The Thirty-Nine Steps is a classic spy thriller by John Buchan, often regarded as one of the first modern espionage novels. Set just before World War I, the novel introduces Richard Hannay, a man caught in a deadly game of international intrigue.

Richard Hannay, a former mining engineer recently returned to London, finds his life upended when an American spy named Franklin Scudder seeks his help. Scudder claims to have uncovered a German plot to assassinate a key British official and plunge Europe into war. Before he can reveal more, Scudder is murdered in Hannay's apartment, leaving Hannay as the prime suspect.