The House of the Eight Angels

Episode 2 (of 2): The House of Eight Angels

English crime writer, Charles Latimer's growing obsession with the career of infamous master criminal, Dimitrios Makropoulos, takes him to Geneva where he learns of Dimitrios' exploits as a spy, and on to Paris where, in the company of the eccentric Mr Peters, he finds his own life under very real threat.

The Mask of Dimitrios was written in 1939 by Eric Ambler, a key figure in the evolution of the crime thriller who brought realism and political awareness to the genre and influenced writers such as Graham Greene and John le Carré.

By using the criminal career of Dimitrios as a lens, it enables us to see the dark heart of Europe, a continent riven by violence and corruption. Its demonstration that the pursuit of money is the well-spring from which all other evils flow is as pertinent as ever - and its cast of drug dealers, shady businessmen and displaced refugees makes it seem astonishingly modern.

Dramatised by Stephen Sheridan
Original music by Neil Brand

Director: David Blount
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.