The Light of Day by Eric Ambler

First published in 1962

Arthur Simpson--petty thief, unemployed journalist, and occasional tourist guide--is one of Eric Ambler's finest creations. The son of an Egyptian mother and British father, Simpson is embittered by the unwillingness of either nation to claim him as one of its own.

When caught in the act of burglarizing a hotel room in Athens, Simpson is blackmailed into driving a Lincoln to Istanbul. Of course, the plan does not go well for Simpson, who soon finds himself caught between the schemers who induced him to make the trip and the Turkish police, who want to use him for their own ends. This well-paced thriller is sprinkled with moments of levity, nicely balancing the darkness that enshrouds Simpson as he becomes embroiled in a criminal plot. While the criminal characters are not as fully developed as Simpson, the novel works because Ambler makes the reader see the world through Simpson's eyes and feel his mounting sense of dread as events unfold.

Ambler creates an effective atmosphere.  Even when there seems to be little action, Ambler keeps the story in motion -- there's always something happening that holds the reader's attention.  There are elements of a mystery in the story as Simpson tries to discover the purpose of driving the Lincoln to Istanbul, but that secret is revealed well before the novel's end. At that point, suspense builds as Simpson finds himself caught between the desires of the police and the crooks. The suspense is palpable, and for that reason I recommend The Light of Day as a true thriller.

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