The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

In The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), the best-known of his thrillers (made into a popular movie by Alfred Hitchcock), John Buchan introduces his most enduring hero, Richard Hannay, who, despite claiming to be an "ordinary fellow," is caught up in the dramatic and dangerous race against a plot to devastate the British war effort. In this, the only critical edition available, Christopher Harvie's introduction interweaves the writing of the tale with the equally fascinating story of how John Buchan, publisher and lawyer, came in from the cold and, via The Thirty-Nine Steps, ended the war as spy-master and propaganda chief.

Lots of coincidences - it's aged, but still exciting and an interesting picture of Britain ca WWI

A quick novella, coming in just under 100 pages of Richard Hannay on the run!

Published in 1914 and set in the same era, pre-war Britain, it is recognised as the origin story of all espionage thrillers.

What can be said that has not already about a book rated by 39000 GR readers and reviewed by over 3000? No real need to outline the plot, but I will say the German plot that was exposed was complicated enough that I never really grasped it, but the book so short that it was east to move on from that detail to watching Mr Hannay change disguises every chapter and stumble upon unlikely circumstance after crazy coincidence!

While it was a bit dated, with some racial and class distinctions identified, taken in context it was a fast, amusing and clever enough novella, which I am glad I read.

I picked up my paperback edition along with a copy of Hannay's second adventure, the slightly longer Greenmantle, which I might just crack on with now, since I developed a taste and the Thirty-Nine Steps was over so quick!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

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Book #2 Greenmantle