Thirty-Nine Steps

This, the original man-on-the-run story, involves Richard Hannay, intrepid Scottish everyman, who gets caught in the crosshairs of an international plot and must flee for his life. Hannay hurries up and down the length of Brtiain trying to evade his pursuers, the British police and the German spies, while attempting to decipher the meaning of a clue left behind by the spy who started it all—a reference to "the thirty-nine steps." Steps for what, or maybe a better question is, steps to where?

Thirty-Nine Steps isn't a modern edge-of-your-seat action thriller, but rather a slow-boiling suspenseful, methodical series of evasions and escapes. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of heart-pounding happenings. The many ingenious ways Hannay evades the Germans leading up to the final showdown is pure action goodness, just minus all the flashy stuff that newer novels have.

Review by Lauren Shearer Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews here.