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Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #42
Doctor Who: The Glamour Chase
An archaeological dig in 1936 unearths relics of another time... And - as the Doctor, Amy and Rory realise - another place. Another planet.
But if Enola Porter, noted adventuress, has really found evidence of an alien civilisation, how come she isn't famous? Why has Rory never heard of her? Added to that, since Amy's been travelling with him for a while now, why does she now think the Doctor is from Mars?
As the ancient spaceship reactivates, the Doctor discovers that nothing and no one can be trusted. The things that seem most real could actually be literal fabrications - and very deadly indeed.
Who can the Doctor believe when no one is what they seem? And how can he defeat an enemy who can bend matter itself to their will? For the Doctor, Amy and Rory - and all of humanity - the buried secrets of the past are very much a threat to the present...
But if Enola Porter, noted adventuress, has really found evidence of an alien civilisation, how come she isn't famous? Why has Rory never heard of her? Added to that, since Amy's been travelling with him for a while now, why does she now think the Doctor is from Mars?
As the ancient spaceship reactivates, the Doctor discovers that nothing and no one can be trusted. The things that seem most real could actually be literal fabrications - and very deadly indeed.
Who can the Doctor believe when no one is what they seem? And how can he defeat an enemy who can bend matter itself to their will? For the Doctor, Amy and Rory - and all of humanity - the buried secrets of the past are very much a threat to the present...
243 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
29 people are currently reading
1767 people want to read
About the author
Gary Russell
197 books172 followersGary Russell is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media. As an actor, he is best known for playing Dick Kirrin in the British 1978 television series The Famous Five.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
December 19, 2019
While The Eleventh Doctor NSA’s have genuinely been a bit average, theirs plenty to like about this promising entry in the series.
Set during the second half of Season Five which allows Rory to really come to the fore, as the 1930’s setting is fantastically realised especially mentions of Rory’s profession of being a nurse.
I really liked how PTSD was treated as ‘shell shock’ at the time.
The central mystery of an archaeological dig where none of the TARDIS team having heard of adventures Enola Porter is an enticing hook.
Russell sets the story up nicely, so the inevitable rushed conclusion is slightly disappointing.
Especially as the cover is very spoilery!
Set during the second half of Season Five which allows Rory to really come to the fore, as the 1930’s setting is fantastically realised especially mentions of Rory’s profession of being a nurse.
I really liked how PTSD was treated as ‘shell shock’ at the time.
The central mystery of an archaeological dig where none of the TARDIS team having heard of adventures Enola Porter is an enticing hook.
Russell sets the story up nicely, so the inevitable rushed conclusion is slightly disappointing.
Especially as the cover is very spoilery!
May 13, 2019
Surprising what you can still buy for £1 at Darlington Book Fair , I missed this back in 2010 they go out of print so quick then it is down to luck finding copy's
The Ponds on weird adventure with the raggedy man. All has gone to pot as the past is not right & Amy thinks the Doctor is Martian !
Very wooly ,haunted house in 1936 , weird aliens & Rory is green ,while the Doctor is in sheep dip
The Ponds on weird adventure with the raggedy man. All has gone to pot as the past is not right & Amy thinks the Doctor is Martian !
Very wooly ,haunted house in 1936 , weird aliens & Rory is green ,while the Doctor is in sheep dip
November 6, 2015
This was actually pretty good. The story is about what one can expect from Doctor Who, strange things going on that turn out to be aliens, the Doctor being crazy (this is Eleven, after all), figuring it all out, saving people... There's people made out of green wool in this one. Yeah, sounds weird, but it's not really, in comparison with the rest of DW. They make it make sense. It was fairly well written, and the characters were pretty spot on. It wasn't too hard to read the dialogue in their voices. It was almost like an extra episode, but in book form, so you get to get inside the characters' heads. A large amount of it is from Rory's point of view, which was pretty awesome because Rory's awesome. He's my second favorite companion behind Rose, and I'm glad he got time to shine in this book. If you're a Whovian, don't be apprehensive about the tie-in novels, not this one, anyway. More Doctor Who is always good, and I don't think The Glamour Chase will disappoint. (If you're not Whovian, well, go watch Series 1, make it through "The Empty Child" and then come talk.)
December 9, 2015
Interesting... I really liked this and it reminded me of a Doctor Who episode! I am giving it 4 stars because the beginning was very confusing. And The Weave (Not sure what to call them... enemy, victim, ETC) were all referred to by numbers. That is their names, which was very confusing! Other than that great book and I'll be reading more of them!
December 27, 2020
Didn't like the book in the beginning and was honestly struggling, but it got better near the middle and at the end one or two pages made me cry so I rounded it up to four stars.
May 11, 2017
I love how Rory really gets to hold his own in this story!
October 28, 2025
The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - Second Doctor - 1) Base Under Siege: A Book Where The Characters Are Trapped Or Isolated.
I really enjoyed this book. A lot of the 11th Doctors NSA novels have been mid to fair, but this one is probably one of the best ones I've read. Not as good as Borrowed Time, which is my favourite 11th Doctor NSA, but still pretty decent. I don't know if it was the aliens made of yarn or the fact that Rory actually plays a larger part than Amy (which I am happy about as Rory is amazing) and the Doctor and Rory interacting in a positive way makes me really happy, but this was just an all round decent read.
I really enjoyed this book. A lot of the 11th Doctors NSA novels have been mid to fair, but this one is probably one of the best ones I've read. Not as good as Borrowed Time, which is my favourite 11th Doctor NSA, but still pretty decent. I don't know if it was the aliens made of yarn or the fact that Rory actually plays a larger part than Amy (which I am happy about as Rory is amazing) and the Doctor and Rory interacting in a positive way makes me really happy, but this was just an all round decent read.
February 17, 2024
Listened to the version narrated by Arthur Darville who did a good job narrating. Had a fun time, but the story almost just seemed like a repeat/mishmosh of other stories we've already heard. It's a trope, but a fun one.
January 10, 2011
I'm not generally a fan of the new books, and the new new books don't really deviate from my ... not dislike, but not love as much as I'd like. The Glamour Chase isn't remarkable in any real way. In fact it's a pretty straight-forward Doctor story; Wibbly bits 'n all.
What sets it apart is that this story is Rory-heavy, which makes me quite happy. Not because it has a lot of Rory dialogue (both internal and external, which are delightful). It's actually because Rory is quite a good character, and in many ways seems to be more real than the Doctor or Amy. He's just a guy who's doing his best to keep up, and it's the little things in this book that show just how amazing he really is.
The short, yet powerful discussion Rory and the Doctor have about why Rory became a Nurse made me quite happy inside. Rory is quickly becoming my favourite companion, and I hope that they can show more of the real Rory, and not just the bumbling 'just lucky to be there' Rory.
What sets it apart is that this story is Rory-heavy, which makes me quite happy. Not because it has a lot of Rory dialogue (both internal and external, which are delightful). It's actually because Rory is quite a good character, and in many ways seems to be more real than the Doctor or Amy. He's just a guy who's doing his best to keep up, and it's the little things in this book that show just how amazing he really is.
The short, yet powerful discussion Rory and the Doctor have about why Rory became a Nurse made me quite happy inside. Rory is quickly becoming my favourite companion, and I hope that they can show more of the real Rory, and not just the bumbling 'just lucky to be there' Rory.
December 15, 2019
It’s rare for me to rate a book 3 stars or less. I liked the general plot of this story but it had some problems that I couldn’t get past.
There was an archaeological dig in this story which unearthed a space ship. I was hoping that the recurring character who is actually an archaeologist would appear, but sadly, that didn’t happen. It would have been great to have River Song appear since she is an archaeologist, but it may not have fit into the storyline of the show when this story takes place.
I found many parts of this story extremely sexist. Amy is a strong and intelligent character on the show, but she seemed dumb and boy crazy in this story. She kept talking about her love triangle between Rory and the Doctor, which is not something she does on the show. There was also a masculine woman, who the Doctor and Rory referred to as a man. I found that very inappropriate.
I wouldn’t recommend this story.
There was an archaeological dig in this story which unearthed a space ship. I was hoping that the recurring character who is actually an archaeologist would appear, but sadly, that didn’t happen. It would have been great to have River Song appear since she is an archaeologist, but it may not have fit into the storyline of the show when this story takes place.
I found many parts of this story extremely sexist. Amy is a strong and intelligent character on the show, but she seemed dumb and boy crazy in this story. She kept talking about her love triangle between Rory and the Doctor, which is not something she does on the show. There was also a masculine woman, who the Doctor and Rory referred to as a man. I found that very inappropriate.
I wouldn’t recommend this story.
January 3, 2013
Reading this book was like watching one of the episodes. It was a delight to read. And what Doctor Who episode isn't fun to watch? This was the very first Doctor Who book I've ever read, and it was purely entertaining. I look forward to reading more. I think Gary Russell, the author, got the characters down pretty good. The plot wasn't too thick, which I liked. Sometimes, it's just nice to sit back and read a simple book, with no real thick plot line to follow, instead of reading a "War and Peace" story, with ten or more plot lines going on at once. Can you imagine a "War and Peace" type Doctor Who story? Maybe the entirety of Doctor Who could amount to such, but not the individual stories that make up Doctor Who. So, thank you, Gary Russell, for writing a simple Doctor Who story for me to read. I enjoyed it. Allons-y!
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January 29, 2011The sheep. I loved the sheep. Let's just get that out there right now. And I loved the Doctor's interactions with the sheep. And Rory - Rory is awesome. Everything that he's in is awesome. I pretty much loved this story right off the bat. The plot was nice too, and I just laughed at the end of Chapter 16, because of course that's what happened. Of course. I mean, British, 1930's. What else could have happened?
November 8, 2022
This was a good read, and I did enjoy it a lot, but I also found it confusing at times, which is why I’ve given it three stars.
One of my favourite elements of the book, was the highlight on PTSD; it felt like they explored it really cleverly and so sensitively - almost like they were using it as an educational tool for the wider population about a relatively unknown and misunderstood illness. I also love how Rory was front and centre of this strand of the story - he was allowed to really shine as a character, showing his caring and empathy that you rarely got to see properly in the TV series.
The narrative however, whilst being interesting and engaging, I did find quite confusing at times. It jumped around quite a lot, and whilst I don’t mind that - when it jumps and you’re momentarily lost in the story and have no idea where you’ve gone, it’s less good. However, I thought it was a clever and gripping plot - and it did make me think about our narrow-mindedness when it comes to imagining other planets and races. When you see alien races depicted, it’s generally just one per planet, and they all speak the same language - but here - on our planet - there are so many different races, so many different languages - that it makes me wonder why that’s not been explored more before?! (Is it a colonialist hang-over?)
Overall, an enjoyable and interesting read, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it.
One of my favourite elements of the book, was the highlight on PTSD; it felt like they explored it really cleverly and so sensitively - almost like they were using it as an educational tool for the wider population about a relatively unknown and misunderstood illness. I also love how Rory was front and centre of this strand of the story - he was allowed to really shine as a character, showing his caring and empathy that you rarely got to see properly in the TV series.
The narrative however, whilst being interesting and engaging, I did find quite confusing at times. It jumped around quite a lot, and whilst I don’t mind that - when it jumps and you’re momentarily lost in the story and have no idea where you’ve gone, it’s less good. However, I thought it was a clever and gripping plot - and it did make me think about our narrow-mindedness when it comes to imagining other planets and races. When you see alien races depicted, it’s generally just one per planet, and they all speak the same language - but here - on our planet - there are so many different races, so many different languages - that it makes me wonder why that’s not been explored more before?! (Is it a colonialist hang-over?)
Overall, an enjoyable and interesting read, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it.
October 18, 2018
I listened to this on audiobook, and I loved every minute of it. It was read by Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams himself), and it was just fantastic. I've been a fan of Doctor Who for years, but this was the first of the novels I've ever tried. I loved that it was Eleven (my Doctor) and Amy and Rory (my Companions). It was even Rory-centric, highlighting his skills and his heart (Rory is my favorite. I absolutely adore Rory). Darvill does a wonderful job reading--obviously he can do Rory's voice and speech patterns well, but he did a great job with all of the characters really. And the story really could've been an episode. It fits quite well into the canon, and the author even gave it some "hooks" as to where this story would fit in timeline of Series 5. It had all the essential ingredients of an episode, and all the parts of the story came together nicely. Overall, I got sucked in completely and really enjoyed the ride.
July 27, 2018
The only negative thing I have to say about this particular story is that there is definitely an anti-religion undertone. That's not necessarily shocking for Doctor Who, but it's just more so in this story.
Otherwise, I highly recommend this story, either the book or the audiobook read by Arthur Darvill. Both are fantastic! Also, if you love the dynamic/friendship of Rory and the Doctor, this book is definitely chock full of fun and sweet moments between them which sometimes got overlooked or bypassed altogether in the series.
Otherwise, I highly recommend this story, either the book or the audiobook read by Arthur Darvill. Both are fantastic! Also, if you love the dynamic/friendship of Rory and the Doctor, this book is definitely chock full of fun and sweet moments between them which sometimes got overlooked or bypassed altogether in the series.
June 29, 2022
Questa avventura del Doctor Who è originale , "intrecciata" , misteriosa , divertente .I personaggi principali sono come nella serie e i secondari li ho trovati particolari ,mi piacciono entrambi.Le varie ambientazioni sono belle , in particolare l'astronave WSS Exalted .
Una delle scene più divertenti è quella con il Dottore e la pecora .《Accidenti ,signor Pecora , puzzi tremendamente. No , aspetta...hai ragione , sono io che puzzo. Cavoli ,mi dispiace .》
Come sempre il Dottore non mi delude, è una lettura bella , intrigante e spassosa .
Una delle scene più divertenti è quella con il Dottore e la pecora .《Accidenti ,signor Pecora , puzzi tremendamente. No , aspetta...hai ragione , sono io che puzzo. Cavoli ,mi dispiace .》
Come sempre il Dottore non mi delude, è una lettura bella , intrigante e spassosa .
April 28, 2025
There were aspects of this that I liked, such as the woolly aliens with the ability to unravel/reweave themselves and their spaceship. And it was nice that Rory got to prove himself to the Doctor, and that his training as a nurse was important. The discussions around PTSD were handled with care and I appreciated their inclusion.
However, there were other things here that rankled me quite a bit: Amy is reduced to a damsel in distress, and there were some weird gender comments from the Doctor (of all people) that felt extremely out-of-character. So, in the end, I'm left disappointed with another Doctor Who tie-in.
I keep thinking I should give up on these but occasionally I find one that is really, really good.
However, there were other things here that rankled me quite a bit: Amy is reduced to a damsel in distress, and there were some weird gender comments from the Doctor (of all people) that felt extremely out-of-character. So, in the end, I'm left disappointed with another Doctor Who tie-in.
I keep thinking I should give up on these but occasionally I find one that is really, really good.
December 22, 2024
I read this book in both ebook and audio versions. The narrator Arthur Darvill's performance was good but the actual storyline was way too convoluted and the pacing was so off I could barely managed to finish it. 3 stars for the ebook and 4 stars for the audio so it ended up being 3.5 stars, rounded up to four stars.
August 8, 2017
Best Nu Who novel yet!!! Totally captured the essence of the main characters, true to the spirit of the eleventh Doctor. Highly recommend this to any fan of Matt Smith, Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill's TARDIS team.
July 9, 2020
Probably Gary Russell’s best novel, it captures the fifth series atmosphere perfectly. Rory in particular shines brightly in this novel. The alien race is extremely interesting, though the villains are underdeveloped. The style is very enjoyable. I loved reading it!
February 8, 2021
Disappointing
The normally dependable Gary Russell phones in a disappointing adventure for the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory.
Characters and concepts are sketched very lightly and then discarded. One for completists only
The normally dependable Gary Russell phones in a disappointing adventure for the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory.
Characters and concepts are sketched very lightly and then discarded. One for completists only
July 20, 2021
I don’t know whether or not it’s a product of the Moffatt era, but a lot of the books I’ve read that are set in that period of the show tend to have quite convoluted plots. That being said, I did enjoy the book once I got my head around it.
August 10, 2022
I love the concept of the aliens in this book. It's a bit "pod-people" like, but I wish they'd tried to translate it to the big screen. It would have been both horrifying and terrific. I love the Victorian Horror Story feel of it.
November 29, 2025
So far, this is my favorite Eleventh Doctor novel in the series. Rory really does feel more front and center here than he does in some episodes of the TV show. Aside from that, possibly a dark throwaway detail when it's mentioned that Amy bit a doctor who wanted more when she was fourteen?
August 9, 2017
This one was a bit difficult to follow. I will, however, give huge props to reader-who-also-played-Rory Arthur Darvill's impression of Matt Smith. Pretty fantastic.
August 22, 2017
This felt like reading a doctor who episode. The author got the characters just right and I like the fact that the perspective switched between the trinity
December 4, 2017
I mean, these books are entertaining. Sometimes I like some brain candy. And being read by Rory is extra fun :-)
June 24, 2018
The weave are a cool
Alien race!
Alien race!
November 5, 2018
This and other Gary Russell books reviewed here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com...
November 27, 2018
i had to finish it. as i started it. just wasted my time
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews