Enter Richard Hannay and the beginning of 'the chase' adventure Adventurer Richard Hannay, just returned from South Africa, is thoroughly bored with London life - until he is accosted by a mysterious American, who warns him of an assassination plot that could completely destabilize the fragile political balance of Europe. Initially sceptical, Hannay nonetheless harbours the man - but one day returns home to find him murdered. An obvious suspect, Hannay flees to his native Scotland, pursued by both the police and a cunning, ruthless enemy - the 'on the run' trope that was to influence countless others. His life and the security of Britain are in grave peril, and everything rests on the solution to a baffling enigma: what are the 'thirty-nine steps'? A classic, the book featured on Guardian's Best 100 English Novels list at #42.