What do you think?
Rate this book
THE THRITY-NINE STEPS AND THE POWER-HOUSE.
Adventurer Richard Hannay, just returned from South Africa, is thoroughly bored with London life-until he is accosted by a mysterious American, who warns him of an assassination plot that could completely destabalise the fragile political balance of Europe. Initially sceptical, Hannay nonetheless harbours the man-but one dayreturns home to find him murdered... An obvious suspect, Hannay flees to his native Scotland, pursued by both the police and a cunning, ruthless enemy. His life and the security of Britan are in grave peril, and everything rests on the solution to a baffling what are the 'thirty nine steps?'
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1949
16 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
John Buchan
1,729 books465 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
John Buchan was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
As a youth, Buchan began writing poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, publishing his first novel in 1895 and ultimately writing over a hundred books of which the best known is The Thirty-Nine Steps. After attending Glasgow and Oxford universities, he practised as a barrister. In 1901, he served as a private secretary to Lord Milner in southern Africa towards the end of the Boer War. He returned to England in 1903, continued as a barrister and journalist. He left the Bar when he joined Thomas Nelson and Sons publishers in 1907. During the First World War, he was, among other activities, Director of Information in 1917 and later Head of Intelligence at the newly-formed Ministry of Information. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities in 1927.
In 1935, King George V, on the advice of Canadian Prime Minister R. B. Bennett, appointed Buchan to succeed the Earl of Bessborough as Governor General of Canada and two months later raised him to the peerage as 1st Baron Tweedsmuir. He occupied the post until his death in 1940. Buchan promoted Canadian unity and helped strengthen the sovereignty of Canada constitutionally and culturally. He received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.
John Buchan was a Scottish novelist, historian, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation.
As a youth, Buchan began writing poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, publishing his first novel in 1895 and ultimately writing over a hundred books of which the best known is The Thirty-Nine Steps. After attending Glasgow and Oxford universities, he practised as a barrister. In 1901, he served as a private secretary to Lord Milner in southern Africa towards the end of the Boer War. He returned to England in 1903, continued as a barrister and journalist. He left the Bar when he joined Thomas Nelson and Sons publishers in 1907. During the First World War, he was, among other activities, Director of Information in 1917 and later Head of Intelligence at the newly-formed Ministry of Information. He was elected Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities in 1927.
In 1935, King George V, on the advice of Canadian Prime Minister R. B. Bennett, appointed Buchan to succeed the Earl of Bessborough as Governor General of Canada and two months later raised him to the peerage as 1st Baron Tweedsmuir. He occupied the post until his death in 1940. Buchan promoted Canadian unity and helped strengthen the sovereignty of Canada constitutionally and culturally. He received a state funeral in Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 27, 2020
The 39 Steps: Read 3 Sept - 6 Sept 2018.
I’ve always enjoyed John Buchan. In my teen years I read all of the Richard Hannay series, which involved some doing as many were out of print and hard to get. I saw this double titled volume in the library, and decided to re-read The 39 Steps, and to try an unknown The Power House. In part, I was reminded of 39 Steps from the Christie novel – The Secret Adversary – I had read earlier in the year.
What I found was The 39 Steps is not aging well as I mature as a reader. The actual suspense and espionage is very weak. The villains are clumsy in catching Hannay, and Hannay is way too trusting. The chase adventures becomes relentless long before it is over. The fun endearing aspect is the colloquial characters, many who have disappeared after two world wars and National Health.
The basic plans for assassination/ stealing of state secrets/ anarchist group is probably now regarded as a hackneyed trope, but it was fresh, exciting, and very topical immediately before the Great War. Buchan is one of the first to introduce this into literature and on reflection is what you would expect from one who was involved, at least peripherally, in diplomatic politics at the time.
Hannay of cours,e escapes the clutches of half of Britain, solves the cypher, and manages to convince remotely that he is the good guy and rushes to our enemy’s hideout. As we close in on our villainous society called Black Stone and those magic 39 steps, the denouement of capturing them is nothing short of farcical. It is interesting to note that right from the earliest dramatization of this story, the premise and characters of Scotland are retained, but much of the ending is reworked and has nothing resembling Buchan’s book.
So, although I am not that impressed with this novel on the 2nd reading, I know it is an important novel in the espionage canon. Being a prototype for many to come, other authors were able to work on the strengths of this novel – the suspense and adventure of villains with guns and murderous intent; but also the weaknesses: very few ever make the chase element so repetitive and unvarying, or a final scene that is so flawed - while others will suspend disbelief, this is one is a massive anti-climax.
For new readers, I say to you, go read the book, and try not to be too critical – after all without the early 1890’s cars, you can’t have a Porche, and once you have done this enjoy the Hitchcock film version and the clever nuances he added to it.
The Power House: Read 19 Sept - 22 Sept 2018
This was written immediately before the Thirty-Nine Steps and is another novel that describes the heightened tensions between the world superpowers of the day – Germany & Britain. Anarchists were a big deal then as well. For the most part they were groups that wanted to overthrow the old system of monarchy and aristocracy, and replace with a more egalitarian one – almost always, such as Conrad’s Secret Agent, and Under Western Eyes, via intelligent educated poor classes. Here we have a villain that is more in tune with later 20th Century villains as per in a Bond film – a group of highly intellectual people who wish to destroy the current society to mould a new one that suits their purpose and desired lifestyle.
Secret societies of intellectuals in various strata of society and influence make exciting villains as they can control all movements and direct resources to hunt out the thorn and remove it. Here, that is not so easily done – our hero is one of their own: a lawyer and Tory MP. The difference here is that Leithen is a man who doesn’t like or wish to be involved in adventure and thrills, unlike Hannay in 39 Steps. Some terrible clichés that have arisen over the years appear here (maybe for the 1st time). Some shockers include the mastermind criminal divulging his entire plans to our hero who then escapes and can thwart the plot; and, being chased across a famous city and using the knowledge of a local to avoid the thugs.
With contemporary eyes, this book is weak and full of plot holes. The language, as to be expected, is impeccable and a delight, making reference to many aspects of the day in European politics and the impending threat of war. Coupled with The Thirty-Nine Steps, as this volume is, makes it a colourless poor sibling, highlighting the shortcuts Buchan used in characters and adventure narrative. However, there is also the subtly of the themes Buchan was interested in at the time ie: the international threat of a way of life, and that the civilisation all hold dear are mere thin threads that construct a veneer. He obviously felt that protecting what is important could be done at the mass and organisational level, but that the single or common man, by just one act of defiance, could also protect what was good for the safety of all. This book really should be read for completion sake of Buchan’s novels, or if you have an interest (as I obviously do) in early espionage novels.
I’ve always enjoyed John Buchan. In my teen years I read all of the Richard Hannay series, which involved some doing as many were out of print and hard to get. I saw this double titled volume in the library, and decided to re-read The 39 Steps, and to try an unknown The Power House. In part, I was reminded of 39 Steps from the Christie novel – The Secret Adversary – I had read earlier in the year.
What I found was The 39 Steps is not aging well as I mature as a reader. The actual suspense and espionage is very weak. The villains are clumsy in catching Hannay, and Hannay is way too trusting. The chase adventures becomes relentless long before it is over. The fun endearing aspect is the colloquial characters, many who have disappeared after two world wars and National Health.
The basic plans for assassination/ stealing of state secrets/ anarchist group is probably now regarded as a hackneyed trope, but it was fresh, exciting, and very topical immediately before the Great War. Buchan is one of the first to introduce this into literature and on reflection is what you would expect from one who was involved, at least peripherally, in diplomatic politics at the time.
Hannay of cours,e escapes the clutches of half of Britain, solves the cypher, and manages to convince remotely that he is the good guy and rushes to our enemy’s hideout. As we close in on our villainous society called Black Stone and those magic 39 steps, the denouement of capturing them is nothing short of farcical. It is interesting to note that right from the earliest dramatization of this story, the premise and characters of Scotland are retained, but much of the ending is reworked and has nothing resembling Buchan’s book.
So, although I am not that impressed with this novel on the 2nd reading, I know it is an important novel in the espionage canon. Being a prototype for many to come, other authors were able to work on the strengths of this novel – the suspense and adventure of villains with guns and murderous intent; but also the weaknesses: very few ever make the chase element so repetitive and unvarying, or a final scene that is so flawed - while others will suspend disbelief, this is one is a massive anti-climax.
For new readers, I say to you, go read the book, and try not to be too critical – after all without the early 1890’s cars, you can’t have a Porche, and once you have done this enjoy the Hitchcock film version and the clever nuances he added to it.
The Power House: Read 19 Sept - 22 Sept 2018
This was written immediately before the Thirty-Nine Steps and is another novel that describes the heightened tensions between the world superpowers of the day – Germany & Britain. Anarchists were a big deal then as well. For the most part they were groups that wanted to overthrow the old system of monarchy and aristocracy, and replace with a more egalitarian one – almost always, such as Conrad’s Secret Agent, and Under Western Eyes, via intelligent educated poor classes. Here we have a villain that is more in tune with later 20th Century villains as per in a Bond film – a group of highly intellectual people who wish to destroy the current society to mould a new one that suits their purpose and desired lifestyle.
Secret societies of intellectuals in various strata of society and influence make exciting villains as they can control all movements and direct resources to hunt out the thorn and remove it. Here, that is not so easily done – our hero is one of their own: a lawyer and Tory MP. The difference here is that Leithen is a man who doesn’t like or wish to be involved in adventure and thrills, unlike Hannay in 39 Steps. Some terrible clichés that have arisen over the years appear here (maybe for the 1st time). Some shockers include the mastermind criminal divulging his entire plans to our hero who then escapes and can thwart the plot; and, being chased across a famous city and using the knowledge of a local to avoid the thugs.
With contemporary eyes, this book is weak and full of plot holes. The language, as to be expected, is impeccable and a delight, making reference to many aspects of the day in European politics and the impending threat of war. Coupled with The Thirty-Nine Steps, as this volume is, makes it a colourless poor sibling, highlighting the shortcuts Buchan used in characters and adventure narrative. However, there is also the subtly of the themes Buchan was interested in at the time ie: the international threat of a way of life, and that the civilisation all hold dear are mere thin threads that construct a veneer. He obviously felt that protecting what is important could be done at the mass and organisational level, but that the single or common man, by just one act of defiance, could also protect what was good for the safety of all. This book really should be read for completion sake of Buchan’s novels, or if you have an interest (as I obviously do) in early espionage novels.
July 9, 2024
"The amazing and almost incredible thing about this story of mine is the way clues kept rolling in unsolicited."
That quote from The Powerhouse really sums up both stories in this bind up. They're a fun Boy's Own Adventure where unqualified gentlemen get to play at being detectives and spies through a series of extremely convenient coincidences. At least in The Powerhouse you can brush some of it off as being organized behind the scenes by the Global Anarchist Conspiracy TM. It was silly and unbelievable but at the same time, a good old romp. The 39 Steps was a reread.
That quote from The Powerhouse really sums up both stories in this bind up. They're a fun Boy's Own Adventure where unqualified gentlemen get to play at being detectives and spies through a series of extremely convenient coincidences. At least in The Powerhouse you can brush some of it off as being organized behind the scenes by the Global Anarchist Conspiracy TM. It was silly and unbelievable but at the same time, a good old romp. The 39 Steps was a reread.
February 8, 2023
I agree with other reviews that both stories lack the twists and surprises that our modern spy thrillers have, there is still plenty of suspense to keep a reader interested. "The 39 Steps" felt more like an adventure novel with Richard Hannay evading capture and using disguises in the Highlands. While "The Power House" was much more centered but no less exciting. Edward Leithan uses his wits and career as a lawyer to unravel a mystery that was hidden from the world, all the while maintaining a respectable back and forth with his enemy. I felt that "The Power House" was the stronger of the two stories and enjoyed it more despite being partial to an adventure tale.
February 27, 2013
The story is terrific and it is a fast and fun read. The story is about a man (Richard Hannay) who comes to London, is rather bored and then meets his neighbor, who happens to be a secret agent with information that could change history. The agent (Scudder) enlists Hannay to hide him, as the enemy is onto him. Unfortunately, Hannay's apartment is not quite safe enough and Scudder is killed, leaving Hannay to prevent an assassination.
The story (only 100 pages long) is set just before WWI but doesn't seem dated to me. Hannay is initially accused of murder, so to escape the charges and to hide from whomever killed Scudder while figuring out what to do to carry out Scudder's mission, he flees to Scotland. His adventure include a series of chases and new identities, encountering both good guys and bad guys, and in general trying to stay one step ahead of everyone. I love these types of stories!
What I really enjoyed about this book was that Hannay was sort of an average guy who got caught up in something and used his wits to figure out what was going on. He tried to blend in (e.g., he went to Scotland because his family is from there and he figured he could fake the accent) and I love trying to see how people hide in plain sight.
It was also fun trying to figure out who he could trust and who was lying to him. Reading people is a real skill and Hannay's life depended on his ability to trust the right people. I also enjoyed the fact that, although there was a lot of running and chasing, it seemed reasonable. The story happened over a few weeks, which seemed believable.
The story (only 100 pages long) is set just before WWI but doesn't seem dated to me. Hannay is initially accused of murder, so to escape the charges and to hide from whomever killed Scudder while figuring out what to do to carry out Scudder's mission, he flees to Scotland. His adventure include a series of chases and new identities, encountering both good guys and bad guys, and in general trying to stay one step ahead of everyone. I love these types of stories!
What I really enjoyed about this book was that Hannay was sort of an average guy who got caught up in something and used his wits to figure out what was going on. He tried to blend in (e.g., he went to Scotland because his family is from there and he figured he could fake the accent) and I love trying to see how people hide in plain sight.
It was also fun trying to figure out who he could trust and who was lying to him. Reading people is a real skill and Hannay's life depended on his ability to trust the right people. I also enjoyed the fact that, although there was a lot of running and chasing, it seemed reasonable. The story happened over a few weeks, which seemed believable.
February 7, 2015
I've watched three different film versions of The 39 Steps (Donat, More and Powell) and one tv adaptation. I have to say, the film versions are more exciting than the book. That is not to say that the book is not exciting or good because it is, but those who have seen the screen adaptations first will probably find the book less sensational. In film the police chase Hannay right up to the last moment which adds to the tension. In the book, the police declare halfway through that they know Hannay is no longer a suspect and therefore the heat is off him to a certain degree. Furthermore, there is no final denouement at either a music hall, in which Hannay has linked a memory man act as a foil for smuggling naval secrets out of the country, or at the Houses of Parliament. The ending is somewhat less thrilling in the book, as Hannay holes out at a suburban villa on the coast, before confronting the neighbours. Oh and there is also no whisper of a woman to serve as companion, love interest or otherwise.
The Power House is a little more exciting. The protagonist (Leithan), is called upon to help a couple of friends and while they are off dashing around the area which is now Uzbekistan, Leithan is left in London. At first he is reluctant to get drawn into his friends affairs but by a set of strange coincidences, finds himself thrust into the notice of the same shadowy criminal organisation that has found one of his friends on the run and the other chasing after. The Power House cleverly makes the ordinary appear sinister and conveys the fear of being hunted.
The Power House is a little more exciting. The protagonist (Leithan), is called upon to help a couple of friends and while they are off dashing around the area which is now Uzbekistan, Leithan is left in London. At first he is reluctant to get drawn into his friends affairs but by a set of strange coincidences, finds himself thrust into the notice of the same shadowy criminal organisation that has found one of his friends on the run and the other chasing after. The Power House cleverly makes the ordinary appear sinister and conveys the fear of being hunted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2017
I really enjoyed both these short stories and I particularly love the premise behind writing them. In my copy The 39 Steps is prefaced by John Buchan saying he'd read a few good spy novels so him and a friend decided to have a crack at their own. i think this mentality is wonderfully apparent as you read both stories. Both are simple and fun reads without any pretense or allusion to deeper meaning. but with enough intrigue to keep you hooked. Out of the two I preferred The 39 Steps but that could be in part because I've read and seen so many copycat stories before I read The Power House itself. The 39 Steps also has a lighthearted, whimsical air to it that is very unusual in a 'spy' novel but definitely added to my enjoyment of it. Both protagonists share an 'everyman' quality that appealed to me also; rather than some prodigiously gifted hero they're both more ordinary (to some degree) men who are making it up as they go along and having a bit of fun in so doing. Highly recommend these as a pair of quick and easy reads that are both engaging and enjoyable.
July 3, 2013
I don't remember who recommended this book to me - probably something to do with the combination of Scottish author who writes James Bond-esque novels and ended up becoming Governor General of Canada in the 1930s. Actually, come to think of it, I like that story better than the ones he wrote. The two novellas included in this book are pretty good, in a similar sort of innocent-man-gets-tangled-up-with-the-wrong-crowd-and-has-to-run-for-his-life kind of way. Neither story gets particularly exciting until the last couple of chapters. This isn't the sort of thing I normally go for so maybe I'm not being fair, but I wasn't that impressed.
July 9, 2016
I am yet to read The Powerhouse. I bought this book for The 39 Steps, and that is the one I have prioritised reading. When I get around to reading the other, I will update this review.
The 39 Steps was enjoyable, but not as thrilling as other spy novels I have read. If you want to read exciting spy thrillers, I would suggest Robert Ludlum. There were elements of this that I found unrealistic, and there was a lot of traipsing around in the beginning, which had little baring on the story on the whole, but I can't say I was bored. I enjoyed all the references to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The 39 Steps was enjoyable, but not as thrilling as other spy novels I have read. If you want to read exciting spy thrillers, I would suggest Robert Ludlum. There were elements of this that I found unrealistic, and there was a lot of traipsing around in the beginning, which had little baring on the story on the whole, but I can't say I was bored. I enjoyed all the references to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
April 2, 2017
Interesting enough spy stories with reasonably engaging plots. Everything is narrated in passive voice, so it lacks immediacy and excitement. The narrators are likeable enough, if a little unremarkable; my favourite character was Chapman, a friend of the narrator in the Powerhouse, as he adds much needed vivacity to an otherwise monotone read.
July 8, 2018
This is my third or fourth reading (of The 39 Steps) - can't think of any book I've re-read as much. There's something about the running away in the wilderness that is winning every time. The escape from (urban) ennui it has in common with another favourite of mine The Riddle of the Sands.
October 3, 2008
A pleasant surprise! Very Exciting!
September 25, 2013
A pair of short entertaining espionage stories. As "shockers" or dime-store novels, they're kind of the literary equivalent of an episode of tv.
March 16, 2016
Very enjoyable. Two great stories, each with one of Buchan's main characters in other books as well.
December 8, 2025
I read this since I hadn't known that Hitchcock's film was based on a book, so I plan on watching the film now to see what, if anything, was changed. I definitely was reminded of North by Northwest with the monoplane and Hannay running across Scotland as a fugitive.
What I didn't like is the amount of convenience, the worst being that Hannay decides to flee to Scotland because of his own background and yet, magically, the police and the bad guys Scudder was going up against easily find Hannay in Scotland, AND Hannay finds the big baddie who is based in Scotland where Hannay conveniently walks into his house unknowingly.
There's also a continuity error: Hannay encounters a man outside his apartment door and for six pages, we are not given this man's name in dialogue or narration, but suddenly Hannay addresses him as "Mr. Scudder" and we don't have any idea how he suddenly knows his name.
I'm also disappointed about what the 39 steps end up being when they're the title of the work. It's the most obvious thing in the world.
I'm not going to read the Power House.
What I didn't like is the amount of convenience, the worst being that Hannay decides to flee to Scotland because of his own background and yet, magically, the police and the bad guys Scudder was going up against easily find Hannay in Scotland, AND Hannay finds the big baddie who is based in Scotland where Hannay conveniently walks into his house unknowingly.
There's also a continuity error: Hannay encounters a man outside his apartment door and for six pages, we are not given this man's name in dialogue or narration, but suddenly Hannay addresses him as "Mr. Scudder" and we don't have any idea how he suddenly knows his name.
I'm also disappointed about what the 39 steps end up being when they're the title of the work. It's the most obvious thing in the world.
I'm not going to read the Power House.
January 5, 2023
Good classic novel. You can tell how much it's influenced the spy genre (40 years before James Bond too). The hero is a smooth talking gentleman quick on his feet and witticism. I love the way the author describes characters through vivid personality and character traits that explain so much about them (ex. Felix I found in the little library off the big secretaries' room, a sunburnt sportsman fresh from a Norwegian salmon river. I asked him if he had half an hour to spare, and was told that the day was at my service). Very punchy and smart writing and it's all pointed. Definitely a good read and a unique book which taught me more about writing by reading it. Cool too how the author was a key figure in the creation of my high school.
November 12, 2019
Brilliant Spy Thrillers
Both stories are cerebral and exciting at the same time. Written with skill and intelligence, they are a respite from many modern mysteries that rely on vulgar sensationalism, sex, and violence to get and retain the reader's attention.
The 39 Steps and its movie version are different enough that there is no danger of spoilers, and both are not to be missed. The Power House is new to me and although both stories date back to the beginning of WWI, the intrigue of international spies and their treachery is still quite relevant.
Both stories are cerebral and exciting at the same time. Written with skill and intelligence, they are a respite from many modern mysteries that rely on vulgar sensationalism, sex, and violence to get and retain the reader's attention.
The 39 Steps and its movie version are different enough that there is no danger of spoilers, and both are not to be missed. The Power House is new to me and although both stories date back to the beginning of WWI, the intrigue of international spies and their treachery is still quite relevant.
December 13, 2021
3.5, but would have been 4 if i could concentrate better while reading these! loved the characters and their accents that came through so well in the thirty-nine steps. lots of great, subtle, funny scottish one-liners sprinkled throughout. i actually liked the power-house as much as the first, which doesn't seem to be the popular opinion. these are both early spy novels -- while not something i typically read, i was interested in seeing where and how the genre began. they weren't terribly exciting, but both were kinda fun to read.
August 13, 2023
Having seen the Hitchcock version of “The 39 Steps”, I had a vague idea of what I was getting into. The titular story reads well enough, but it’s basically one disguise after another until it ends rather unceremoniously. The second story included in this book was actually a little bit more interesting, though it slowly lumbered to a start. Both stories are solid three out of five star reads, but nothing I would revisit.
December 1, 2020
My dad once described these books as " highly dubious but rollicking good tales". If that was true in the 1930's when he originally read them it's doubly true now. They both crackle along with quick sharp portraits of people and places but they also made me wince at the racist and anti Semitic language. Most definitely of their time!
December 2, 2020
Great fun. (Very dated but such great fun.)
I am always inspired when books of this era mention someone setting out for a walk of "just" 10 or 18 miles.
Also, The Power House was new to me. A very male-centric adventure (and if you are going to get riled up by subordinate women roles, I wouldn't bother) but very evocative of a time.
I am always inspired when books of this era mention someone setting out for a walk of "just" 10 or 18 miles.
Also, The Power House was new to me. A very male-centric adventure (and if you are going to get riled up by subordinate women roles, I wouldn't bother) but very evocative of a time.
January 5, 2022
4.5 stars.
I enjoyed reading both of these stories. There's something about Scottish writers that suits my taste. I can't explain it. I've already looked at other things that Buchan wrote and I'm amazed to read his history.
I took both stories for what they were - written in 1915 (The 39 Steps) and 1913 (The Power House).
I enjoyed reading both of these stories. There's something about Scottish writers that suits my taste. I can't explain it. I've already looked at other things that Buchan wrote and I'm amazed to read his history.
I took both stories for what they were - written in 1915 (The 39 Steps) and 1913 (The Power House).
October 31, 2022
meh. It's a dated dime-store detective story. It's ok I guess. The protagonist needs a great deal of luck and a series of improbable events to happen...and lo and behold this takes place and the good guys win. I read this because Hitchcock made it into a move. The movie is just as mediocre as the book.
June 28, 2025
Four stars for the Power House. That was a good book. Two stars for the 39 Steps. I found the plot hard to follow and I'm not a fan of writing someone's accent as they would phonetically speak, especially if they are an important character to the story. It's hard to understand and you miss key points of the story that are helpful later on
January 25, 2022
I shall say I do like Richard Hannay rather well, but Edward Leithan wins hands down. There is something about The Power House that is special and chilling and prescient. Also, there's Chapman. I feel as though all my happiness is in the Lawyer and the Labour Member and I would be best pleased to read more of these!
August 8, 2025
The Power House was a ton of fun for an old political espionage thriller. Great short read. Enjoyed the Power House a bit more than The Thirty Nine Steps, but both were good reads. I like feeling properly transported back in time when reading older works like this.
January 1, 2020
Both books were enjoyable with plenty of twist and turns. If you are expecting the Thirty- Nine Steps movies to follow this book forget it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2021
I’ve read the 39 Steps before and it is always a treat to go back to. The Powerhouse was a new one for me, it was decent, not exactly a stand out, but a nice little potboiler.
June 7, 2021
Good action stories, albeit a bit incredible in that ridiculous coincidences frequently help the hero out of scrapes. I was also struck by how certain ideas have been around so long.
July 27, 2023
Simply my favorite stuff in vegetative escape reading.
August 8, 2023
39 Steps very good, Powerhouse confusing, irrelevant and anti-climatic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews