The Thirty Nine Steps

Richard Hannay is a mining engineer who is visiting Britain for a short time before returning to South Africa. After a spate of assassinations of important British politicians, a retired British intelligence officer, Colonel Scudder, realises his life and his mysterious black notebook are in danger. Scudder tells Hannay of a plot by Prussian'sleeper' agents, who are planning to pre-empt a war against the Triple Entente powers by assassinating a foreign minister of state visiting the UK. Hannay attempts to solve the mystery whilst on the run from the police, led by Chief Supt Lomas (Eric Porter)