Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Great escapism, 21 Nov 2008
a really good book to dip in and out of, I use it whenever I need some escapism. It's got enough excitement to keep you interested, as well as some beautiful description of the Scottish highlands. Perhaps not one for those of you who disagree with blood sports though.

Escapism from a different age, 03 Feb 2008
This is a fantastic book - my ultimate all time comfort read. The story of three great men seeking to recapture the excitement of life in Scotland's incomparable highlands through the pre-confessed poaching of a stag or a salmon on neighbouring estates. It is beautifully written and, while an essentially gentle story, gripping. I must have read it 100 times and still, when my mind is troubled, I go back to it. "Pride and Prejudice" for men.

A book that makes you yearn for the great outdoors, 18 Jan 2008
Other commentators have concentrated on the huntin', shootin', fishin' aspects of this book and they are certainly right to do so, but by doing so they perhaps miss what a great paean to the great Scottish countryside this is. In common with much of Buchan's work, the action takes place predominantly outdoors and he is so comfortable in his effortless description of place that it is a true joy to read. Sure the book has the class distinctions of its time but you can visit the Western Highlands even now and see how accurate and compelling his writing is. Also the "manhunt" aspects of the book surely appeal to the hunter in all of us "men of a certain age", who habitually watch Top Gear and would still like to nip out for a quick game of "Best Man Fall"

One last thing, whilst I adore the Richard Hannay books, may I guide those of you who have still to discover the genius of John Buchan (and please read his biographies for justification of my attaching that word to him) to read the "Dickson McCunn" books, Huntingtower, Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds. These are light, easy to read, surprisingly suspenseful and throughly rollicking reads that today's authors just cannot hope to match.

I notice that a number of Buchan's books are being re-published so I hope that many more people will get beyond The Thirty Nine Steps to see what a marvelous legacy of works Buchan has left us.


The Great Game, 03 Oct 2007
A comfortable read, John Buchan in top form on his home ground, writing about the blood sports he loves.

This book really should not work, as our heroes admit at the beginning of the story, their motivation for their adventures is merely to avoid boredom; As is clear at the end, the risks they have exposed themselves are all quite bogus. Why on Earth should the modern reader care about three patrician Tory squires playing at being rebels?

Simply, the reader cares because of the easy charm of our author, he engages our interest and sympathies so that it is impossible not to root for our eminent trio and their various assistants.

Also, although contrived, the tale is far from bloodless, Buchan always approaches his adventures as sporting contests anyway, no matter how high the odds, so the challenges thrown down by "John Macnab" suit his tone perfectly.

The night fishing exploits of Edward Leithen are perhaps the most memorable passages in the book, but all the sporting pursuits are well drawn, and with obvious knowledge and affection to draw on.

The highly class bound society shown here may seem off-putting to modern tastes, but Buchan is so assured, so certain of the rightness of the world he describes, it is impossible not to accept his preconceptions and simply enjoy a rattling story.

Excellent !, 30 Nov 1999
Whether you are familiar with this story from school or finding it for the first time, it makes for an excellent read. It carries an excellent 'sense of place' and, forgiving the minor details that date it, it is as applicable today as ever it was.

If you are going on holiday to Scotland and want to understand something of its' sporting history and development you could do no better than read this book. If you are visiting Scotland to fish or stalk and have not read this book - why not ! If you have already stalked or fished in Scotland and want to conjur up the memories then dive in.

Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Great escapism, 21 Nov 2008
a really good book to dip in and out of, I use it whenever I need some escapism. It's got enough excitement to keep you interested, as well as some beautiful description of the Scottish highlands. Perhaps not one for those of you who disagree with blood sports though.

Escapism from a different age, 03 Feb 2008
This is a fantastic book - my ultimate all time comfort read. The story of three great men seeking to recapture the excitement of life in Scotland's incomparable highlands through the pre-confessed poaching of a stag or a salmon on neighbouring estates. It is beautifully written and, while an essentially gentle story, gripping. I must have read it 100 times and still, when my mind is troubled, I go back to it. "Pride and Prejudice" for men.

A book that makes you yearn for the great outdoors, 18 Jan 2008
Other commentators have concentrated on the huntin', shootin', fishin' aspects of this book and they are certainly right to do so, but by doing so they perhaps miss what a great paean to the great Scottish countryside this is. In common with much of Buchan's work, the action takes place predominantly outdoors and he is so comfortable in his effortless description of place that it is a true joy to read. Sure the book has the class distinctions of its time but you can visit the Western Highlands even now and see how accurate and compelling his writing is. Also the "manhunt" aspects of the book surely appeal to the hunter in all of us "men of a certain age", who habitually watch Top Gear and would still like to nip out for a quick game of "Best Man Fall"

One last thing, whilst I adore the Richard Hannay books, may I guide those of you who have still to discover the genius of John Buchan (and please read his biographies for justification of my attaching that word to him) to read the "Dickson McCunn" books, Huntingtower, Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds. These are light, easy to read, surprisingly suspenseful and throughly rollicking reads that today's authors just cannot hope to match.

I notice that a number of Buchan's books are being re-published so I hope that many more people will get beyond The Thirty Nine Steps to see what a marvelous legacy of works Buchan has left us.


The Great Game, 03 Oct 2007
A comfortable read, John Buchan in top form on his home ground, writing about the blood sports he loves.

This book really should not work, as our heroes admit at the beginning of the story, their motivation for their adventures is merely to avoid boredom; As is clear at the end, the risks they have exposed themselves are all quite bogus. Why on Earth should the modern reader care about three patrician Tory squires playing at being rebels?

Simply, the reader cares because of the easy charm of our author, he engages our interest and sympathies so that it is impossible not to root for our eminent trio and their various assistants.

Also, although contrived, the tale is far from bloodless, Buchan always approaches his adventures as sporting contests anyway, no matter how high the odds, so the challenges thrown down by "John Macnab" suit his tone perfectly.

The night fishing exploits of Edward Leithen are perhaps the most memorable passages in the book, but all the sporting pursuits are well drawn, and with obvious knowledge and affection to draw on.

The highly class bound society shown here may seem off-putting to modern tastes, but Buchan is so assured, so certain of the rightness of the world he describes, it is impossible not to accept his preconceptions and simply enjoy a rattling story.

Excellent !, 30 Nov 1999
Whether you are familiar with this story from school or finding it for the first time, it makes for an excellent read. It carries an excellent 'sense of place' and, forgiving the minor details that date it, it is as applicable today as ever it was.

If you are going on holiday to Scotland and want to understand something of its' sporting history and development you could do no better than read this book. If you are visiting Scotland to fish or stalk and have not read this book - why not ! If you have already stalked or fished in Scotland and want to conjur up the memories then dive in.

Too American for my taste, 28 Sep 2008
This wasn't a bad read but it is terribly predictable and very short on atmosphere. I'd have liked to taste and smell a bit of Italy here but the format is very dry and very American.

Simple and short, but immensely readable, 07 Oct 2007
This time Guido defends a woman who has been seriously assaulted by her boyfriend, a man of some considerable influence.

The book is short, at just over 200 pages, and is not complex, despite being described as a legal thriller.

However, it is well-written, and well-translated, and it is impossible not to warm to Guido, despite his many flaws. The book is written in the first person so the reader lives with all of Guido's ups and downs, as well as his wondrous thoughts.

I don't think this book is as strong as `Reasonable Doubts' (the next novel in the series of 3 thus far), but it was again an immense pleasure to read. 9/10





A perfect jewel , 28 Oct 2006
Gianrico Carofiglio's second novel, A Walk in the Dark, is even better than his excellent debut, Involuntary Witness. Although translated with more assurance than Witness (this time by Howard Curtis), the author has matured, adding depth to the characters who appeared in the previous novel and introducing new ones who are instantly real. The confident dovetailing of back-story and character development as the plot unfolds is unfaltering.

Against the background of a legal case -- this time Guido Guerrieri is prosecuting a well-connected man for abusing his girlfriend -- the book is a perfect jewel. The themes are addiction -- to alcohol, cigarettes, fear or to a behaviour pattern -- and coping with the premature loss of a relationship -- by illness, death or cruelty. The context is corruption. I have some personal knowledge of the baroque and sinister lunacies of the Italian legal system, obviously not by any means as extensive as Carofiglio's (he used to be a judge), but enough to know that his accounts of the machinations are realistic.

The result is a powerful, insightful and compelling account of a tragedy -- or two or three.


Gianrico Carofiglio - A Walk in the Dark, 01 Jul 2006
This translated crime novel comes from slightly warmer shores than we're used to. We swap Scandinavia for Bari, a small town in Southern Italy. The climate is different, but the quality's the same.

Carofiglio is an anti-Mafia prosecutor, himself from Southern Italy. A Walk in the Dark, brought to us by the wonderful Bitter Lemon Press, is his second novel, and also the second to feature prosecutor Guido Gurrieri. It's a series that has won Carofiglio awards and fame in his native country, and has become the basis of a sucessful television series, too.

When Guido agrees to represent Martina, a young woman from a refuge centre who accuses her husband of brutal violence against her, he knows that the case could bring his career to a premature end. For the husband in question is the son of a powerful, influential local judge. No witnesses will testify in her favour, one lawyer after another refuses to represent her, and many of his friends tell Guido how hopeless the case is, how foolish he for taking it. But he cannot resists a hopeless, and just, cause.

A Walk in the Dark is quite a short book, clocking in at just over 200 paperback pages. And it may be short, but its brevity and parsimony lend it both power and pace. Carofiglio has a great ability to tell us all we need to know and nothing more in order to convey his characters, his plot, and the legal rings likeable, endearing Gurrieri must navigate through, which he surely has great knowledge of (one would hope so, in any case!) He has a great writer's way with boiling the complex down to the simple (Grisham's main virtue), and of illustrating characters just so.

The book is both a legal thriller and a very human drama, at times very moving (especially towards the end). He handles his plot so well, and moves it along expertly, once turning the book completely upside down with an unexpected twist. It's a book of excellent balance: plot and character, personal and professional (it's more than just a legal thriller, but a book about Gurrieri, and morality), seriousness and wit. Carofiglio knows well where the heartstrings are, and often plucks them with a bitter stroke. It's richly bound in its Italian setting, too, which is nice to see. One of the joys of this new wave of crime fiction is the little windows into a different place, a different culture, and this book provides that as well if not better than most.

This is an admirable novel, just as good as Carofiglio's first. Crime fiction readers with an interest in the deeper levels the genre can plumb, as well as in being richly entertained, would do well to look here.

John Grisham is now an institution -- a writer whose bestselling status is assured, So assured, in fact, that expectations for each new book are as high as can be imagined. Does The Appeal make the grade? And will it appeal to Grisham admirers -- or disappoint them?

The stakes in the novel's plot are high: corporate crime on the largest scale. The duo of lawyers at the centre of the narrative are Mary and Wes Grace, who succeed in a multimillion dollar case against a chemical company, who have polluted a town with dumped toxic waste. A slew of agonising deaths have followed this, but lawyers for the chemical company appeal, and a variety of legal shenanigans are employed -- and it is certainly not clear which way the scales of justice will be finally balanced.

As ever with Grisham, the mechanics of plotting are key, and the characterisation is functional rather than detailed. But it is (as always) more than capable of keeping the reader totally engaged. Given John Grisham's much-publicised conversion to born-again Christianity, it's intriguing to note here the implicit criticism of the moral majority's religious values, but that is hardly central to the enterprise. What counts is the storytelling, and while the writing is as straightforward and uncomplicated as ever, few readers will put down The Appeal once they have allowed it to exert its grip on upon them. --Barry Forshaw

Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Great escapism, 21 Nov 2008
a really good book to dip in and out of, I use it whenever I need some escapism. It's got enough excitement to keep you interested, as well as some beautiful description of the Scottish highlands. Perhaps not one for those of you who disagree with blood sports though.

Escapism from a different age, 03 Feb 2008
This is a fantastic book - my ultimate all time comfort read. The story of three great men seeking to recapture the excitement of life in Scotland's incomparable highlands through the pre-confessed poaching of a stag or a salmon on neighbouring estates. It is beautifully written and, while an essentially gentle story, gripping. I must have read it 100 times and still, when my mind is troubled, I go back to it. "Pride and Prejudice" for men.

A book that makes you yearn for the great outdoors, 18 Jan 2008
Other commentators have concentrated on the huntin', shootin', fishin' aspects of this book and they are certainly right to do so, but by doing so they perhaps miss what a great paean to the great Scottish countryside this is. In common with much of Buchan's work, the action takes place predominantly outdoors and he is so comfortable in his effortless description of place that it is a true joy to read. Sure the book has the class distinctions of its time but you can visit the Western Highlands even now and see how accurate and compelling his writing is. Also the "manhunt" aspects of the book surely appeal to the hunter in all of us "men of a certain age", who habitually watch Top Gear and would still like to nip out for a quick game of "Best Man Fall"

One last thing, whilst I adore the Richard Hannay books, may I guide those of you who have still to discover the genius of John Buchan (and please read his biographies for justification of my attaching that word to him) to read the "Dickson McCunn" books, Huntingtower, Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds. These are light, easy to read, surprisingly suspenseful and throughly rollicking reads that today's authors just cannot hope to match.

I notice that a number of Buchan's books are being re-published so I hope that many more people will get beyond The Thirty Nine Steps to see what a marvelous legacy of works Buchan has left us.


The Great Game, 03 Oct 2007
A comfortable read, John Buchan in top form on his home ground, writing about the blood sports he loves.

This book really should not work, as our heroes admit at the beginning of the story, their motivation for their adventures is merely to avoid boredom; As is clear at the end, the risks they have exposed themselves are all quite bogus. Why on Earth should the modern reader care about three patrician Tory squires playing at being rebels?

Simply, the reader cares because of the easy charm of our author, he engages our interest and sympathies so that it is impossible not to root for our eminent trio and their various assistants.

Also, although contrived, the tale is far from bloodless, Buchan always approaches his adventures as sporting contests anyway, no matter how high the odds, so the challenges thrown down by "John Macnab" suit his tone perfectly.

The night fishing exploits of Edward Leithen are perhaps the most memorable passages in the book, but all the sporting pursuits are well drawn, and with obvious knowledge and affection to draw on.

The highly class bound society shown here may seem off-putting to modern tastes, but Buchan is so assured, so certain of the rightness of the world he describes, it is impossible not to accept his preconceptions and simply enjoy a rattling story.

Excellent !, 30 Nov 1999
Whether you are familiar with this story from school or finding it for the first time, it makes for an excellent read. It carries an excellent 'sense of place' and, forgiving the minor details that date it, it is as applicable today as ever it was.

If you are going on holiday to Scotland and want to understand something of its' sporting history and development you could do no better than read this book. If you are visiting Scotland to fish or stalk and have not read this book - why not ! If you have already stalked or fished in Scotland and want to conjur up the memories then dive in.

Too American for my taste, 28 Sep 2008
This wasn't a bad read but it is terribly predictable and very short on atmosphere. I'd have liked to taste and smell a bit of Italy here but the format is very dry and very American.

Simple and short, but immensely readable, 07 Oct 2007
This time Guido defends a woman who has been seriously assaulted by her boyfriend, a man of some considerable influence.

The book is short, at just over 200 pages, and is not complex, despite being described as a legal thriller.

However, it is well-written, and well-translated, and it is impossible not to warm to Guido, despite his many flaws. The book is written in the first person so the reader lives with all of Guido's ups and downs, as well as his wondrous thoughts.

I don't think this book is as strong as `Reasonable Doubts' (the next novel in the series of 3 thus far), but it was again an immense pleasure to read. 9/10





A perfect jewel , 28 Oct 2006
Gianrico Carofiglio's second novel, A Walk in the Dark, is even better than his excellent debut, Involuntary Witness. Although translated with more assurance than Witness (this time by Howard Curtis), the author has matured, adding depth to the characters who appeared in the previous novel and introducing new ones who are instantly real. The confident dovetailing of back-story and character development as the plot unfolds is unfaltering.

Against the background of a legal case -- this time Guido Guerrieri is prosecuting a well-connected man for abusing his girlfriend -- the book is a perfect jewel. The themes are addiction -- to alcohol, cigarettes, fear or to a behaviour pattern -- and coping with the premature loss of a relationship -- by illness, death or cruelty. The context is corruption. I have some personal knowledge of the baroque and sinister lunacies of the Italian legal system, obviously not by any means as extensive as Carofiglio's (he used to be a judge), but enough to know that his accounts of the machinations are realistic.

The result is a powerful, insightful and compelling account of a tragedy -- or two or three.


Gianrico Carofiglio - A Walk in the Dark, 01 Jul 2006
This translated crime novel comes from slightly warmer shores than we're used to. We swap Scandinavia for Bari, a small town in Southern Italy. The climate is different, but the quality's the same.

Carofiglio is an anti-Mafia prosecutor, himself from Southern Italy. A Walk in the Dark, brought to us by the wonderful Bitter Lemon Press, is his second novel, and also the second to feature prosecutor Guido Gurrieri. It's a series that has won Carofiglio awards and fame in his native country, and has become the basis of a sucessful television series, too.

When Guido agrees to represent Martina, a young woman from a refuge centre who accuses her husband of brutal violence against her, he knows that the case could bring his career to a premature end. For the husband in question is the son of a powerful, influential local judge. No witnesses will testify in her favour, one lawyer after another refuses to represent her, and many of his friends tell Guido how hopeless the case is, how foolish he for taking it. But he cannot resists a hopeless, and just, cause.

A Walk in the Dark is quite a short book, clocking in at just over 200 paperback pages. And it may be short, but its brevity and parsimony lend it both power and pace. Carofiglio has a great ability to tell us all we need to know and nothing more in order to convey his characters, his plot, and the legal rings likeable, endearing Gurrieri must navigate through, which he surely has great knowledge of (one would hope so, in any case!) He has a great writer's way with boiling the complex down to the simple (Grisham's main virtue), and of illustrating characters just so.

The book is both a legal thriller and a very human drama, at times very moving (especially towards the end). He handles his plot so well, and moves it along expertly, once turning the book completely upside down with an unexpected twist. It's a book of excellent balance: plot and character, personal and professional (it's more than just a legal thriller, but a book about Gurrieri, and morality), seriousness and wit. Carofiglio knows well where the heartstrings are, and often plucks them with a bitter stroke. It's richly bound in its Italian setting, too, which is nice to see. One of the joys of this new wave of crime fiction is the little windows into a different place, a different culture, and this book provides that as well if not better than most.

This is an admirable novel, just as good as Carofiglio's first. Crime fiction readers with an interest in the deeper levels the genre can plumb, as well as in being richly entertained, would do well to look here.


More narrative than story, 08 Sep 2008
This book really gets into the workings of the appeals process and the politics involved in elections within the Supreme Court in the USA. A page turner? Only if you are looking for the story to spark into life and grab you by the collar and shake you senseless and it's when you hit the author's note that you realise that will not happen in this book. Maybe I have come to expect too much from the auhtor but I felt this book lacked a cutting edge that in parts made it tedious and quite boring.

Bad bad bad corporate America!, 02 Sep 2008
This is a classic novel. On the one side we have the baddies: an over-ambitious corporate raider surfing the murky waters of New York high finance world, a bunch of ultra-religious far right activists whose interests coincide with those of Corporate America and a ruthless campaign manager. On the other front the goodies are VERY good: a couple of selfless trial lawyers...a lovely liberal judge and so on...
The rythm of the book is good - although it slows down a bit in the central part. Good book for those who like semplifications...

Pretty Pathetic, 05 Aug 2008
What a disappointing Grisham novel. They are slowly getting worse. Of course the legal side is interesting but the story - boring and tedious - too many uninteresting characters about whom I couldn't care less. The book dragged on to a poor ending. I thought the new yacht, together with all the useless people on board, was going to sink - pity it didn't. I think this novel may have been written by a 'ghost writer'. I shall not bother to purchase any more of Grisham's novels.

Lost the Plot!!!!, 18 Jun 2008
Has a great and one of my favourite authors, simply lost the plot?!!!!
This book and his last 'Playing for Pizza' have been the two worst Grisham books that I have read. How can a man who has written some of the best books I have ever read write two books on the spin which, in being kind, I would say were a complete waste of money?!!!!!!!
In all sincerity, I would have to think twice before buying another Grisham new release!

Appealingly Dull, 11 Jun 2008
`The Appeal' opens at the point when most courtroom drama books end - with a verdict. Small town lawyers Mary and Wes Grace have just won a verdict of 10s of millions for their client whose husband and son both died due to contaminated drinking water. However, with their stock falling the big wigs at the chemical plant blamed for this are not planning to take the result on the chin. Instead they go about using underhand methods to try and influence an appeal that will take over a year to come about. Can Mary and Wes make the Supreme Court keep the ruling or will big business prove once more than money talks?

This is by far the most damning and depressing novel to date from Grisham. Over the years he has often tackled the shortfalls in the US judicial system, but here he attacks them head on. By the end of the book you are left battered and bruised in the ways that big business will try to manipulate and buy power. This should have been a great read, unfortunately in trying to educate the reader about the law Grisham has gone into too much detail and grows boring. In fact, the book almost feels like dry non-fiction about running a dodgy political campaign. The story seemed to get lost amongst pages and pages of political and law theory. If Grisham had managed to balance the story alongside his message the book would have proved a powerful message. Instead he is too heavy handed and even the most liberal of reader will get glassy eyed. Nice idea, poorly done.

Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Great escapism, 21 Nov 2008
a really good book to dip in and out of, I use it whenever I need some escapism. It's got enough excitement to keep you interested, as well as some beautiful description of the Scottish highlands. Perhaps not one for those of you who disagree with blood sports though.

Escapism from a different age, 03 Feb 2008
This is a fantastic book - my ultimate all time comfort read. The story of three great men seeking to recapture the excitement of life in Scotland's incomparable highlands through the pre-confessed poaching of a stag or a salmon on neighbouring estates. It is beautifully written and, while an essentially gentle story, gripping. I must have read it 100 times and still, when my mind is troubled, I go back to it. "Pride and Prejudice" for men.

A book that makes you yearn for the great outdoors, 18 Jan 2008
Other commentators have concentrated on the huntin', shootin', fishin' aspects of this book and they are certainly right to do so, but by doing so they perhaps miss what a great paean to the great Scottish countryside this is. In common with much of Buchan's work, the action takes place predominantly outdoors and he is so comfortable in his effortless description of place that it is a true joy to read. Sure the book has the class distinctions of its time but you can visit the Western Highlands even now and see how accurate and compelling his writing is. Also the "manhunt" aspects of the book surely appeal to the hunter in all of us "men of a certain age", who habitually watch Top Gear and would still like to nip out for a quick game of "Best Man Fall"

One last thing, whilst I adore the Richard Hannay books, may I guide those of you who have still to discover the genius of John Buchan (and please read his biographies for justification of my attaching that word to him) to read the "Dickson McCunn" books, Huntingtower, Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds. These are light, easy to read, surprisingly suspenseful and throughly rollicking reads that today's authors just cannot hope to match.

I notice that a number of Buchan's books are being re-published so I hope that many more people will get beyond The Thirty Nine Steps to see what a marvelous legacy of works Buchan has left us.


The Great Game, 03 Oct 2007
A comfortable read, John Buchan in top form on his home ground, writing about the blood sports he loves.

This book really should not work, as our heroes admit at the beginning of the story, their motivation for their adventures is merely to avoid boredom; As is clear at the end, the risks they have exposed themselves are all quite bogus. Why on Earth should the modern reader care about three patrician Tory squires playing at being rebels?

Simply, the reader cares because of the easy charm of our author, he engages our interest and sympathies so that it is impossible not to root for our eminent trio and their various assistants.

Also, although contrived, the tale is far from bloodless, Buchan always approaches his adventures as sporting contests anyway, no matter how high the odds, so the challenges thrown down by "John Macnab" suit his tone perfectly.

The night fishing exploits of Edward Leithen are perhaps the most memorable passages in the book, but all the sporting pursuits are well drawn, and with obvious knowledge and affection to draw on.

The highly class bound society shown here may seem off-putting to modern tastes, but Buchan is so assured, so certain of the rightness of the world he describes, it is impossible not to accept his preconceptions and simply enjoy a rattling story.

Excellent !, 30 Nov 1999
Whether you are familiar with this story from school or finding it for the first time, it makes for an excellent read. It carries an excellent 'sense of place' and, forgiving the minor details that date it, it is as applicable today as ever it was.

If you are going on holiday to Scotland and want to understand something of its' sporting history and development you could do no better than read this book. If you are visiting Scotland to fish or stalk and have not read this book - why not ! If you have already stalked or fished in Scotland and want to conjur up the memories then dive in.

Too American for my taste, 28 Sep 2008
This wasn't a bad read but it is terribly predictable and very short on atmosphere. I'd have liked to taste and smell a bit of Italy here but the format is very dry and very American.

Simple and short, but immensely readable, 07 Oct 2007
This time Guido defends a woman who has been seriously assaulted by her boyfriend, a man of some considerable influence.

The book is short, at just over 200 pages, and is not complex, despite being described as a legal thriller.

However, it is well-written, and well-translated, and it is impossible not to warm to Guido, despite his many flaws. The book is written in the first person so the reader lives with all of Guido's ups and downs, as well as his wondrous thoughts.

I don't think this book is as strong as `Reasonable Doubts' (the next novel in the series of 3 thus far), but it was again an immense pleasure to read. 9/10





A perfect jewel , 28 Oct 2006
Gianrico Carofiglio's second novel, A Walk in the Dark, is even better than his excellent debut, Involuntary Witness. Although translated with more assurance than Witness (this time by Howard Curtis), the author has matured, adding depth to the characters who appeared in the previous novel and introducing new ones who are instantly real. The confident dovetailing of back-story and character development as the plot unfolds is unfaltering.

Against the background of a legal case -- this time Guido Guerrieri is prosecuting a well-connected man for abusing his girlfriend -- the book is a perfect jewel. The themes are addiction -- to alcohol, cigarettes, fear or to a behaviour pattern -- and coping with the premature loss of a relationship -- by illness, death or cruelty. The context is corruption. I have some personal knowledge of the baroque and sinister lunacies of the Italian legal system, obviously not by any means as extensive as Carofiglio's (he used to be a judge), but enough to know that his accounts of the machinations are realistic.

The result is a powerful, insightful and compelling account of a tragedy -- or two or three.


Gianrico Carofiglio - A Walk in the Dark, 01 Jul 2006
This translated crime novel comes from slightly warmer shores than we're used to. We swap Scandinavia for Bari, a small town in Southern Italy. The climate is different, but the quality's the same.

Carofiglio is an anti-Mafia prosecutor, himself from Southern Italy. A Walk in the Dark, brought to us by the wonderful Bitter Lemon Press, is his second novel, and also the second to feature prosecutor Guido Gurrieri. It's a series that has won Carofiglio awards and fame in his native country, and has become the basis of a sucessful television series, too.

When Guido agrees to represent Martina, a young woman from a refuge centre who accuses her husband of brutal violence against her, he knows that the case could bring his career to a premature end. For the husband in question is the son of a powerful, influential local judge. No witnesses will testify in her favour, one lawyer after another refuses to represent her, and many of his friends tell Guido how hopeless the case is, how foolish he for taking it. But he cannot resists a hopeless, and just, cause.

A Walk in the Dark is quite a short book, clocking in at just over 200 paperback pages. And it may be short, but its brevity and parsimony lend it both power and pace. Carofiglio has a great ability to tell us all we need to know and nothing more in order to convey his characters, his plot, and the legal rings likeable, endearing Gurrieri must navigate through, which he surely has great knowledge of (one would hope so, in any case!) He has a great writer's way with boiling the complex down to the simple (Grisham's main virtue), and of illustrating characters just so.

The book is both a legal thriller and a very human drama, at times very moving (especially towards the end). He handles his plot so well, and moves it along expertly, once turning the book completely upside down with an unexpected twist. It's a book of excellent balance: plot and character, personal and professional (it's more than just a legal thriller, but a book about Gurrieri, and morality), seriousness and wit. Carofiglio knows well where the heartstrings are, and often plucks them with a bitter stroke. It's richly bound in its Italian setting, too, which is nice to see. One of the joys of this new wave of crime fiction is the little windows into a different place, a different culture, and this book provides that as well if not better than most.

This is an admirable novel, just as good as Carofiglio's first. Crime fiction readers with an interest in the deeper levels the genre can plumb, as well as in being richly entertained, would do well to look here.


More narrative than story, 08 Sep 2008
This book really gets into the workings of the appeals process and the politics involved in elections within the Supreme Court in the USA. A page turner? Only if you are looking for the story to spark into life and grab you by the collar and shake you senseless and it's when you hit the author's note that you realise that will not happen in this book. Maybe I have come to expect too much from the auhtor but I felt this book lacked a cutting edge that in parts made it tedious and quite boring.

Bad bad bad corporate America!, 02 Sep 2008
This is a classic novel. On the one side we have the baddies: an over-ambitious corporate raider surfing the murky waters of New York high finance world, a bunch of ultra-religious far right activists whose interests coincide with those of Corporate America and a ruthless campaign manager. On the other front the goodies are VERY good: a couple of selfless trial lawyers...a lovely liberal judge and so on...
The rythm of the book is good - although it slows down a bit in the central part. Good book for those who like semplifications...

Pretty Pathetic, 05 Aug 2008
What a disappointing Grisham novel. They are slowly getting worse. Of course the legal side is interesting but the story - boring and tedious - too many uninteresting characters about whom I couldn't care less. The book dragged on to a poor ending. I thought the new yacht, together with all the useless people on board, was going to sink - pity it didn't. I think this novel may have been written by a 'ghost writer'. I shall not bother to purchase any more of Grisham's novels.

Lost the Plot!!!!, 18 Jun 2008
Has a great and one of my favourite authors, simply lost the plot?!!!!
This book and his last 'Playing for Pizza' have been the two worst Grisham books that I have read. How can a man who has written some of the best books I have ever read write two books on the spin which, in being kind, I would say were a complete waste of money?!!!!!!!
In all sincerity, I would have to think twice before buying another Grisham new release!

Appealingly Dull, 11 Jun 2008
`The Appeal' opens at the point when most courtroom drama books end - with a verdict. Small town lawyers Mary and Wes Grace have just won a verdict of 10s of millions for their client whose husband and son both died due to contaminated drinking water. However, with their stock falling the big wigs at the chemical plant blamed for this are not planning to take the result on the chin. Instead they go about using underhand methods to try and influence an appeal that will take over a year to come about. Can Mary and Wes make the Supreme Court keep the ruling or will big business prove once more than money talks?

This is by far the most damning and depressing novel to date from Grisham. Over the years he has often tackled the shortfalls in the US judicial system, but here he attacks them head on. By the end of the book you are left battered and bruised in the ways that big business will try to manipulate and buy power. This should have been a great read, unfortunately in trying to educate the reader about the law Grisham has gone into too much detail and grows boring. In fact, the book almost feels like dry non-fiction about running a dodgy political campaign. The story seemed to get lost amongst pages and pages of political and law theory. If Grisham had managed to balance the story alongside his message the book would have proved a powerful message. Instead he is too heavy handed and even the most liberal of reader will get glassy eyed. Nice idea, poorly done.


Brilliant!!!, 24 Jul 2007
Getting only better and better, with "The Suspect" John Lescroart has written a legal thriller which has it all. Brilliant story/case. Brilliant characters. Brilliant Setting. Brilliant dialogue. Brilliant courtroom scenes. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

Lescroart is staying within the legal circle in San Francisco, created around the hero from his first books, attorney Dismas Hardy. This time there is a heroine, Hardy's colleague Gina Roake, who takes on her first murder case ever, with all the challenges this entails.

Besides being the perfect legal thriller - you never guess who did it, at least not until the very end - "The Suspect" has a lot of humour in it. Lawyers and police have their own language in order to cope with the grim reality they daily face in their work. Lescroart has invented characters like lawyer colleague Wes Farrell. Fashion ikon bizarre/eccentric with his unique! style and unbelievable collection of T-shirts (One reading: "I'm out of my mind...please leave a message!"). Farrell's beloved dogs also belong in the limelight. Late boxer Bart and labrador puppy Gert. The latter daily present at the premises of law firm "Freeman, Farrell, Hardy & Roake". Smuggled in behind the back of spinster Chief Commandeer par excellance, receptionist Phyllis, who leads her troops with iron will and no nonsense.

And then there is "Lou The Greek's", whose restaurant is favoured among San Francisco's legal elite. Not for the food though, only choice on the menu per day being "the Special". A curious Greek/Chinese concoction created by Lou's Chinese wife Chui, and often leading guests to the nearest burger joint afterwards...

Is there so room for serious legal business in all this? Oh yes. You bet. Lescroart has more than done his homework. The investigation is thorough and diverse, leading to ever new possibilities and surprises. The detailed courtroom dialogue, written with perfect professional accuracy, is very much alive, not missing a beat.

As all Lescroart's novels, "The Suspect" is a highly human book. The people are real. Chliché it may be, but they really feel like friends you don't want to leave.

Thanks to all the wonderfully entertaining details and unique sense of humour which make you stop and read passages several times over - and laugh - this page-turner luckily lasts a little bit longer than it otherwise would.

But still. It's awful when it ends. May there soon be more from my favourite author. Please!

A MUST read for fans of the legal thriller and likely to convert those who have yet to discover this genre - and John Lescroart. A Master Author not to be missed!!!

A MUST-HEAR THRILLER, 25 Jan 2007


Versatile actor/director David Collaci who also narrated this author's Dead Irish (the first book with Dismas Hardy) has an easy-listening stage trained voice plus the ability to easily segue between characters. So deft is he at this that at times it almost seems that one is listening to a cast of readers rather than one. The conversations and confrontations between the two main characters are absolutely riveting when read by Colacci.

With each succeeding novel, now 18 in all, John Lescroart (pronounced "less-kwah" so you can tell your friends about this audiobook) garners a host of new fans. He is an author one cannot ignore as his plots are scrupulously drawn, his characters likable, and he choreographs the escalation of suspense masterfully.

Gina Roake, a 47-year-old partner in Dismas Hardy's law firm and a secondary character in previous Lescroart tales, is given center stage in this story of truth and justice. Still reeling from the death of her beloved fiancé, an icon in San Francisco's law world, she has gone camping by a Sierra Nevada alpine lake to be alone and, hopefully, heal.

Across the lake outdoor writer Stuart Gorman has a very different reason for seeking tranquility - his wife, Dr. Caryn Dryden, had just announced that she wanted a divorce. This was a shocking, infuriating kick in the head to Stuart as he had long ago realized that their marriage was not all he wished it but had determined to remain faithful - they had made promises to each other and he, for one, intended to keep them.

Nonetheless, he was furious when Caryn as much as said he no longer mattered to her and he took off for their cabin at Echo Lake. Once there, he vented his anger by polishing off half a quart of vodka then going a few rounds with the cabin - plates ricocheted off walls, chairs were broken and framed family photos smashed. Unable to find any peace, he decided to drive back to the city for a final showdown with Caryn.

It was not a showdown but it was final as he found Caryn dead, her nude body by their hot tub.

Knowing that he had nothing to do with his wife's death, Stuart was frank when interrogated by Sergeant Devin Juhle, admitting that they were not getting along and that she had asked for a divorce. Further, her death will make him a millionaire three times over. To Juhle, if a wife is murdered, the spouse did it. Thus, he has not doubt that Stuart is guilty - all he has to do is prove it.

Upon the advice of his good friend, California Assemblyman Jedd Conley, Stuart hires Gina as his attorney. She jumps at the chance even though she has never defended a murder case. However, as she comes to know Stuart there are a few unpleasant surprises in store for her - he has twice been arrested for domestic violence, he spent a few days alone at the family cabin with Caryn's attractive sister, Debra, a young girl living across the street from Stuart swears she saw him come home at the time Caryn was killed.

As the investigation proceeds it appears that a recent invention of Caryn's awaiting FDA approval may have had something to do with her death. But, who would and perhaps more importantly who could have killed her?

Lescroart treats listeners to some of his trademark crackling courtroom scenes, and a surprising, satisfying finish,. In addition, he leaves us to ponder whether or not we are really believed innocent until we're proven guilty.

Don't miss this one!

- Gail Cooke

Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Great escapism, 21 Nov 2008
a really good book to dip in and out of, I use it whenever I need some escapism. It's got enough excitement to keep you interested, as well as some beautiful description of the Scottish highlands. Perhaps not one for those of you who disagree with blood sports though.

Escapism from a different age, 03 Feb 2008
This is a fantastic book - my ultimate all time comfort read. The story of three great men seeking to recapture the excitement of life in Scotland's incomparable highlands through the pre-confessed poaching of a stag or a salmon on neighbouring estates. It is beautifully written and, while an essentially gentle story, gripping. I must have read it 100 times and still, when my mind is troubled, I go back to it. "Pride and Prejudice" for men.

A book that makes you yearn for the great outdoors, 18 Jan 2008
Other commentators have concentrated on the huntin', shootin', fishin' aspects of this book and they are certainly right to do so, but by doing so they perhaps miss what a great paean to the great Scottish countryside this is. In common with much of Buchan's work, the action takes place predominantly outdoors and he is so comfortable in his effortless description of place that it is a true joy to read. Sure the book has the class distinctions of its time but you can visit the Western Highlands even now and see how accurate and compelling his writing is. Also the "manhunt" aspects of the book surely appeal to the hunter in all of us "men of a certain age", who habitually watch Top Gear and would still like to nip out for a quick game of "Best Man Fall"

One last thing, whilst I adore the Richard Hannay books, may I guide those of you who have still to discover the genius of John Buchan (and please read his biographies for justification of my attaching that word to him) to read the "Dickson McCunn" books, Huntingtower, Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds. These are light, easy to read, surprisingly suspenseful and throughly rollicking reads that today's authors just cannot hope to match.

I notice that a number of Buchan's books are being re-published so I hope that many more people will get beyond The Thirty Nine Steps to see what a marvelous legacy of works Buchan has left us.


The Great Game, 03 Oct 2007
A comfortable read, John Buchan in top form on his home ground, writing about the blood sports he loves.

This book really should not work, as our heroes admit at the beginning of the story, their motivation for their adventures is merely to avoid boredom; As is clear at the end, the risks they have exposed themselves are all quite bogus. Why on Earth should the modern reader care about three patrician Tory squires playing at being rebels?

Simply, the reader cares because of the easy charm of our author, he engages our interest and sympathies so that it is impossible not to root for our eminent trio and their various assistants.

Also, although contrived, the tale is far from bloodless, Buchan always approaches his adventures as sporting contests anyway, no matter how high the odds, so the challenges thrown down by "John Macnab" suit his tone perfectly.

The night fishing exploits of Edward Leithen are perhaps the most memorable passages in the book, but all the sporting pursuits are well drawn, and with obvious knowledge and affection to draw on.

The highly class bound society shown here may seem off-putting to modern tastes, but Buchan is so assured, so certain of the rightness of the world he describes, it is impossible not to accept his preconceptions and simply enjoy a rattling story.

Excellent !, 30 Nov 1999
Whether you are familiar with this story from school or finding it for the first time, it makes for an excellent read. It carries an excellent 'sense of place' and, forgiving the minor details that date it, it is as applicable today as ever it was.

If you are going on holiday to Scotland and want to understand something of its' sporting history and development you could do no better than read this book. If you are visiting Scotland to fish or stalk and have not read this book - why not ! If you have already stalked or fished in Scotland and want to conjur up the memories then dive in.

Too American for my taste, 28 Sep 2008
This wasn't a bad read but it is terribly predictable and very short on atmosphere. I'd have liked to taste and smell a bit of Italy here but the format is very dry and very American.

Simple and short, but immensely readable, 07 Oct 2007
This time Guido defends a woman who has been seriously assaulted by her boyfriend, a man of some considerable influence.

The book is short, at just over 200 pages, and is not complex, despite being described as a legal thriller.

However, it is well-written, and well-translated, and it is impossible not to warm to Guido, despite his many flaws. The book is written in the first person so the reader lives with all of Guido's ups and downs, as well as his wondrous thoughts.

I don't think this book is as strong as `Reasonable Doubts' (the next novel in the series of 3 thus far), but it was again an immense pleasure to read. 9/10





A perfect jewel , 28 Oct 2006
Gianrico Carofiglio's second novel, A Walk in the Dark, is even better than his excellent debut, Involuntary Witness. Although translated with more assurance than Witness (this time by Howard Curtis), the author has matured, adding depth to the characters who appeared in the previous novel and introducing new ones who are instantly real. The confident dovetailing of back-story and character development as the plot unfolds is unfaltering.

Against the background of a legal case -- this time Guido Guerrieri is prosecuting a well-connected man for abusing his girlfriend -- the book is a perfect jewel. The themes are addiction -- to alcohol, cigarettes, fear or to a behaviour pattern -- and coping with the premature loss of a relationship -- by illness, death or cruelty. The context is corruption. I have some personal knowledge of the baroque and sinister lunacies of the Italian legal system, obviously not by any means as extensive as Carofiglio's (he used to be a judge), but enough to know that his accounts of the machinations are realistic.

The result is a powerful, insightful and compelling account of a tragedy -- or two or three.


Gianrico Carofiglio - A Walk in the Dark, 01 Jul 2006
This translated crime novel comes from slightly warmer shores than we're used to. We swap Scandinavia for Bari, a small town in Southern Italy. The climate is different, but the quality's the same.

Carofiglio is an anti-Mafia prosecutor, himself from Southern Italy. A Walk in the Dark, brought to us by the wonderful Bitter Lemon Press, is his second novel, and also the second to feature prosecutor Guido Gurrieri. It's a series that has won Carofiglio awards and fame in his native country, and has become the basis of a sucessful television series, too.

When Guido agrees to represent Martina, a young woman from a refuge centre who accuses her husband of brutal violence against her, he knows that the case could bring his career to a premature end. For the husband in question is the son of a powerful, influential local judge. No witnesses will testify in her favour, one lawyer after another refuses to represent her, and many of his friends tell Guido how hopeless the case is, how foolish he for taking it. But he cannot resists a hopeless, and just, cause.

A Walk in the Dark is quite a short book, clocking in at just over 200 paperback pages. And it may be short, but its brevity and parsimony lend it both power and pace. Carofiglio has a great ability to tell us all we need to know and nothing more in order to convey his characters, his plot, and the legal rings likeable, endearing Gurrieri must navigate through, which he surely has great knowledge of (one would hope so, in any case!) He has a great writer's way with boiling the complex down to the simple (Grisham's main virtue), and of illustrating characters just so.

The book is both a legal thriller and a very human drama, at times very moving (especially towards the end). He handles his plot so well, and moves it along expertly, once turning the book completely upside down with an unexpected twist. It's a book of excellent balance: plot and character, personal and professional (it's more than just a legal thriller, but a book about Gurrieri, and morality), seriousness and wit. Carofiglio knows well where the heartstrings are, and often plucks them with a bitter stroke. It's richly bound in its Italian setting, too, which is nice to see. One of the joys of this new wave of crime fiction is the little windows into a different place, a different culture, and this book provides that as well if not better than most.

This is an admirable novel, just as good as Carofiglio's first. Crime fiction readers with an interest in the deeper levels the genre can plumb, as well as in being richly entertained, would do well to look here.


More narrative than story, 08 Sep 2008
This book really gets into the workings of the appeals process and the politics involved in elections within the Supreme Court in the USA. A page turner? Only if you are looking for the story to spark into life and grab you by the collar and shake you senseless and it's when you hit the author's note that you realise that will not happen in this book. Maybe I have come to expect too much from the auhtor but I felt this book lacked a cutting edge that in parts made it tedious and quite boring.

Bad bad bad corporate America!, 02 Sep 2008
This is a classic novel. On the one side we have the baddies: an over-ambitious corporate raider surfing the murky waters of New York high finance world, a bunch of ultra-religious far right activists whose interests coincide with those of Corporate America and a ruthless campaign manager. On the other front the goodies are VERY good: a couple of selfless trial lawyers...a lovely liberal judge and so on...
The rythm of the book is good - although it slows down a bit in the central part. Good book for those who like semplifications...

Pretty Pathetic, 05 Aug 2008
What a disappointing Grisham novel. They are slowly getting worse. Of course the legal side is interesting but the story - boring and tedious - too many uninteresting characters about whom I couldn't care less. The book dragged on to a poor ending. I thought the new yacht, together with all the useless people on board, was going to sink - pity it didn't. I think this novel may have been written by a 'ghost writer'. I shall not bother to purchase any more of Grisham's novels.

Lost the Plot!!!!, 18 Jun 2008
Has a great and one of my favourite authors, simply lost the plot?!!!!
This book and his last 'Playing for Pizza' have been the two worst Grisham books that I have read. How can a man who has written some of the best books I have ever read write two books on the spin which, in being kind, I would say were a complete waste of money?!!!!!!!
In all sincerity, I would have to think twice before buying another Grisham new release!

Appealingly Dull, 11 Jun 2008
`The Appeal' opens at the point when most courtroom drama books end - with a verdict. Small town lawyers Mary and Wes Grace have just won a verdict of 10s of millions for their client whose husband and son both died due to contaminated drinking water. However, with their stock falling the big wigs at the chemical plant blamed for this are not planning to take the result on the chin. Instead they go about using underhand methods to try and influence an appeal that will take over a year to come about. Can Mary and Wes make the Supreme Court keep the ruling or will big business prove once more than money talks?

This is by far the most damning and depressing novel to date from Grisham. Over the years he has often tackled the shortfalls in the US judicial system, but here he attacks them head on. By the end of the book you are left battered and bruised in the ways that big business will try to manipulate and buy power. This should have been a great read, unfortunately in trying to educate the reader about the law Grisham has gone into too much detail and grows boring. In fact, the book almost feels like dry non-fiction about running a dodgy political campaign. The story seemed to get lost amongst pages and pages of political and law theory. If Grisham had managed to balance the story alongside his message the book would have proved a powerful message. Instead he is too heavy handed and even the most liberal of reader will get glassy eyed. Nice idea, poorly done.


Brilliant!!!, 24 Jul 2007
Getting only better and better, with "The Suspect" John Lescroart has written a legal thriller which has it all. Brilliant story/case. Brilliant characters. Brilliant Setting. Brilliant dialogue. Brilliant courtroom scenes. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

Lescroart is staying within the legal circle in San Francisco, created around the hero from his first books, attorney Dismas Hardy. This time there is a heroine, Hardy's colleague Gina Roake, who takes on her first murder case ever, with all the challenges this entails.

Besides being the perfect legal thriller - you never guess who did it, at least not until the very end - "The Suspect" has a lot of humour in it. Lawyers and police have their own language in order to cope with the grim reality they daily face in their work. Lescroart has invented characters like lawyer colleague Wes Farrell. Fashion ikon bizarre/eccentric with his unique! style and unbelievable collection of T-shirts (One reading: "I'm out of my mind...please leave a message!"). Farrell's beloved dogs also belong in the limelight. Late boxer Bart and labrador puppy Gert. The latter daily present at the premises of law firm "Freeman, Farrell, Hardy & Roake". Smuggled in behind the back of spinster Chief Commandeer par excellance, receptionist Phyllis, who leads her troops with iron will and no nonsense.

And then there is "Lou The Greek's", whose restaurant is favoured among San Francisco's legal elite. Not for the food though, only choice on the menu per day being "the Special". A curious Greek/Chinese concoction created by Lou's Chinese wife Chui, and often leading guests to the nearest burger joint afterwards...

Is there so room for serious legal business in all this? Oh yes. You bet. Lescroart has more than done his homework. The investigation is thorough and diverse, leading to ever new possibilities and surprises. The detailed courtroom dialogue, written with perfect professional accuracy, is very much alive, not missing a beat.

As all Lescroart's novels, "The Suspect" is a highly human book. The people are real. Chliché it may be, but they really feel like friends you don't want to leave.

Thanks to all the wonderfully entertaining details and unique sense of humour which make you stop and read passages several times over - and laugh - this page-turner luckily lasts a little bit longer than it otherwise would.

But still. It's awful when it ends. May there soon be more from my favourite author. Please!

A MUST read for fans of the legal thriller and likely to convert those who have yet to discover this genre - and John Lescroart. A Master Author not to be missed!!!

A MUST-HEAR THRILLER, 25 Jan 2007


Versatile actor/director David Collaci who also narrated this author's Dead Irish (the first book with Dismas Hardy) has an easy-listening stage trained voice plus the ability to easily segue between characters. So deft is he at this that at times it almost seems that one is listening to a cast of readers rather than one. The conversations and confrontations between the two main characters are absolutely riveting when read by Colacci.

With each succeeding novel, now 18 in all, John Lescroart (pronounced "less-kwah" so you can tell your friends about this audiobook) garners a host of new fans. He is an author one cannot ignore as his plots are scrupulously drawn, his characters likable, and he choreographs the escalation of suspense masterfully.

Gina Roake, a 47-year-old partner in Dismas Hardy's law firm and a secondary character in previous Lescroart tales, is given center stage in this story of truth and justice. Still reeling from the death of her beloved fiancé, an icon in San Francisco's law world, she has gone camping by a Sierra Nevada alpine lake to be alone and, hopefully, heal.

Across the lake outdoor writer Stuart Gorman has a very different reason for seeking tranquility - his wife, Dr. Caryn Dryden, had just announced that she wanted a divorce. This was a shocking, infuriating kick in the head to Stuart as he had long ago realized that their marriage was not all he wished it but had determined to remain faithful - they had made promises to each other and he, for one, intended to keep them.

Nonetheless, he was furious when Caryn as much as said he no longer mattered to her and he took off for their cabin at Echo Lake. Once there, he vented his anger by polishing off half a quart of vodka then going a few rounds with the cabin - plates ricocheted off walls, chairs were broken and framed family photos smashed. Unable to find any peace, he decided to drive back to the city for a final showdown with Caryn.

It was not a showdown but it was final as he found Caryn dead, her nude body by their hot tub.

Knowing that he had nothing to do with his wife's death, Stuart was frank when interrogated by Sergeant Devin Juhle, admitting that they were not getting along and that she had asked for a divorce. Further, her death will make him a millionaire three times over. To Juhle, if a wife is murdered, the spouse did it. Thus, he has not doubt that Stuart is guilty - all he has to do is prove it.

Upon the advice of his good friend, California Assemblyman Jedd Conley, Stuart hires Gina as his attorney. She jumps at the chance even though she has never defended a murder case. However, as she comes to know Stuart there are a few unpleasant surprises in store for her - he has twice been arrested for domestic violence, he spent a few days alone at the family cabin with Caryn's attractive sister, Debra, a young girl living across the street from Stuart swears she saw him come home at the time Caryn was killed.

As the investigation proceeds it appears that a recent invention of Caryn's awaiting FDA approval may have had something to do with her death. But, who would and perhaps more importantly who could have killed her?

Lescroart treats listeners to some of his trademark crackling courtroom scenes, and a surprising, satisfying finish,. In addition, he leaves us to ponder whether or not we are really believed innocent until we're proven guilty.

Don't miss this one!

- Gail Cooke

Really lived up to its billing, 31 Jul 2008
This is one of those books that I would not have read without the Amazon recommendations - both the links to what I have previously bought and the customer reviews. It really is as good as people claim. Compelling, plausible, well written, great characters......One of those novels you can't put down, yet you want to save and relish. Very strongly recommended.

Trully Brilliant, 11 Jul 2008
I got this book after finishing the latest Grisham novel (being still in the mood for a legal thriller). I have to say, it is the best spent 1p (and £2.75 for delivery) in the last year.

Without giving away the stroy line I will say that this book is:

- superbly written (better than Grisham, yes, I do mean that)
- Impossible to put down (but well worth the sleep deprivation)
- fantastic but truly beleivable plot with lots of twists and turns
- easily the best novel I have read this year

Trust me when I say that you should have not a shred of doubt about buying this book.

Outstanding, 12 Aug 2007
This is the first book I have read by Stephen Horn and by coincidence his first novel. I certainly intend to read more. This book was outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. The plot was well written and I found myself wanting to read more, so I couldn't put it down. The characters are well formed and you will find yourself immersed in the storyline and their lives. If you like legal thrillers you will love this one and I highly recommend that you read it without delay.

This is an excellent book with a powerful storyline, 28 Nov 2001
An excellent tour de force from a new author. Although the genre may be a bit crowded these days, Horn brings his courtroom and pre-trial scenes to life with authentic, realistic dialogue. The storyline has several intriguing twists before the reader is finally led towards the denouement. Personally, I can hardly wait for Stephen's next book to hit the street.

Wonderful, 03 Aug 2007
If you are familiar with the TV serialization of the books, then the first collection of the novels are every bit as good and much more.
If you know nothing of John Mortimer or Rumpole of the Bailey, and are just window shopping for a good book to read then stop. This book will have you crying with laughter as it describes the eccentricities of the English legal system. It is a cross between Judge John Deed and Reginald Perrin. You couldn't find a better way to pass a few hours and spend a few pounds. Highly Recommended.

Non omnia, 22 Dec 2005
Of course, I have a distinct distaste for anything which uses the word 'omnibus' which is not in fact ALL, but for Rumpole, I shall gladly make exception. Omnibus of course requires all three omnibus volumes (plus later additions), and they are all worthy of reading, but the first is by far the best.

Here is where we are introduced to Rumpole, ever defender of the downtrodden criminal element, most successful of course when these minor villians have been wrongly accused, at least in the latest particular incident. As Rumpole said once during a defence, the English nation when it is long gone will be remembered for three things -- the English breakfast, the Oxford Book of English Verse (the Quiller-Couch Edition), and the presumption of innocence.

Even in the later story of Rumpole for the Prosecution, in which Rumpole is hired to conduct a private prosecution, he manages to provide through his searching for the truth the best defence for the defendant. Rumpole, it seems, will never be anything but the champion for the defence.

Mortimer is intimately familiar with the legal court setting about which he writes in the Rumpole series; judges such as Bullingham and Graves take their character from amalgamations of actual judges, and Mortimer once let it be known in a television interview that if he saw particular miscarriages of justice done, he would have no choice but to work it in to the plot of an upcoming Rumpole story.

One wonders if Hilda, Rumpole's wife, affectionately referred to as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed', is modeled on anyone specific in Mortimer's life. Other characters in chambers and in the dock seem very true to form, while also remaining interesting exaggerations of real persons. One might ask for a bit more character development in some, but largely, they serve their purpose as bit players on the stage.

So, sit back with your favourite glass of red wine (Chateau Fleet Street comes highly recommended) and wander into a London which is a blend of the thoroughly modern and practically medieval.

No need to defend Rumpole, 12 Oct 2004
Anyone who has taken the time to read John Mortimer's Rumpole stories will know that the author writes as a man of considerable experience of law and never fails to deliver where the great defender is concerned. Rumpole is always worth a read. Superb stuff.

Mortmer created Rumpole , a man with his own mind ....., 25 Apr 2000
Rumpole, the main character, is a man with his own mind about the purpose of criminal justice and the role of the actors in it, be it criminals and laywers or judges and juries.Mortimer takes one through the daily life of Rumpole from his Froxbury "Mansion" and She Who Must Be Obeyed to 3 Equity Chambers where he is a constant source of irritation and anxiety to successive heads and an occassional savoiur , from the Old Bailey where Rumpole exchanges "pleasantries" with the Mad Bull before crowning it all with a "Chateau Lafite" at Pommeroy's Wine Bar.... I would readily recomend it to anyone with an eye for legal humour....

Great escapism, 21 Nov 2008
a really good book to dip in and out of, I use it whenever I need some escapism. It's got enough excitement to keep you interested, as well as some beautiful description of the Scottish highlands. Perhaps not one for those of you who disagree with blood sports though.

Escapism from a different age, 03 Feb 2008
This is a fantastic book - my ultimate all time comfort read. The story of three great men seeking to recapture the excitement of life in Scotland's incomparable highlands through the pre-confessed poaching of a stag or a salmon on neighbouring estates. It is beautifully written and, while an essentially gentle story, gripping. I must have read it 100 times and still, when my mind is troubled, I go back to it. "Pride and Prejudice" for men.

A book that makes you yearn for the great outdoors, 18 Jan 2008
Other commentators have concentrated on the huntin', shootin', fishin' aspects of this book and they are certainly right to do so, but by doing so they perhaps miss what a great paean to the great Scottish countryside this is. In common with much of Buchan's work, the action takes place predominantly outdoors and he is so comfortable in his effortless description of place that it is a true joy to read. Sure the book has the class distinctions of its time but you can visit the Western Highlands even now and see how accurate and compelling his writing is. Also the "manhunt" aspects of the book surely appeal to the hunter in all of us "men of a certain age", who habitually watch Top Gear and would still like to nip out for a quick game of "Best Man Fall"

One last thing, whilst I adore the Richard Hannay books, may I guide those of you who have still to discover the genius of John Buchan (and please read his biographies for justification of my attaching that word to him) to read the "Dickson McCunn" books, Huntingtower, Castle Gay and The House of the Four Winds. These are light, easy to read, surprisingly suspenseful and throughly rollicking reads that today's authors just cannot hope to match.

I notice that a number of Buchan's books are being re-published so I hope that many more people will get beyond The Thirty Nine Steps to see what a marvelous legacy of works Buchan has left us.


The Great Game, 03 Oct 2007
A comfortable read, John Buchan in top form on his home ground, writing about the blood sports he loves.

This book really should not work, as our heroes admit at the beginning of the story, their motivation for their adventures is merely to avoid boredom; As is clear at the end, the risks they have exposed themselves are all quite bogus. Why on Earth should the modern reader care about three patrician Tory squires playing at being rebels?

Simply, the reader cares because of the easy charm of our author, he engages our interest and sympathies so that it is impossible not to root for our eminent trio and their various assistants.

Also, although contrived, the tale is far from bloodless, Buchan always approaches his adventures as sporting contests anyway, no matter how high the odds, so the challenges thrown down by "John Macnab" suit his tone perfectly.

The night fishing exploits of Edward Leithen are perhaps the most memorable passages in the book, but all the sporting pursuits are well drawn, and with obvious knowledge and affection to draw on.

The highly class bound society shown here may seem off-putting to modern tastes, but Buchan is so assured, so c