Customer Reviews

Cause for Alarm

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And dead men's cries do fill the empty air . . . I say, come forth, and fight with me!

These words of Warwick from Shakespeare's Henry VII, Part II seem a very appropriate theme for Eric Ambler's "Cause for Alarm". First published in 1938, when the Second World War had not officially started, Cause for Alarm painted a picture of a world where the dying had already begun, albeit in the streets and alleys of Europe if not yet on the battlefield.

For those not familiar with his work, Ambler was to the modern British spy novel what Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett were to the American detective novel. Ambler transformed the spy novel from a simplistic black and white world of perfect good guys versus nefarious bad guys into a far more realistic world where sometimes the difference between good and evil is not all that great.

Typically, Ambler would take an unassuming, unsuspecting spectator and immerse him in a world of mystery and intrigue in pre-World War II Europe. The result was a series of highly entertaining and satisfying books that many believe set the stage for the likes of le Carre, Deighton, and, most recently, Alan Furst.

"Cause for Alarm" follows Ambler's typical plot line. Nicky Marlow is a recently laid-off English engineer. He is also recently engaged. His search for employment grows increasingly frustrated until he answers and advertisement for what appears to be a somewhat down-at-the heels machine tool company. Despite being told that that the company (the aptly named Spartacus Machine Tool Co.) sells machine tools used in the armaments industry and is profitably engaged in selling its equipment to Italian `military-industrial complex' Marlow accepts a position as the company's Italian sales agent.

No sooner does Marlow arrive in Italy than he is swept up into a web of death and intrigue. He soon finds his predecessor was murdered and finds himself in the cross-hairs of the OVRA (fascist Italy's secret police), a `general' who may be either a Yugoslav or German spy, and Soviet secret agents. It seems as if everyone is telling Marlow, "come forth and fight with me." Marlow, at first at least, has buried his head in the sands and ignore the moral implications of his work. He is just doing his job, or so he says more than once.

As mentioned the basic outline of an Ambler novel, the innocent Brit caught in a web of sinister, cynical European intrigue, may be found in Cause for Alarm. However, the pleasure of reading Ambler is not just for the plot but for his keen eye for detail, his vivid but realistic prose (Ambler writes in a world where black and white is overwhelmed by shades of grey), and his ability to place his `small characters' and their problems in the context of a world about to go mad yet again. You won't find easy answers in an Ambler novel and you won't always find a knight in shining armor riding off into the sunset with `his lady'.

If you like well-written, realistic novels set in pre-war Europe you should read Ambler. Similarly, if you are a fan of Alan Furst (as I am) you should read Ambler. It is always worth going back to the source!

Highly recommended.

L. Fleisig

To read or not to read the great spy novels of Eric Ambler? That is the question most people ignore because they are not familiar with Mr. Ambler and his particularly talent.

Mr. Ambler has always had this problem. As Alfred Hitchcock noted in his introduction to Intrigue (an omnibus volume containing Journey into Fear, A Coffin for Dimitrios, Cause for Alarm and Background to Danger), "Perhaps this was the volume that brought Mr. Ambler to the attention of the public that make best-sellers. They had been singularly inattentive until its appearance -- I suppose only God knows why." He goes on to say, "They had not even heeded the critics, who had said, from the very first, that Mr. Ambler had given new life and fresh viewpoint to the art of the spy novel -- an art supposedly threadbare and certainly cliché-infested."

So what's new and different about Eric Ambler writing? His heroes are ordinary people with whom almost any reader can identify, which puts you in the middle of a turmoil of emotions. His bad guys are characteristic of those who did the type of dirty deeds described in the book. His angels on the sidelines are equally realistic to the historical context. The backgrounds, histories and plot lines are finely nuanced into the actual evolution of the areas and events described during that time. In a way, these books are like historical fiction, except they describe deceit and betrayal rather than love and affection. From a distance of over 60 years, we read these books today as a way to step back into the darkest days of the past and relive them vividly. You can almost see and feel a dark hand raised to strike you in the back as you read one of his book's later pages. In a way, these stories are like a more realistic version of what Dashiell Hammett wrote as applied to European espionage.

Since Mr. Ambler wrote, the thrillers have gotten much bigger in scope . . . and moved beyond reality. Usually, the future of the human race is at stake. The heroes make Superman look like a wimp in terms of their prowess and knowledge. There's usually a love interest who exceeds your vision of the ideal woman. Fast-paced violence and killing dominate most pages. There are lots of toys to describe and use in imaginative ways. The villains combine the worst faults of the 45 most undesirable people in world history and have gained enormous wealth and power while being totally crazy. The plot twists and turns like cruise missile every few seconds in unexpected directions. If you want a book like that, please do not read Mr. Ambler's work. You won't like it.

If you want to taste, touch, smell, see and hear evil from close range and move through fear to defeat it, Mr. Ambler's your man.

On to Cause for Alarm. The book begins powerfully with a prologue, Death in Milan. A man is waiting to follow an Englishman in the cold. The Englishman appears and crosses the street. A large limousine accelerates violently into him, running him over. The man next to the driver sees that the Englishman is still alive, and directs the driver to "Go back and make certain." They run over the Englishman again. This time, he dies.

English production engineer, Nicky Marlow has just gotten engaged, and almost as quickly loses his job when the Barton Heath works have to be closed when a key customer is lost. Jobs are scarce during the Depression, yet he turns down a chance to take a four year contract in Bolivia for small pay. Finally, he applies for and obtains a one-year assignment in Milan which will mean being away from his fiancee, who has encouraged him to be sensible. They can get married later.

The job means supplying equipment needed to make munitions, and Germany and Italy are now allies. So Marlow is put in the touchy position of helping make arms that may be used later against his countrymen. He closes his eyes to that problem and begins doing his new job, replacing a predecessor who was unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident. Soon, strange characters begin courting his favors and offering him tempting deals. One of them even encourages him to play along with another of the characters. It seems that Marlow has unexpectedly put himself right in the middle of Britain's enemies as they spy on one another. Everyone needs him to do their bidding, and few care whether he survives or not. The Fascists even grab his passport to make him more vulnerable. Totally unprepared, he begins to pursue a dangerous double-timing game.

One of the reasons why I am so fond of this book (which I have read several times) is that it points out that when we ignore the morality of our business activities there will be a price to be paid. Another interesting moral question is what the right thing to do is when we are faced with the possibility of reducing risk to others by increasing the risk to ourselves. When are we obligated to do so?

The colorful figures of Zaleshoff and General Vagas make the story ever so much spicier. Neither are people with whom Marlow would have associated in England, yet the two are key to his making progress in Milan.

The book's structure is written like three novellas. The first details the situation in which Marlowe finds himself. The second involves his engagement in the espionage. The third relates his attempt to escape. You will feel like a person being sucked by the undertow out to sea as you progress from one novella to the next . . . as increasing fear and heaviness grip you.

After you finish, think about some place in your life where your work causes or could cause harm to others. How can you overcome that current or potential harm?

This novel has all the suspense, all the action -- and all the humor -- of other Eric Ambler novels. It also features one of my favorite fictional characters -- the Russian agent Andreas P. Zaleshoff. If you like spy fiction, this one's for you.

It's the late 1930's and the European continent is poised on the brink of war. British engineer Nicholas Marlow accepts a position in the Milan office of a machine tool manufacturing company known as Spartacus. Since Spartacus' products are used in the production of munitions, Marlow has access to information of value to those engaged in espionage.

A bit naive, Marlow is rather easily sucked into the cloak and dagger intrigue endemic to that time and place and rather unfortunately incurs the wrath of Mussolini's secret police.

Cause for Alarm is an engaging spy novel that has a smooth narrative flow. Moreover, Ambler's detailed knowledge of his subject matter is quite apparent. A solid 4 stars for this early contribution to the genre. Well worth reading.

Absolutely gripping first two -thirds of the book. Wonderfully draws you into its world, and takes you into the twists and turns of the spy world. However, the final third is a major let-down. Probably because we are jaded now, but the reversion to straight story in the last furlong was a marked dissapointment after the stirring middle section.

I enjoyed the first part of this book, wherein the protagonist Marlow gets involved -- reluctantly -- in intrigue in pre-war Italy. There was definite, palpable suspense as Marlow begins to attract the attention of a bunch of characters who may or may not be good guys in the Europe that is slowly drifting toward horrendous war. But at one point, a long and very improbable escape/chase scene takes place which, for me, destroyed the flow and rhythm of the book. It's as if the author wanted to eat up a lot of pages just so he could get to where he could wrap things up. Without that chase/escape scene, the book could have been a third shorter, and probably would have been a better book. I've read two other Ambler books and despite proper respect for his contribution to the genre, I don't think I'll read any others. Give me Furst, Deighton or other modern day espionage writers.

After reading several of Alan Furst's wonderful WWII espionage novels, I noticed that he cited Eric Ambler as a major influence. "Cause for Alarm" is the second Ambler I read, after "Coffin for Dimitrios." Although the plot of Alarm is not as twisty as that of Dimitrios, you really get a feel for what it might have been like to be an innocent bystander caught up in the intrigues of Fascist Italy. Interesting supporting characters round things out to make for a good, quick read.

I highly recommend this novel. Ambler is at his best. A great spy story with Ambler's average Joe who gets caught up in intrigue but perseveres and overcomes.

Cause for Alarm

The man Ferning is murdered at night in Milan, hit by a car to make it look like an accident. In England a production engineer loses his job due to the slump. After months, Nick Marlow decides to apply for a job that requires "fluent Italian". This company specializes in high-speed shell production for cannon. After Marlow arrives in Milan, he gets a visit from General Vagas, who says he was a friend of Ferning (Marlow is his replacement). Marlow reports to the Police for his residence permit, but peeves signor Capitano. Then he meets another businessman, Andreas Zaleshoff, who shows him a picture of Ferning, and offers advice, which Marlow spurns. Chapter V tells how to recognize the old-fashioned method of steaming open envelopes to read the letter.

Marlow meets Zaleshoff for dinner and is put wise to the situation. Ferning was murdered because he worked for Vagas; counter-espionage did this to avoid publicity. Marlow would be in danger if he accepted Vagas' offer. Vagas pays off important people so he is untouchable. Now Zaleshoff explains why Marlow should take Vagas' offer! Marlow is attacked and beaten by four men, it is only a warning.

But the secret deal with Vagas is exposed to the authorities; an overlooked human factor did something. Now Marlow has to flee, and he is helped by Zaleshoff. They begin walking cross-country, and hiding in the brush when necessary. This escape keeps your interest. The details about disguises and changing clothes are informative. Marlow gets his bonus from Vagas and returns to England. He then changes jobs.

This story follows the plot of "Background to Danger". A man gains important and dangerous knowledge while performing his job. He escapes by a long flight through the countryside until he crosses the border to an adjoining country. Later novels avoid this plot. This adventure story serves as a lesson the defense industry and politics that you won't find in your newspaper.