as a writer with five classic novels of intrigue published between 1937 and 1940: Background to Danger, Epitaph for a Spy, Cause for Alarm, A Coffin for Dimitrios, and Journey into Fear. During World War II he served in the British Army and was discharged as a lieutenant colonel. He wrote and produced a number of motion pictures and was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay of Nicholas Monsarrat’s The Cruel Sea. He then returned to writing novels, many of which became New York Times bestsellers. He is widely considered the father of spy-espionage thrillers.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.
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