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Eric Ambler
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A Coffin for Dimitrios Paperback – October 9, 2001

by Eric Ambler (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,663 ratings
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ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • The classic story of an ordinary man seemingly out of his depth, this is Ambler's most widely acclaimed novel, "one of the masterpieces of the genre" (The New York Times Book Review).

A chance encounter with a Turkish colonel leads Charles Latimer, the author of a handful of successful mysteries, into a world of sinister political and criminal maneuvers. At first merely curious to reconstruct the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue, Latimer soon finds himself caught up in a shadowy web of assassination, espionage, drugs, and treachery that spans the Balkans.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    304 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
  4. Publication date
    October 9, 2001
  5. Dimensions
    5.24 x 0.69 x 7.95 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0375726713
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0375726712
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Our greatest thriller writer." --Graham Greene

"Anyone who hasn't read Ambler is in for a real treat." --The Washington Post Book World

From the Inside Flap

A chance encounter with a Turkish colonel with a penchant for British crime novels leads mystery writer Charles Latimer into a world of sinister political and criminal maneuvers throughout the Balkans in the years between the world wars. Hoping that the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue, will inspire a plot for his next novel, Latimer soon finds himself caught up in a shadowy web of assassination, espionage, drugs, and treachery.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (October 9, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375726713
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375726712
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.24 x 0.69 x 7.95 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,663 ratings

About the author

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Eric Ambler

Eric Ambler

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Eric Ambler is often said to have invented the modern suspense novel. Beginning in 1936, he wrote a series of novels that introduced ordinary protagonists thrust into political intrigues they were ill prepared to deal with. These novels were touted for their realism, and Ambler established himself as a thriller writer of depth and originality. In the process he paved the way for such writers as John Le Carre, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum. He was awarded four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger from The Crime Writers Association, named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers Association, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. In addition to his novels, Ambler wrote a number of screenplays, including A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Academy Award nomination.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
1,663 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

fra7299
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, engaging thriller as we follow everyman novelist Latimer
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2021
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“The situation in which a person, imagining fondly that he is in charge of his own destiny, is, in fact, the sport of circumstances beyond his own control, is always fascinating.”

Thus, it is with a certain Charles Latimer, a novelist who specializes in crime fiction. In Eric Ambler’s novel, Latimer gets a real taste of what makes up the mind of a criminal.

I think one of the most engaging angles of this novel is simply the notion of the everyman in Latimer seemingly “in over his head” as he progresses throughout the novel. Latimer is introduced to a glimpse of the life of a notoriously infamous criminal named Dimitrios by a stroke of circumstance when a body washes ashore in Istanbul. His fascination piqued, Latimer goes to great lengths to seeks out and formulate a timeline for the criminal’s career, including some of his most notorious deeds. To do this, Latimer not only does some research on the side through court documents and newspaper archives, but even digs deeper by encountering some of those who knew the criminal in some capacity. But, at what point is Latimer crossing the line and threshold into Dimitrios’ life and past at his own peril? An obsession of sorts consumes and takes hold of Latimer, and he feverishly pursues his quest for knowledge of this man.

I thought this was an amazingly effective thriller and spy type novel. It has all the make up and elements that engage the reader throughout: assassination attempts, espionage and spy tricks, duplicity and deception, treachery, and murder. Ambler puts us right into Latimer’s shoes and we experience the events upfront as an innocent bystander. The pacing of the novel is quite epic as it builds with a momentum of tension layer by layer as we move along through each chapter. In this way, I think Ambler plots this novel so succinctly and effectively to reach the utmost intrigue as we become embroiled in the mystery along with its main character. And the final chapters are as intense as I have read and had me on the edge of my seat as I plowed through to see how things concluded.

In short, there is a definite expert level of storytelling here from Ambler, with twists, shocking revelations, and mystery at every corner. A very fascinating read, and I look forward to more works from this author.
4 people found this helpful
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HMS Warspite
4.0 out of 5 stars The man behind the mask...
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2014
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Author Eric Ambler thrilled an earlier generation of readers with his espionage and crime novels and screenplays. His work has held up remarkably well as a reading experience. "A Coffin for Dimitrios" is generally considered one of his best, first published in 1939. It is the story of an Englishman named Latimer, a writer of crime fiction who becomes involved in the pursuit of a real Greek criminal named Dimitrios. The setting of the novel, in a tumultuous Europe between the World Wars, is now a bit dated, but Ambler's brisk prose and flair for interesting characters and intrigue should carry the modern reader through the twisting and turning plot, as Latimer follows a thin trail of clues to a surprising discovery and to an understanding of his target. The settings of the novel, in Turkey, Eastern Europe, and France, sound authentic and add to the flavor of an exotic story. Ambler is generally considered to have laid the groundwork for later writers such as LeCarre, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum. Recommended.
4 people found this helpful
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R. Horick
5.0 out of 5 stars A coffin so well-made is hard to find
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2009
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For the sake of accuracy, the version of the book under review is the 1976 hardback reprint (by American Reprint Co.) of an Alfred A. Knopf edition, presumably the one copyright 1943, of A Coffin for Dimitrios. There is no dust cover; the hardback cover contains only the title and the author's name on a plain, light-grey binding. It is a well-made, though modest volume: serviceable but no collector's item.

There are many excellent reviews on Amazon of this outstanding early spy novel in a paperback version. Please read them to enjoy much literate and amusing opinion about it. Suffice it to say that I, like the others, thoroughly enjoyed it.

I reveled in the very correct demeanor, but delightfully ironic language, of the narrator, who tells the story of Latimer (note play on "Ambler"), an obscure professor at a minor English university turned writer of detective stories, "... one of the shamefaced few who could make money at the sport." One occasionally emerges from following along into the accelerating gyre into which Latimer allows himself to be led, stopping while coming up for air to reflect on what great sport the author is having with the reader, leading one into ever more improbable, but thoroughly absorbing adventures. What a tour de force, that he can carry off this wild and exuberant trail of strange encounters, yet maintain his very British sang froid. One certainly wonders why seek, at such peril, for Dimitrios, who takes ever more formidable shape, despite being dead, apparently, almost from the outset. The author nails together the coffin, plank by plank, but who will wind up in it?
3 people found this helpful
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M. Beavers
3.0 out of 5 stars Too long, too tedious
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020
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The book began well with its high adventure & intrigue. The author's work on such a book was exhausting but a great accomplishment. I liked the book in the beginning. But as I read on & on & on it became way too much information & overload. Also, there are too many characters & hundreds of details that no person could ever hold them in his understanding. This weakened the story & its plot greatly. The book would have been far better with good editing, fewer words, and a tighter plot. ---- The author's "Journey into Fear" is far, far better, but perhaps a bit too long. ---- by Marcus Beavers, Canton, GA USA 10-31-2020
4 people found this helpful
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doug noakes
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Arrived in Great Condition!
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
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And I also got the book a few days early!
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John D
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read with some wisdom thrown in.
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2019
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Entertaining book to read . Full of intrigue and getting to the bottom of evil in quite a realistic way . Yes it's fiction but it's written on the basis of truth and offers some wisdom and insight in life .
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Top reviews from other countries

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Tucho58
5.0 out of 5 stars Devolución correcta
Reviewed in Spain on December 21, 2023
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La devolución se hizo correctamente. Me equivoqué y no vi que era en inglés.
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Sean P. Durham
5.0 out of 5 stars Eric Ambler's thriller writing abilities are legendary
Reviewed in Germany on March 26, 2023
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I've just finished "The Mask of Dimitrios", by Eric Ambler. A very enjoyable thriller set in 1930s Europe, where the movers and shakers of money and politics are drug dealers, assassins, and jet-set low-lives who operate above the law.
Easy reading because of brilliant writing that leads the reader along a trail of "whodunnit" cum "what the hell really happened", mystery.
Eric Ambler's thriller writing abilities are legendary, his writing is perfect for a cold and windy night.
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Kedarnath Awati
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the pre-war Eric Ambler novels...
Reviewed in India on March 22, 2021
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The protagonist of this amazingly "modern" work is a British writer of murder mysteries. While on a visit to Istanbul he is befriended by a senior Turkish policeman. Through him he satisfies his rather prurient curiosity to see the dead body of a notorious criminal, Dimitrios. Not too much is known about this criminal although he was known to have dealt in drugs and was possibly connected to a Balkan leader's assassination attempt. Latimer, the mystery writer is fascinated by this man's past and takes it upon himself to uncover the more opaque moments from Dimitrios's past. His labours put him in touch with an unsavoury Mr. Peters and put his own life in danger.
Apart from the direct form of narrative, there are several diverting ways by which either the plot is carried forward (as is the case with a letter Latimer writes from Geneva to a friend in Greece) or a predicament is described (as is the case with Latimer imagining how a judge in England would sum up the case against Latimer in case some of his activities became known to the authorities)
In any event, I have no hesitation in recommending this book to both lovers of thrillers as well as lovers of fine writing...
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fidi
5.0 out of 5 stars un capolavoro che non ha perso nulla
Reviewed in Italy on October 28, 2015
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Libro che riporta con bravura il gusto del tempo, e sopravvive alla sua contemporaneità regalandoci un'opera che supera la barriera temporale...
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Lady Fancifull
5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterclass in how to write a spy thriller : Europe Between The Wars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2014
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The Mask of Dimitrios is in many ways an old-fashioned, intelligent thriller, displaying all the craft of disciplined good writing.

The central character, Latimer, is an academic and writer. He has written books on economics, but, latterly, has become successful as a writer of popular, well written detective stories. Travelling abroad whilst he works on finding a plot for his next novel, he happens, by chance encounter, to meet a high ranking Turkish colonel, through whom he gets drawn into hearing the story of Dimitrios, a man who evaded capture across Europe, for over a decade. He was implicated in several murders, political assassination attempts, was some kind of mercenary, and ran a drug ring. In short, he was some kind of personification of the master criminal.

Latimer, almost idly, is intrigued to see, as a writer of detective stories, if he himself can do some detection into all the many gaps in Dimitrios' history.

By making his central character a writer, not a professional investigator, criminal, journalist, policier, secret service agent or political activist, Ambler has found the perfect method for instructing the reader in any background information which is needed, without the novel degenerating into a lecture on policing, the autopsy room, the drug trade, espionage and the like. Latimer, like us, is innocent of these things and will need instruction. Ambler uses an old fashioned, third person narration, which works perfectly well - the author as a cool, cerebral narrator of events. Latimer seeks out various experts along the way who can do things like translate official records written in Bulgarian, explain how spies are recruited and run, and the like. All these experts are also interesting, rounded, individualistic characters, who have unique voices; not just vehicles for information.

What did however strike me forcibly is that what is absolutely missing in the novel is `the personal' None of the characters are given any domestic background. We know nothing about husbands, wives, parents, children, siblings or friends. Everyone is engaged in the business of the central story, and the `wants' and motives are, in the main, greed, money, power. This is a deadly and cerebral crossword puzzle of detection. And utterly successful at that.

Ambler has the reader as feverishly unable to leave the story alone, and desirous of knowing `what happens next' as Latimer himself. And he does this with an incisive writing style, and what is clearly his own urbane sense of wit and humour. This is also given as one of Latimer's engaging qualities, keeping the reader closely engaged with, and rooting for, our central character

A stylish, engaging and pacey thriller, whisking the reader effortlessly through several European countries during the 20s and early 30s
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