Spies of the Balkans by Alan Furst
Salonika, 1940. To the bustle of tavernas and the smell of hashish, a secret war is taking shape. In the backrooms of barbers, envelopes change hands, and in the Club de Salonique the air is thick with whispers. Costa Zannis is the city's dashing chief detective - a man with contacts high and low, in the Balkans and beyond. And as unknown ships and British 'travel writers' trickle through the port, he is a man very much in demand. Having helped defeat Italy in the highlands of Macedonia, Zannis returns to a city holding its breath. Mussolini's forces have retreated - for now - but German sights are fixed firmly on the region. And as the situation in Germany worsens, Zannis becomes involved in an audacious plot - smuggling Jews to Istanbul, through the back door of Europe. The British hear he can penetrate the continent's closed borders, and soon Zannis is embroiled in the resistance, and in a reckless love affair that could jeopardise everything. With a remarkable cast of operatives and a thrilling change of locale, SPIES OF THE BALKANS probes a dangerous new frontier on the espionage battlefield.
'As delicately crafted as John le Carre at the height of his George Smiley years, it is a delight from first page to last.. Seductive, unexpectedly sexy... it's told with an elegance that reverberates long after it's finished: it is quite superb' -- Geoffrey Wansell DAILY MAIL - 25 June 2010 'It's classic Furst - elegantly written, faultlessly researched, full of lovely details... Excellent.' THE GUARDIAN - 26 June 2010 'Furst's characters have the foibles, frailties and fears of humanity under pressure... it is a thriller but with real people and real history. I cannot wait for my next Furst.' -- Denis MacShane MP Minister for the Balkans 2001-05 THE INDEPENDENT - 2 July 2010 'enthralling evocation of the Balkans in 1940... A dark, frightening, instructive tale.' -- Jessica Mann LITERARY REVIEW 'intensely cinematic... the visual texture is rich and the Furst-world closes around the reader with an agreeable chill from the outset' TLS 'The literary style belies a deftly paced plot in an old-fashioned spy thriller more reminiscent of John Le Carre and Graham Greene than Ian Fleming. Highly recommended.' THE IRISH TIMES
Alan Furst has lived for long periods in France, especially in Paris, and has travelled as a journalist in Eastern Europe and Russia. He has written extensively for ESQUIRE and the INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE. He lives in New York State.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780297858881 |
| ISBN 10 | 0297858882 |
| Title | Spies of the Balkans |
| Author | Alan Furst |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Orion Publishing Co |
| Year published | 2010-06-17 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |