Khaleel Datay's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-39-steps"

The 39 Steps by John Buchan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I discovered John Buchan rather late but was delighted to come across The 39 Steps. Written in that wonderful genteel style when roses were red and violets were blue, Buchan was a forerunner in the great thriller novel. Richard Hannay returns from South Africa to England just before the first World War. Bored out of his mind, his life quickly changes when a dead body turns up in his apartment with a long knife stuck in it. Just before his death Scudder had revealed a conspiracy to Hannay which convinced him to shelter the man. Forced to flee the scene lest he was brought up on murder charges, he makes for Scotland. Pursued by the police and the real killers, he meets some wonderful characters along the way who help him to evade his pursuers. Introducing genuine intrigue with a deadline for the death of a European minister that could result in the outbreak of war, Hannay has to chase the clock to unravel the mystery of who was behind the death of Scudder and ultimately, conspirators against the British in the coming war. As a reader with a love for Ludlum, De Mille, Alex Berenson et al, it was wonderfully refreshing to read a thriller where the highest technology employed was the humble telephone. A fairly short novel, it was nevertheless a great read.



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