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Lethbridge-Stewart #3.3
Lethbridge-Stewart: Mind of Stone
'You will be taken from this court and remanded in custody until your trial.’
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has been remanded to Wormwood Scrubs Prison, and his team have no idea why. Secrecy surrounds his case, but his team barely have a chance to process anything before they are sent on a mission to Egypt.
Why does it seem like Lethbridge-Stewart is going out of his way to court trouble from the prison’s most notorious inmates?And what does it have to do with well-known gangster Hugh Godfrey?
In the Ptolemaic Museum of Cairo, Anne Travers and her team are trying to uncover the mystery surrounding some very unusual stone statues.Statues that resemble those held in a secure military facility in Berkshire.
One thing connects these events; the mysterious cargo transported by Colonel Pemberton and Captain Knight in August 1968.
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has been remanded to Wormwood Scrubs Prison, and his team have no idea why. Secrecy surrounds his case, but his team barely have a chance to process anything before they are sent on a mission to Egypt.
Why does it seem like Lethbridge-Stewart is going out of his way to court trouble from the prison’s most notorious inmates?And what does it have to do with well-known gangster Hugh Godfrey?
In the Ptolemaic Museum of Cairo, Anne Travers and her team are trying to uncover the mystery surrounding some very unusual stone statues.Statues that resemble those held in a secure military facility in Berkshire.
One thing connects these events; the mysterious cargo transported by Colonel Pemberton and Captain Knight in August 1968.
- GenresDoctor Who
265 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2016
6 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 17, 2017
This series has had a fairly familiar format up until now. Something mysterious happens and Lethbridge-Stewart and the Fifth Operational Corps go an investigate. This book begins very differently, with Lethbridge-Stewart in Wormwood Scrubs.
It's a great way to start the book as it really changes the status quo. Firstly there's the mystery of why the Brigadier is in there in the first place. It seem fairly obvious as a reader that he hasn't actually done anything bad but it's unclear if it's a miscarriage of justice or part of some grand plan. Putting Lethbridge-Stewart in this situation also works well because it's a rare time when we see him isolated. Here the Brig is utterly on his own and that's a great dynamic to see.
There's a wonderful homage to the Ronnie Barker prison-bases sitcom 'Porridge' at the start of this book, before the drama really unfolds. The Brig shares his cell with Stanley, who is almost identical to Barker's character Norman Stanley Fletcher. There's also a nasty warder called Fulton, named after Fulton Mackay, the actor who played Porridge's warder Mr Mackay. There were a few other small references too and it was a lovely touch and really helped to set the scene.
The latter half of the book transforms into a Bond-esque thriller as Lethbridge-Stewart rushes to stop a villain. There's even a classic Bond fight in a sleeper train sequence. I really like it when this series goes for this feel and doesn't try to be too Doctor Who.
The sci-fi element of this book wasn't my favorite and coming straight after Lethbridge-Stewart: Blood of Atlantis the general idea felt a little tired. It did work in context of the story though and it was nice to have a relatively minor threat. It's mostly Lethbridge-Stewart who is in great danger here rather than the world in general.
A different style for the series which worked really well and kept things fresh- I really enjoyed it.
It's a great way to start the book as it really changes the status quo. Firstly there's the mystery of why the Brigadier is in there in the first place. It seem fairly obvious as a reader that he hasn't actually done anything bad but it's unclear if it's a miscarriage of justice or part of some grand plan. Putting Lethbridge-Stewart in this situation also works well because it's a rare time when we see him isolated. Here the Brig is utterly on his own and that's a great dynamic to see.
There's a wonderful homage to the Ronnie Barker prison-bases sitcom 'Porridge' at the start of this book, before the drama really unfolds. The Brig shares his cell with Stanley, who is almost identical to Barker's character Norman Stanley Fletcher. There's also a nasty warder called Fulton, named after Fulton Mackay, the actor who played Porridge's warder Mr Mackay. There were a few other small references too and it was a lovely touch and really helped to set the scene.
The latter half of the book transforms into a Bond-esque thriller as Lethbridge-Stewart rushes to stop a villain. There's even a classic Bond fight in a sleeper train sequence. I really like it when this series goes for this feel and doesn't try to be too Doctor Who.
The sci-fi element of this book wasn't my favorite and coming straight after Lethbridge-Stewart: Blood of Atlantis the general idea felt a little tired. It did work in context of the story though and it was nice to have a relatively minor threat. It's mostly Lethbridge-Stewart who is in great danger here rather than the world in general.
A different style for the series which worked really well and kept things fresh- I really enjoyed it.
February 3, 2017
It's fair to say that from the first page Mind Of Stone grips you and doesn't let go. The first half wraps you in the intrigue, trying to guess the plan behind Lethbridge-Stewart's incarceration. While the second half becomes somewhat James Bond-esque with plenty of action and revelations which promise great things from the next series of books.
January 3, 2017
One of Candy Jar's best works yet. At times maddeningly slow, at others mind numbingly fast. This story never once fails to keep your attention or your interest.
October 9, 2020
This is my all time favourite Lethbridge-Stewart novel.
The Brig is in prison and only a couple of people know why. Most of his team have no idea what he has done to end up there.
In the mean time the team are acting undercover to solve the mystery of soilders who have been turned into stone statues.
In prison the Brigadier is seen at his best, a trained soilder who stands up to the thugs and bullies.
Ok it pinches (it's more then tipping a hat to the characters from Porridge a classic UK sitcom set in a prison) but it does it well.
This story is well constructed, also the Alien is original and well developed.
I'm not sure about the end portion, a little more original and a bit less bond would have work better for me. But it doesn't really distract from what is a good story!
The Brig is in prison and only a couple of people know why. Most of his team have no idea what he has done to end up there.
In the mean time the team are acting undercover to solve the mystery of soilders who have been turned into stone statues.
In prison the Brigadier is seen at his best, a trained soilder who stands up to the thugs and bullies.
Ok it pinches (it's more then tipping a hat to the characters from Porridge a classic UK sitcom set in a prison) but it does it well.
This story is well constructed, also the Alien is original and well developed.
I'm not sure about the end portion, a little more original and a bit less bond would have work better for me. But it doesn't really distract from what is a good story!
February 24, 2017
Yet another excellent entry into the Lethbridge-Stewart series that features a slow, but deliberate build to a breakneck climax. With a James Bond feel, it makes a great capstone to this particular season of books, all of which have been solid. Can't recommend these enough for Doctor Who fans, or fans of sci-fi in general. For a full review, visit www.travelingthevortex.com.
September 23, 2018
Diese Staffel war wirklich die bisher beste der Reihe. Mind of Stone ist wirklich spannend geschrieben. Selten habe ich so mit einer Figur mitgefiebert, von der ich weiß, dass sie auf jeden Fall überleben wird. Das liegt wahrscheinlich vor allem an der ungewohnten Umgebung in die der Brig hier versetzt wird, denn das Buch ist im Gegensatz zu den anderen der Reihe eher als Thriller und nicht als Science Fiction konzipiert. Auf jeden Fall hat mich dieser Band jetzt auch mal auf Iain McLaughlin aufmerksam gemacht. Vielleicht gebe ich der Erimem Serie auch irgendwann mal eine Chance.
October 24, 2021
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3786061.html
A well put together story; Lethbridge-Stewart goes undercover in Wormwood Scrubs, posing as a prisoner (with rigged judicial process to put him there), and deals with an alien threat which is turning people to stone (like in the last novel, but different). As usual for this series, a solid piece of work.
A well put together story; Lethbridge-Stewart goes undercover in Wormwood Scrubs, posing as a prisoner (with rigged judicial process to put him there), and deals with an alien threat which is turning people to stone (like in the last novel, but different). As usual for this series, a solid piece of work.
September 9, 2018
The Plots Thicken
Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart is on remand in Wormwood Scrubs. Things aren't looking good for him but there is a way to escape. Taking the way out may solve the mystery of why he was there in the first place.
Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart is on remand in Wormwood Scrubs. Things aren't looking good for him but there is a way to escape. Taking the way out may solve the mystery of why he was there in the first place.
February 23, 2018
I quite liked this one. Well written, good plot, but the publisher really needs to get a good copy editor as there were lots of typos, grammatical and formatting errors in the printed book.
December 16, 2017
Another excellent entry in this series, with a dynamite idea in having the Brig go undercover in prison. The book has some great scenes with Stewart showcasing gritty resolve in the face of some rough customers in prison. This book goes far in establishing the ready-for-action character we see in the best of U.N.I.T. stories. The rest of the team gets a great side story with an intriguing mystery to solve. The way the two plots converge is cleverly constructed.
May 3, 2018
Pretty good. Worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews