Books

First edition, first impression. The author's third novel was written whilst Ambler was living in France; "his money went further there, but also it was a more stimulating environment. 'France was full of emigrés, some living on their wits, others with the most lurid of pasts. These were the sort of people I wanted to write about'" (ODNB). Octavo. Original blue cloth, title to spine and front cover in black, blue endpapers. With dust jacket. With the ownership inscription of Welsh opera singer Geraint Evans, dated 1971, to the front free endpaper. Spine gently rolled, light fading to spine, slight rubbing to extremities, foxing and a little light scratching to top edge; a very good copy in the jacket with nicks to extremities, tape repair to verso, tiny closed chip to join of spine and rear panel, slight creasing to front panel. .

Set in a small hotel on the French Riviera, the book tells the story of Josef Vadassy, an innocent language teacher caught in a deadly game of espionage.