Eric Ambler's Passage Of Arms

I have a list of books I am always interested in reading if I can find them at one of my local Half Price Book stores, however, sometimes certain titles get pushed to the back of the line and don't get read for several months or years. And when that happens, the reason for my interest in that particular story can become lost to time. That is definitely the case with Eric Ambler's novel Passage of Arms.

At some point in the past it was suggested in an article or some other area of influence that Ambler's novel about arms dealing in southeast Asia would be a good read. I honestly can't remember why I felt this book would be interesting or in my wheelhouse of interest, but I have to say that I ultimately was not let down.

The little information I do know about Eric Ambler is that he generally wrote thrillers, and more specifically, spy stories. However, his protagonists were rarely professional spies. In Passage of Arms, the story has several characters involved in the selling of a cache of weapons and ammunition, however, the group we are with the most is an American husband and wife who are on holiday and get wrapped up in the scheme.

I had no expectations going into this novel and knew nothing about it other than the author's name. Coming out I was pleasantly surprised and found the story to be engaging, precise, and overall thrilling, despite it being a slow burn of a story. We start and end with an Indian servant, but the story expands as it goes along the line of people who become involved in the selling of the weapons. To modern audiences who expect a thriller to constantly reveal new mysteries and every chapter to end on a cliffhanger, this novel is not for you. However, if you want varied and realistic characters who provide relatable motivations and morally grey incentives, then I cannot recommend this more. Since nearly every character throughout is dealing directly with the arms deal, there isn't really a good guy to be rooting for. Yet, no person represented is a black-or-white type of character. There are sensible motives provided for everyone and it becomes understandable as to how each character is involved in the plot of the story.

I'm still not sure how Passage of Arms got onto my radar, but I'm glad it did. I would recommend taking the time to check it out. It is a short novel and not a huge investment of time.