''An Account of Capers'' is a novel by Scottish writer Bruce Marshall. His last book, it was published

posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...

in 1988.

Plot summary

Set against the background of an Italy poised on the brink of war with

Abyssinia The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...

in 1935, the story focuses on chartered accountant Arthur Waters. He is sent to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

to audit the books of an Italian firm. His seemingly straightforward mission becomes somewhat hampered when he becomes involved with the beautiful Emma and the treacherous Bazzini. But his problems really begin when he is mistaken for a British spy and prevented from leaving the country.Marshall, B: ''An Account of Capers'' Houghton Mifflin 1988.

References

1988 British novels Novels by Bruce Marshall Novels published posthumously Novels set in Milan Fiction set in 1935 Novels set in the 1930s Robert Hale books {{1980s-hist-novel-stub