kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Richard Hannay has retired to the English countryside with his darling wife, Mary, and their son, Peter John. But he gets roped into an adventure once again when he learns that a criminal mastermind has kidnapped three young people, one of them a young boy only 10 years old. The only clue is a mysterious poem with the imagery of a blind woman who spins thread, a curiosity shop run by a man with a dyed beard, and the cryptic phrase "the land of Eden." Richard must unravel the clues and trust his instincts to rescue the poor captives before it is too late.
I loved this mystery so much! The plot keeps moving forward, and just when you think they are discovering something at last, then another clue turns up and they have to start again in a new direction. The twists and turns go all over the place!
This mystery included plenty of action and adventure, but what really intrigued me was the mental warfare going on. The villain of the story turns out to be dabbling in hypnotism, and Richard has to play a dangerous intellectual game to lull the bad guy into a sense of safety and then spy on him to learn his evil plans.
I enjoyed the writing style very much. I like that we get to experience all of Richard's inner thoughts and emotions. The writing is so powerfully descriptive that the reader feels all of Richard's fear and elation as he escapes from danger.
In the last book, I complained that Richard and Mary's romance was too quick. In this book, I similarly complain that their relationship is taken for granted. Instead of getting to see how they learn to trust each other even more through this mystery, they are static characters. They already trust each other and rely on each other and understand the other person. There is no growth in their relationship. Of course in both books, the main focus of the story is not on their relationship; it's all about the espionage and mystery. But still, I would have liked to see more development for them.
I loved this mystery so much! The plot keeps moving forward, and just when you think they are discovering something at last, then another clue turns up and they have to start again in a new direction. The twists and turns go all over the place!
This mystery included plenty of action and adventure, but what really intrigued me was the mental warfare going on. The villain of the story turns out to be dabbling in hypnotism, and Richard has to play a dangerous intellectual game to lull the bad guy into a sense of safety and then spy on him to learn his evil plans.
I enjoyed the writing style very much. I like that we get to experience all of Richard's inner thoughts and emotions. The writing is so powerfully descriptive that the reader feels all of Richard's fear and elation as he escapes from danger.
In the last book, I complained that Richard and Mary's romance was too quick. In this book, I similarly complain that their relationship is taken for granted. Instead of getting to see how they learn to trust each other even more through this mystery, they are static characters. They already trust each other and rely on each other and understand the other person. There is no growth in their relationship. Of course in both books, the main focus of the story is not on their relationship; it's all about the espionage and mystery. But still, I would have liked to see more development for them.
elizafiedler's review against another edition
2.0
Hmm. These books have a lot more antisemitism and misogyny than I remembered from the earlier books. Seminal spy novels, yes, but problematic.
dadtheroadmasterowner's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
lynn_pugh's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs
rbkegley's review against another edition
4.0
A stirring conclusion to Buchan's seminal spy novels, "The Three Hostages" finds Sir Richard Hannay comfortably settled with his wife Mary (from "Greenmantle") and their young son on a farm in the Cotswolds, only to be drawn against his will into another adventure. This time, the struggle is not against an enemy nation, but against a vast criminal enterprise led by a genius every bit the equal of Sherlock Holmes' Moriarty. As always, Hannay wins in the end, but the journey is mostly tightly-paced and interesting.
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