When Richard Hannay returns from a long stay in Africa, he becomes caught up in a sensational plot to precipitate a pan-European war. After a corpse is found in his flat, Hannay flees the attentions of both the conspirators and the law, and a manhunt ensues.

The Thirty-Nine Steps is a seminal "chase" thriller, rapid and vivid. It has been widely influential and frequently dramatised: the film directed by Alfred Hitchcock became a sereen classic. This engaging novel also provides insights into the inter-action of patriotism, fear and prejudice.