{"product_id":"2026200014159-secondhand-bitter-rubies","title":"Bitter Rubies","description":"\u003cp\u003eEdition: First ed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage\u003cbr\u003ePages: Tanning and foxing\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen a British Military Intelligence officer is dispatched to post-war Vienna to investigate the affairs of a shady ERKA company, he stumbles into a lethal web of deception, buried secrets, and cold-blooded murder — a world where trust is a luxury no one can afford. Bitter Rubies is a taut, atmospheric crime thriller set against the shadowy backdrop of a city still scarred by conflict, where Gerald Moore must navigate a treacherous cast of suspects to uncover a killer hiding in plain sight.\n\nJoan Storm crafts a story steeped in the moral ambiguity and paranoia that defined post-war European fiction, channelling the spirit of Graham Greene's Vienna-set masterworks. The novel moves with the precision of a well-oiled intelligence operation, its pacing disciplined and its revelations carefully measured, building to a conclusion that rewards the most attentive reader. For those who savour intrigue layered with atmosphere and period authenticity, Bitter Rubies remains a compelling, if lesser-known, gem of mid-century British crime writing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49161000386779,"sku":"2026200014159-SECONDHAND","price":90.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/9ec8255d-4eaa-4145-8440-9c64af9b2150.png?v=1787188785","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200014159-secondhand-bitter-rubies","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}