Our book group choice for November 2016 is Uncommon Danger by Eric Ambler. Everything began for Kenton with a game of dice which left him broke.
Kenton is a down-at-heel freelance journalist who loses money gambling and takes the train to Vienna to borrow money from a man he knows there, Rosen, a Jew he helped escape Germany after the Nazis came to power. He is befriended on the train by a shifty foreigner, Sachs, who asks him to carry a package through customs on the Austrian border and who seems to be being followed on the train. When they arrive at Linz, Sachs asks Kenton to carry the envelope off the train and bring it to him at a particular hotel later that night.
Kenton agrees, but when he arrives at the hotel, Sachs is nowhere to be found. He leaves the envelope with the hotel clerk, but when he returns the next day, the envelope is gone. Kenton is arrested by the Austrian police, who believe that he is involved in espionage.
Kenton is released from jail, but he is still under suspicion. He is followed by the police and by a mysterious group of men. He tries to track down Sachs, but he is unsuccessful.
Kenton eventually learns that the package he was carrying contained plans for a new German military aircraft. The plans were stolen by a group of British agents, and Kenton is now being hunted by the Germans and the British.
Kenton goes on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of his pursuers. He travels to Prague, Paris, and London, all the while trying to figure out who he can trust and who is trying to kill him.
Uncommon Danger is a classic spy thriller, full of suspense, intrigue, and action. Here are some additional details about the novel:
- The novel is set in Europe in the years leading up to World War II.
- The protagonist, Kenton, is a down-at-heel freelance journalist who gets caught up in a dangerous game of espionage.
- The novel features a cast of well-developed characters, including Kenton, Rosen, Sachs, and the mysterious group of men who are following Kenton.
- The novel is full of suspense, intrigue, and action.
- The novel was adapted into a film in 1943, titled Background to Danger.
Uncommon Danger is a classic spy thriller that is still well-worth reading today. It is a well-written and exciting novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you are a fan of spy thrillers, then you should definitely check out Uncommon Danger.
Discussion Questions for Uncommon Danger
- Did you finish the book and did you enjoy reading the book? Given that we finished reading it a month ago, can you still remember what happened?
- Graham Greene and John Le Carré were big fans of these Ambler novels, Le Carré calling him “the source on which we all draw”. But what did you think of the plot and how it revealed itself?
- Was it too complicated or too simple? Did it need more twists? Has the book stood the test of time?
- Were the characters fully-formed and believable or more like stereotypes? Is there any character in particular that you feel is a caricature?
- Is it a thriller or a spy novel? How does this compare with modern spy novels – e.g Le Carré, Deighton, etc
- The book has a left-wing bias. The Russians are heroic “moderate radicals” and capitalism is the antihero. How do you think this would have been received at the time of publication?
- What do you think Ambler was trying to say about…communism/ fascism?
- What do you think about the style and quality of the writing?
- There are several passages in foreign language with no translation. I wonder if the average contemporary reader was expected to understand these paragraphs?
- Was the character of the protagonist too idealistic for a freelance newspaperman?
- Would you recommend the book to others and would you choose to read Eric Ambler’s other books?
Individual Comments
Sue's Rating 
EmmaT's Rating
Jo's Rating
Anthony's Rating
Baljit's Rating
Catherine's Rating