NOT QUITE A RIVAL OF JOHN BUCHAN

Radio Record, 3 June 1938, Page 30

NOT QUITE A RIVAL OF JOHN BUCHAN

JXXCEPTIONAL among "thrillers" is the second novel of Gordon. McDonell, whose "Jump for Glory" won the praise of the ‘critics and -- more important-the approval of that small proportion ot the public thar is willing to see merit even in newcomers. "Silver Bugle." just published, should set its author fairly on the road to general recognition. . , It may even he that we have here another John Buchan in the making. The spare, vigorous style and the skilful knitting of episodes in a crowded plot recall the older writer, apart from the fact that "Silver Bugle" itself. in both theme and treatment, strongly recalls "The Thirty-nine Steps" and "Greenmantle." True, it is still very many steps behind the Richard Han. nay classics, but at least it walks firmly along the same path. Central figures in this exciting tale are two English brothers who take a holiday in Paris in order to race their horses there, Purely by chanee, they stumble on what they believe is a plo! to steal thousands of pounds’ worth of jewellery. They would nor be sporting Englishmen, of course, if they did not follow up the trail-and rhe trail leads them to a beautiful American woman posing us a peace worker, bus; apparently all the time secretly directing # gang of thieves and eut-throats who will stop not even at murder to gain their ends-or the creation of one of those dangerous political "incidents" which have so often lately had the world teetering on the brink of war. The mixture of political intrigue makes "Silver Bugle" a timely thriller: bur its qualities of simple and swiftchanging incident, its crisp dialogu*. and romantic elemen; nicely constrained, would in any case recommend it. There are. unfortunately weaknesses. if not actual holes, in the plot; and the villains hehave so much like ordinary American crooks they lose half their power of spine-chilling. But ‘ah! if only Gordon MeDonell would fulfil his promise and send us, later on, some of the wide-eyed night, that Buchan did, how mueh could be forgiven him! "Silver. Bugle,’ by Gordon MeDonell (Harrap and Co., Etd.). Our copy from the publishers,