Simon Harvester (1909–1975)

Murky espionage tale succeeds best as a travelogue through 1961 Iran. Agent Dorian Silk is a keen observer and he loves to skewer the fellow agent who called him in for support, then refuses to tell him anything. An intriguing exotic woman rounds out the picture. But amidst some really good writing, there are turns of phrase, that at least to my American ears, make no sense at all. Along with conversations in French, Turkish, Urdu, etc. etc. that make this book stand out from the pack. The author doesn't really seem to be seeking a mass audience here, just writing to amuse himself, and I'm sure he succeeded. I have one or two more of this series around the house, and I'm sure I'll take another plunge in a few months or years or perhaps even on my deathbed. I will admit that being wide awake while reading might have made this book more coherent!… (mer)