The Other Side of Silence by Kerr, Philip

THE FRENCH RIVIERA, 1956.

A world-weary Bernie Gunther is working under a false name as a hotel concierge. His attempts to keep his nose clean go horribly awry when a wartime acquaintance sucks him into a blackmail plot involving Somerset Maugham, one of the most famous British writers of the 20th century, and the notorious Cambridge Spies. All of them have dark pasts and plenty to hide – ideal candidates for a seasoned blackmailer.