The Light of Day (1962)

The basis for the film TOPKAPI, this novel is much more than a heist/caper story. It is told in the first person by Arthur Abdel Simpson, a half-British, half-Egyptian who lives in Athens on the shady side of the law. He's one of life's losers and a terrible whiner, but Ambler somehow manages to make him an engaging character and we care what happens to him. Highly recommended. ( )

Told with Ambler's usual sense of authenticity. You always have the feeling that he's actually met the people in his novels, and was wandering along behind them when they were spying at the Kremlin or stealing jewels from the Louvre. Adding to this feeling in this novel is a startling sense of ambiguity, both of the main character's thoughts and feelings, and of the thoughts of the people around him as he describes them. In many novels like this the characters are straightforward; there are James Bonds - good through and through, as well as being tough and smart; there are Darth Vaders - evil personified that you wouldn't want to get within miles of; there are little, dishonest, snakelike sycophants. You don't get that in an Ambler novel. Our hero, a petty crook scratching out a living in Turkey, doesn't have many good points, but you have to admire his tenacity in attempting to keep his head above water and still working on getting his British passport. The police come across as completely convoluted in motives - worrying simultaneously about revolutions, jewel thieves, illegal immigrants, how many bribes they can get away with, and whether or not their own bosses are honest.

So don't come here if you're looking for a fairy tale. You don't end up knowing at the end if the bad guys get what's coming to them, or even who the bad guys are. For all of that, if you want a good, realistic spy novel involving the crazy complexities of mid 20th-century Europe, look no further than Eric Ambler, or The Light Of Day. ( )

This is the book on which the movie "Topkapi" was based, and it is a terrific caper story. Ambler's strong characterization and vivid sense of place add another layer to this excellent suspense nove. ( )

Written in first person, a street-smart confidence man/petty thief, finds himself in over his head in a rather mysterious, international conspiracy. Getting more than he bargained for, Arthur Abdel Simpson is forced to commit crimes beyond his abilities for both the criminals and persuing law. Eric Ambler conveys all the thoughts running through our disreputable protagonists mind, with a flair for credibility and a little comedy thrown in. An easy read, I'm looking forward to other stories written by Ambler about Istanbul and his talent for espionage suspense. ( )