"John Buchan: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction," by Kate MacDonald. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2009. 9780786437893. 219 p. $39.95.

Do you remember Alfred Hitchcock's movie, The Thirty-nine Steps"? This was written by Buchan in 1915 and was among the first of his 40 novels and 60 works of non-fiction. Buchan was a Scottish politician, statesman, and thriller writer who examined the nature of good and evil and explored the shifting boundaries between civilization and anarchy. This is a comprehensive companion to all of Buchan's mystery fiction by Kate MacDonald, professor of English at the University of Ghent in Belgium. PS -- John Buchan is also one of my husband's favorite authors. --KS