Charles Latimer, an English scholar-turned-mystery writer, does not make the acquaintance of international criminals, drug dealers and assassins every day. So when he meets Dimitrios Makropoulos, or rather his corpse, his interest piques. His intention is to reconstruct the career of Dimitrios in all its savagery. But never in Latimer's wildest nightmares would he have created the web of espionage and treachery into which he is drawn. Set against the turbulent backdrop of Central Europe in the late 1930s, blending politics, terror and humanity, A Coffin for Dimitrios is hailed as the first great modern spy novel.