Born out of a brutal childhood, Raven is an assassin for hire whose latest hit-a government minister-is one calculated to ignite a war. When the most wanted man in England is paid off in marked bills, he also becomes the easiest to track-and police detective Jimmy Mather has the lead. But Raven's got an advantage. Crossing paths with a sympathetic dancer named Anne Crowder, the emotionally scarred Raven has found someone in the wreckage of his life he can trust, maybe his only hope for salvation. Or at least, escape-because Anne is also Mather's fiancée. Now the fate of two men will depend on her. And either way, it's betrayal. With its themes of deception, double cross, and the consequences of indiscriminate passion, the breathless cinematic narrative of Graham Greene's thriller became a perfect fit for the classic 1942 film noir starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake.
"An unforgettable portrait of a professional killer."
Book-of-the-Month Club News
"The sinister excitement of desperate adventures . . . Mr. Greene builds up the suspense with loving care; has the insight to write about murder and espionage, flight and pursuit, as if they were horrible and abnormal activities. He builds up a marvelously malevolent atmosphere. In a society beyond morality, Mr. Greene seems to suggest, murder is to be expected."
New York Herald Tribune
"The action and suspense are piling up every moment. . . It's a corker!"
