I've introduced Jo to The New Abnormal podcast. She listened to today's episode with me and we're now listening to last Tuesday's episode. I'm glad she's enjoying it too.
So I finished my first book of May, one that I started early April but it was a biggie. I'll provide my review and let you know the next book. I'll also update a book that arrived in the mail. I've got a few on order but for the past while the only books I've received are ones I've ordered from within Canada or the US. I'm still waiting for some to arrive from the UK. So no room on airplanes for my books, I ask! (Just kidding of course. Donald J. Trump would call it sarcasm I guess).
Finally, I'll continue with my look at the Spy / Thriller genre.
New Books
"A teen-aged boy on the run propels Detective Carl Mørck into Department Q’s most sinister case yet
Fifteen-year-old Marco Jameson longs to become a Danish citizen and go to school like a normal teenager. Unfortunately, his Uncle Zola forces the children of their former gypsy clan to beg and steal for his personal gain. When Marco discovers a dead body that proves the true extent of Zola’s criminal activities, he goes on the run. But it turns out his family members aren’t the only ones who want to keep Marco silent … forever.
Detective Carl Mørck wants to save the boy, but Marco’s trail leads him to a case that extends from Denmark to Africa, from embezzlers to child soldiers, from seemingly petty crime rings to the very darkest of cover-ups."
Just Finished
"I've read a few of Val McDermid's mysteries and for the most part have enjoyed them. She is responsible for the Wire in the Blood thriller series which is excellent. McDermid also has written a number of standalone thrillers, Killing The Shadows is one of them. And yes, it's quite a thriller
Fiona Cameron is an academic psychologist who uses a computer program to geologically track murders and help the police find serial killers. In this story, there are three different cases on the go. In the first, we come in at the middle of the case, the rape and murder of Susan Blanchard. The police have rejected Fiona's advice and followed the advice of another analyst, coming up with egg on their face, when the purported killer is released. Fiona refuses to help the Met anymore because of the case.
She is asked to assist the Spanish police with another possible serial murderer and agrees to assist. Finally someone is murdering thriller authors. Fiona isn't directly involved in the case, but because she is in a relationship with another thriller writer, Kit, she has a peripheral interest and is concerned for Kit's safety.
The story progresses nicely, jumping from one case to another, from different characters to others, including the main murderer. It's a long story but it doesn't really matter as everything is interesting and grabs your attention. Fiona is a fascinating character, not perfect by any means, but that just fleshes her out. There are many other interesting people as well, including her boyfriend, Kit. But also there is Police Chief Inspector Steve Preston, an old friend of Fiona's, still investigating the murder of Susan Blanchard, trying to develop a life and maintain his at times frustrating friendship. Also later in the story, DCI Karen Duvall is introduced, as the third investigation begins to gather steam, that being the murders of the thriller writers. She is a competent, hard-nosed cop and investigator.
So with these varied characters, different murders, neat forensic techniques and continuing and rising tension, the story is fascinating and relatively fast-paced. The last third builds and builds with Fiona and Kit in increasing danger. Great story and thriller. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Laura Hunt was the ideal modern woman: beautiful, elegant, highly ambitious, and utterly mysterious. No man could resist her charms—not even the hard boiled NYPD detective sent to find out who turned her into a faceless corpse. As this tough cop probes the mystery of Laura’s death, he becomes obsessed with her strange power. Soon he realizes he’s been seduced by a dead woman—or has he?"
The Spy Novel - John Buchan
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| John Buchan |
My focus in this Blog entry is Buchan's Richard Hannay spy / thriller series. I first became aware of this series from Hitchcock's movie based on The Thirty - Nine Steps, Buchan's first book in the series. I've enjoyed this movie so many times and finally read the book, one that I've read a few times. Since then I've read all of the five books in the series. I have two more of Buchan's books awaiting my attention. I think they might fall into the spy / thriller genre, but time will tell when I finally read them. I'll highlight all seven books for you.
"This is a classic, an interesting, exciting story. It's similar but at the same time a fair bit different from Alfred Hitchcock's movie. Interesting story of a man caught up in extraordinary events which have the potential to dramatically change the outcome of the impending war, who uses his ingenuity and basic smarts to avoid his enemies. I'll leave it there as I don't want to spoil for anyone who hasn't read before. Excellent story.
Reread - I enjoyed this reread even more than the other times I've read. As it was for a book group I took a bit more time. Hitchcock's movie was basically quite similar except for the addition of the young lady. It's a fast-paced adventure and Buchan wastes no time getting to the crux.
Hannay, bored with London, has decided to return to South Africa where he has worked as an engineer. He decides on a night out on the town and when he returns home, his upstairs neighbour, Scudder asks for his help. Scudder is aware of a plot to destroy the British fleet but fears he is being followed and he hides out in Hannay's flat. After a few days, Hannay finds Scudder stabbed to death and this begins Hannay's journey to Scotland to avoid the Black Stone and bide his time until he can advise the British government of the plot. To do so precipitously will cause the enemy to change their plans.
The black book of Scudder is in code but Hannay figures out the gist of it, including a reference to 39 Steps. Hannay must evade both the police (as he is a suspect for Scudder's murder) and also the Black Stone (German spies) as he races through the Scottish highlands. He meets many interesting helpful people who help him on his way. Eventually Hannay will get with the government and there will be another race to try and capture the enemy.
Action-packed story. Hannay is a common-sense individual who relies on his instincts, a strong, enjoyable character and an exciting story. Hannay appeared in at least 4 other Buchan adventures. Worth reading them all. (4 stars)"
"A perfectly admirable sequel to The Thirty-Nine Steps. Richard Hannay appears again, now a Major in the British Army during WWI. He and three companions are asked to go behind German lines and to follow a route to Turkey to find out what the Germans are plotting there. It's a well-paced, well-written adventure thriller. Most enjoyable, entertaining story. I look forward to reading the other stories in the series. (4 stars)"
"Mr Standfast is the third book in the John Hannay thriller/ spy series written by John Buchan. The first two, The 39 Steps and Greenmantle, were both excellent and this third story follows easily with another excellent, well-paced, thriller. In this story, John Hannay, now a General in the British Army is called back from the front (WWI) to help find an old adversary. The Germans are infiltrating pacifist factions and using these people to help their ends, as a conduit for passing information, and other activities. Hannay follows a trail to northern Scotland and back to the front in this wartime adventure. There are excellent characters in this story, Buchan writes thoughtfully and the story, especially the ending is all excellent. An excellent follow-up to the first two books. Next in this series will be The Three Hostages. (4 stars)"
"The Three Hostages is the 4th book in the Richard Hannay adventure / thriller series by John Buchan. It was originally published in 1924. I've read the complete series now and, maybe because it's the freshest in my mind, I think it was the best book in the series.
Hannay is living on his estate in the country in western Britain with his wife Mary and his young son Peter John. He is now trying to move on from his WWI experiences, to enjoy a retirement, but he is brought back to reality when he is advised of three kidnappings. He doesn't think he is appropriate to be involved in finding them but when he finds out that one is a young boy of similar age to Peter John, he changes his mind with encouragement from Mary.
Hannay agrees to assist. He returns to London and gets info; there are two related aspects. The three kidnaps; a young man, a young lady and the young boy. As well the intelligence services with his old friend, MacGillivary in charge, are trying to break up a criminal enterprise of major proportions. The timing of trying to rescue the kidnapped and breaking up the organization is critical as if they are too quick with one the other will be lost.
Hannay begins to investigate and along the way meets old friends from other books, especially Sandy Arbuthnot, who will play a major role in the resolution of the story. Hannay meets Medina, an English politician and attends a dinner along with Arbuthnot. Medina is popular with all except Arbuthnot who is suspicious. After the dinner, Hannay is drugged and an attempt by Medina is made to hypnotize and gain control of Hannay. This fails but Hannay now uses this action to continue investigating further into Medina and his organization.
The story moves along at a nice pace and finds Hannay moving throughout London and even to Norway as he searches for the kidnapped. He keeps MacGillivary somewhat out of the picture but with help from Arbuthnot (who even though keeping himself out of the picture as much as possible, plays a quite important role), Mary, and other old friends, he begins to gather more and more info.
It's a fascinating story, with hypnotism, black arts (somewhat) and a good old adventure. There is considerable tension and sufficient action, especially in the closing chapters, which are excellent. I'm almost glad that I saved this middle book until the end as it was excellent. There is another story, The Courts of the Morning, which features Hannay in a minor role, which I will also read. (4.5 stars)"
"The Island of Sheep is the fifth of five books by John Buchan featuring intrepid Richard Hannay. The most well-known book is the first, The 39 Steps, which was also made into at least two movies. I've read the first three and jumped book 4, The Three Hostages, for one of my reading challenges. I will get back to the 4th book in the near future.
With all that preamble, The Island of Sheep brings a retired Hannay and some friends back into adventure to follow up on a promise they made to an old friend many years ago. That promise was to help this man's son should he ever be endangered by the friend's enemies. Hannay is enjoying retirement, living at Fosse with wife and son but still feels that he's getting rusty. Brief meetings with other old friends, Lombard, and Sandy, lord of Clanroyden, bring back the events in Africa that lead to the promise to help their old friend, Haraldsen, a Norlander and adventurer. A group of old and new enemies are threatening the son of Haraldsen to get his wealth. Hannay and his friends decide to help him against them.
The adventure moves to Scotland, home of Sandy and then to the Island of Sheep, somewhere near Denmark / Norway, the home of Haraldsen and his clan, for the final confrontation. The story moves along nicely, with sufficient action to keep you involved and also develops the characters in a manner where you can see them shaking off the rust of their retirements and inactivity to become more resolute in their efforts to help their friend. Buchan has an excellent descriptive writing style and you can see and feel the land he describes and his characters. In many ways it's probably a man's story, the women, wives of Hannay and his friends, are strong and resolute and supportive of the men but also play minor roles. I also liked Hannay's son, Peter John, who plays a nicely major role in the events.
All in all, an excellent ending to the Hannay adventures, enjoyable to read and a satisfying ending. (3.5 stars)"
"Huntingtower is a novel written by John Buchan in 1922. The first of his three Dickson McCunn books, it is set near Carrick in south-west Scotland around 1920. The hero is a 55-year-old grocer Dickson McCunn, who has sold his business and taken early retirement. As soon as he ventures out to explore the world, he is swept out of his bourgeois rut into bizarre and outlandish adventures, and forced to become a reluctant hero. The story revolves around the imprisonment under false pretenses by Bolshevik agents of an exiled Russian noblewoman. The Scottish local community mobilizes to uncover and thwart the conspiracy against her, and to defend the neutrality of Scotland against the Russian revolutionary struggle
"Begins in the pleasant atmosphere of a country house in the Scottish borders, where Richard Hannay is the guest of his old friend, Sandy Arbuthnot. The drama shifts to a small South American republic in the grip of a dictator."
Have a great weekend!
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