Rendezvous in Amsterdam — Ellen Randolph (2)

Cliff Narden, at thirty, knew that the last thing he wanted to do with his life was to continue as a missile engineer. Now was the time to make the change; and accident at a Texas military base had given him plenty of time to think while lying in a hospital bed, and travel, the search for work, and involvement with a New York model had combined to give him an idea of what directions his future might take.

But Cliff knew that he had not yet found the answer.

Then fate intervened in the unlikely person of a Fifth Avenue lawyer, who informed Cliff that an uncle Cliff had never seen had disappeared in Amsterdam. The entire estate had been left to Cliff. The uncle, Hans Narden, having been a very successful and well-known art dealer, the estate was a large one. But there were problems. In the first place, was Hans Narden really dead? And if he were, what about his widow, who was not mentioned in the will and whom Cliff had never heard of? Was there any basis to the unsavory rumors about Hans Narden's activities during the war?

The lawyer advised Cliff to go to Amsterdam to investigate personally. And Cliff--although he knew nothing about art--suddenly discovered himself buying a KLM airline ticket to Holland.

Cliff saw immediately that he was going to like bustling, beautiful Amsterdam. But he saw almost as quickly that he was not going to have an easy time discovering the truth of his uncle's disappearance.

Charles Gutel, Hans Narden's lawyer, had a shabby office, a skeleton-like appearance, and--as far as Cliff was concerned--far too many prearranged plans as to what moves Cliff should make now that he was in Amsterdam.

At the gallery, Cliff met Gustav Rotkin, his uncle's assistant, who was very competent--and very hostile. Journalist Karl Muller appeared to be above suspicion; at least, he did until one might be unexpectedly appeared at Suzy Kemper's apartment, asking questions. And Suzy, the gallery secretary and a bright spot in the tangle, was creating another kind of problem. As Cliff found himself falling in love with her, Suzy maintained a stubborn dislike of nearly everyone and everything from the United States.

Cliff Narden was unquestionably getting the change he had wanted. But in spite of that, he was not being allowed to forget his past; a surprising assortment of people in Amsterdam seemed to know that Cliff was in possession of valuable classified information regarding American missiles.

In Rendezvous in Amsterdam, the loveliness of the city and the growing love of Cliff and Suzy contrast sharply with the grim mystery whose surprising resolution keeps the reader guessing to the very end.