Katherina Feldic: Yugoslavian typist; young, beautiful, desirable. Jim Petersen: British scriptwriter; lost and lonely, mourning his dead wife. After meeting Katherina at a party in Paris, Jim agrees to travel to Yugoslavia with her to try to smuggle out some valuables from under the eyes of the Communist authorities. But when they reach Belgrade it gradually dawns on Jim that his companion may have lied to him about the true nature of their mission. And who is the mysterious Petrov, a good-looking Serb who keeps cropping up in nightclubs and restaurants and seems to be very interested in Katherina? Soon Jim realizes not only that he is completely out of his depth, but also that his life may be in grave danger. A gripping thriller with an authentic tang of Eastern Europe, In the Absence of Mrs Petersen is also an extended rumination on relations between men and women, and on the difference between what people say and what they actually mean. Praise for In the Absence of Mrs Petersen: 'a thoroughly gripping yarn' - Roy Fuller, Times Literary Supplement 'superb entertainment' - Anthony Burgess, Listener 'better than anything he has written since "The Small Back Room"' - Sunday Telegraph 'another expert tale of the middle-aged man on the flying trapeze' - Observer