Dick Hannay is pulled out of retirement to investigate the abduction of three children of rich men – I wonder why Hannay’s child wasn’t one of the victims, it makes sense, and is a change Hitchcock surely planned to make for the film version he was considering. Hannay comes up against his second super villain, the imposing Medina, but has the use of several of his friends, including the chipper idiot Archie Roylance, Hannay’s game wife Mary, and Sandy; there’s also a cameo from Edward Leithen and Palliser Yeates.
There is the usual dreary Buchan philosophising – going on about Jews and the fanaticism of Ghandi – which makes you and times just want to go “shut up and tell the story, Buchan”. But the mystery itself isn’t bad. Medina is a good antagonist, the hypnotism is some strong, atmospheric writing, plus lots of eerie waking up in homes and not knowing where you are. There’s also a great bit where we met Medina’s “beautiful” really old mother – no wonder Hitchcock was attracted to the story, he loves a mother’s boy – and an exciting climax where Medina seeks his revenge on Hannay in the highlands (although Buchan has Hannay act like a casual, illogical idiot- “I didn’t care about the danger I wanted to see the matter come to its conclusion” – how did thus guy end up in charge of a brigade?)
The finale involves Mary getting Medina to confess by threatening him with torture and permanent disfigurement which is pretty full on for Buchan, whose heroes normally beat the baddies fair and square by some jolly good fair play; maybe such rules don’t apply for women.
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