The Factory on the Cliff

by A.G. Macdonell

George Templeton has been looking forward to his golfing holiday in Scotland. So he is not best pleased when a dislocated thumb puts paid to his plans and he is left with no other available occupation than a daily hike. Roaming the coastline, however, his boredom is allayed when he discovers an old schoolfriend engaged in the strange activity of hunting for bombs at the side of the road. When his old acquaintance claims never to have met him, Templeton's suspicions are aroused and his investigations soon lead him to a nefarious anarchist plot operating from a cottage on the cliffs - a plot which has terrible implications for the future of society as Templeton knows it...

Originally published in 1929, this vintage thriller from golden age crime writer A.G. Macdonell is full of excitement, humour and period charm.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Archibald Gordon Macdonell was a Scottish writer, journalist and broadcaster, whose most famous work is the gently satirical novel England, Their England (1933).

Reviews

[Christopher Simmonds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst it is a good yarn, one must remember the era in which it was written and is set. By today's standards it is highly implausible, especially the uniformed knowledge of the horrific and very longlasting dangers of anthrax spores. Also the rather jolly way that the key characters bumble along, and actually help the extremists in part of their aims, preferring not to inform the police, but go it alone, seems today to be irresponsible, to say the least. However, when again one remebers when it was written (not long after WW1) it is more understadable.
It is still a good, easy to read yarn, written as if for the 1928 Boys Own Annual.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Buchan-style action adventure written in 1928 and very much of its period. The young men involved have all fought in the war and so a bit of excitement with guns and bombs is relatively commonplace to all of them: it's an interesting reflection on the time. Attitudes to foreigners and women are similarly a little dated but in general not too bad (I regret to say that contrary to Ronald Knox's rules, there is indeed a Chinaman).

All that said, the pace is fast and the writing tight, and very amusing in places. It's a shame that it is let down by a number of typesetting issues in this new edition.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

For my full review click on the link below:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...