John buchan biography 39 steps reviews

The Thirty-Nine Steps, written by John Buchan and published in 1915, was one of the first “conspiracy” spy thrillers. Critics regularly vote it one of the top ten spy thrillers of all time.

The Thirty-Nine Steps: Title

The title references the Goal archetype. The protagonist’s goal is to discover what ‘the thirty-nine steps’ are.

Referencing one of the archetypes of the story in the title is a classic title generation technique.

(For more on titles, see How to Choose a Title For Your Novel)

The Thirty-Nine Steps: Logline

Just before the First World War, a Scottish adventurer finds a dead man in his flat, murdered by a German spy ring.

The prime suspect for the murder, he goes on the run, and must evade capture, clear his name and save his country.

(For more on loglines see The Killogator Logline Formula)

The Thirty-Nine Steps: Plot Summary

Warning: My reviews contain major spoilers, including the ending.

It is 1914, just before the outbreak of World War One.