Journey into Fear » (~)

Eric Ambler is often said to have invented the modern suspense novel. Beginning in 1936, he wrote a series of novels that were touted for their realism, in which he introduced ordinary protagonists who are thrust into political intrigue they are ill prepared to deal with. In the process he paved the way for such writers as John Le Carre, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum.

Returning to his hotel room after a late-night flirtation with a cabaret dancer at an Istanbul b™ite, Graham is surprised by an intruder with a gun. What follows is a nightmare of intrigue for the English armaments engineer as he makes his way home aboard an Italian freighter. Among the passengers are a couple of Nazi assassins intent on preventing his returning to England with plans for a Turkish defense system, the seductive cabaret dancer and her manager husband, and a number of surprising allies. Thrilling, intense, and masterfully plotted, Journey Into Fear is a classic suspense tale from one of the founders of the genre.

Library Journal

Released in 1940, Journey finds protagonist "Graham" trying to make his way home to England from a job in Europe. Among his souvenirs are plans for the Turkish defense system, which a pair of Nazi spies greatly covet. In Judgment (1951), Foster-another protagonist with a single name-is hired to cover the trial of an alleged spy and finds himself getting far more than he bargained for after meeting the man's wife. These are solid reads for espionage fans. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.