The Siege of the Villa Lipp

Ebook
On sale Dec 11, 2012 | 256 Pages | 9780307950048

The “Able Criminal”, as defined by noted criminologist Frits Krom, strikes with no discernible pattern or method, and flies below the radar of crime syndicates and law enforcement agencies alike. He is virtually uncatchable—but Krom is willing to try. He knows that Paul Firman, the director of an ostensibly legitimate international investment firm, is in fact an expert in tax avoidance and a textbook Able Criminal. Surprisingly, Firman agrees to submit to an interview with Krom and his two colleagues at his secluded villa on the French Riviera. He’s more than a little curious about what they really want from him and confident he can avoid implicating himself. But it soon becomes evident that the host and his guests are under siege by a third party, one whose motives and violent intentions are unclear. If they are to survive, the criminal and the criminologists will have to band together.

The Siege of the Villa Lipp
is a classic Eric Ambler tale of suspense in which a man thrust into a high-stakes situation, far outside of his usual expertise, finds himself at the mercy of forces beyond his control.

Eric Ambler is often said to have invented the modern suspense novel. Beginning in 1936, he wrote a series of novels that introduced ordinary protagonists thrust into political intrigues they were ill prepared to deal with. These novels were touted for their realism, and Ambler established himself as a thriller writer of depth and originality. In the process he paved the way for such writers as John Le Carré, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum. He was awarded four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association, named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers Association, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. In addition to his novels, Ambler wrote a number of screenplays, including A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Academy Award nomination. View titles by Eric Ambler

About

The “Able Criminal”, as defined by noted criminologist Frits Krom, strikes with no discernible pattern or method, and flies below the radar of crime syndicates and law enforcement agencies alike. He is virtually uncatchable—but Krom is willing to try. He knows that Paul Firman, the director of an ostensibly legitimate international investment firm, is in fact an expert in tax avoidance and a textbook Able Criminal. Surprisingly, Firman agrees to submit to an interview with Krom and his two colleagues at his secluded villa on the French Riviera. He’s more than a little curious about what they really want from him and confident he can avoid implicating himself. But it soon becomes evident that the host and his guests are under siege by a third party, one whose motives and violent intentions are unclear. If they are to survive, the criminal and the criminologists will have to band together.

The Siege of the Villa Lipp
is a classic Eric Ambler tale of suspense in which a man thrust into a high-stakes situation, far outside of his usual expertise, finds himself at the mercy of forces beyond his control.

Author

Eric Ambler is often said to have invented the modern suspense novel. Beginning in 1936, he wrote a series of novels that introduced ordinary protagonists thrust into political intrigues they were ill prepared to deal with. These novels were touted for their realism, and Ambler established himself as a thriller writer of depth and originality. In the process he paved the way for such writers as John Le Carré, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum. He was awarded four Gold Daggers and a Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association, named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers Association, and was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. In addition to his novels, Ambler wrote a number of screenplays, including A Night to Remember and The Cruel Sea, which won him an Academy Award nomination. View titles by Eric Ambler