Topkapi
A hapless con man is pressed into spying on a gang with its eye on the treasures of Istanbul.
Eric Ambler’s comic thriller, first published as The Light of Day, is narrated by Arthur Abdel Simpson, a small-time crook and con man living in Athens. Caught in a petty theft, he is forced by the Turkish police to spy on a gang he is driving into Istanbul, only to find they plan to rob the Topkapi Palace. It was filmed as Topkapi in 1964.
Recommended by 1 Person
M. C. Beaton
This really is the funniest, best-written book ever. It’s about a wee silly man called Arthur, a sneak thief, who gets caught up in a plan to rob the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Peter Ustinov was in the film of the same name and he did it brilliantly. The book is written in such a way that you end up rooting for this awful little man. He’s a great craftsman, Eric Ambler: I think he’s better than John le Carré.
Interview · December 2010
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