Besides pointing out the contrasts between Ambler's late and early work, Peter Wolfe's subtle, insightful Alarms and Epitaphs also develops the continuities. Most notable among these is a fear and hatred of male authority rivaling that of Kafka; no self-starter, the archetypal Ambler hero drifts into danger and finds himself, despite his resolutions, doing the bidding of strong, decisive men who care little about him. A unique feature of Wolfe's study is a chapter on the five novels, beginning with Skytip (1951), published under the name of Eliot Reed. These collaborations with the Australian detective-story writer Charles Rodda capture both the spirit and style Graham Greene admired in Ambler when he called him "our best 'thriller' writer."