Journey Into Fear

THE theme of this story — an Englishman in possession of valuable wartime secrets pursued by enemy agents with intent to kill —is familiar to the point of provoking yawns. But what differentiates this novel of adventure from the standard is that the hero is no hero but a very frightened man. On a ship bound from Stambul to Genoa, he finds himself face to face with a gunman who has already tried to murder him and is obviously going to try again at the first opportunity. One by one, the doors of escape close to him. His revolver is stolen; a friendly fellow passenger turns out to be the brains of the murder gang. A Turkish agent sent along without his knowledge to protect him is killed — and there is no hope as he journeys ever farther into fear. An admirable tale of its kind, with ever-mounting suspense, and — in spite of the melodrama — a curiously convincing one. This reviewer — an honorable man — firmly refuses to tell you what happens at the end.