The Mask of Dimitrios
AuthorEric Ambler
LanguageEnglish
GenreAdventure novel,
Spy novel
Published in English
1939
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
OCLC854980711
Preceded byCause for Alarm 
Followed byJourney into Fear 

The Mask of Dimitrios is a 1939 novel by Eric Ambler. In the United States it was published as A Coffin for Dimitrios.[1]

The book is sometimes regarded as Ambler's finest,[2] however this is disputed.[3]

Ambler's discussions with Turkish exiles in Montparnasse provided some of the inspiration for the book.[2]

The character Charles Latimer also features in The Intercom Conspiracy.

Plot

Mystery writer Charles Latimer meets Colonel Haki of the Turkish police. Haki believes Latimer would be interested in the career of the notorious criminal Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue. Latimer, who is indeed intrigued, begins an independent investigation of the details of Dimitrios' criminal career, and learns some information about it which is more dangerous than he had anticipated. He soon finds himself fighting for his life against a ruthless, capable enemy.

Reception & Adaptation

The book has received positive reviews. The Wall Street Journal called it "a startling, elegant masterpiece of espionage fiction."[4] The Pequod described it as "a first-rate book, with lucid prose, complex characters, and a well-structured plot," and rated the book a 9.5 out of 10.[5] On the crime fiction website Crime Reads, the editor and columnist Neil Nyren said, "I’ve worked with many writers of international suspense, and whenever I’ve wanted to recommend a book to any of them that captures the genre as well as any book possibly can—this is the one I send them to."[6] The book has been adapted as a radio play and made into a feature-length film, The Mask of Dimitrios.

In the 1957 novel From Russia, with Love, James Bond reads The Mask of Dimitrios while on a flight to Istanbul.

References

  1. ↑ Ambler, Eric (19 October 2011) [1939]. A Coffin for Dimitrios. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307949950.
  2. 1 2 "Obituary: Eric Ambler". The Independent. 23 October 1998. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022.
  3. ↑ Jones, Thomas (5 June 2009). "Thomas Jones on thriller writer Eric Ambler". the Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Weinman, Sarah (23 May 2009). "Startling Spy Story". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "A Coffin for Dimitrios | The Pequod". the-pequod.com. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Eric Ambler: A Crime Reader's Guide to the Classics". CrimeReads. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
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