Japanska tabakera

American Calvin Gates travels towards Mongolia to join a scientific expedition and escape his troubled past. On the train he meets Sylvia Dillaway, an artist heading for the same destination. When a silver cigarette case containing a coded message comes into her possession, an ordinary journey becomes a dangerous international intrigue.

Published in translation as Japanska tabakera, Mr. Moto Is So Sorry belongs to the series featuring Mr. Moto, the courteous and perceptive Japanese secret agent. His helpful manner conceals a calculating intelligence and objectives his fellow travellers cannot easily understand. Gates and Sylvia must decide whether to trust him as competing interests close in around them.

The novel combines espionage, adventure and a romantic thread, placing its characters’ predicament against the political tensions of pre-war Asia. The cigarette case becomes far more than an innocent personal accessory, while every encounter threatens to alter the balance of power.

Swift action, uncertain alliances and the contrast between inexperienced travellers and a professional intelligence operative give the story its appeal for readers of classic spy fiction.