The Factory on the Cliff by A.G. MacDonell was first published in 1928 but it has been reprinted by Fonthill Media. Originally this book was published under MacDonell’s pseudonym Neil Gordon. MacDonell is best known for his book England, Their England. Published in 1933 it’s a satirical comedy on English society and its eccentricities. It won the James Tait Black Award in 1933.

The Factory on the Cliff is written very much in the style of John Buchan, in other words a sort of ‘boys own adventure story’. The story begins with George Templeton on a golfing holiday in Aberdeen, Scotland but when he damages his thumb while using the starting crank on his car it means he can’t golf. He’s the sort of chap who hates walking, unless he happens to be whacking a wee ball along as he goes.

Desperate for some exercise he is forced to take a walk and comes across a group of men acting suspiciously. They’re looking for something but claim that they aren’t. Later George finds a type of Mills bomb (grenade) in the undergrowth and realises that that is what they were looking for.

I think that this sort of adventure tale was very popular when it was first published, especially amongst the many men who would have been involved in the First World War. It involves germ warfare and scientists and Scotland Yard does get involved albeit at a distance. The characters had all been soldiers and in some way it was something that they missed, as apparently men did. There’s only one female character and she is there as a bit of eye candy for the men.

I must admit that I’m happier reading the country house sort of murder mystery but I still enjoyed this book. I also love the cover, very much of its time, but I’m not so enamoured with the size of the book, one of those larger format ones which is just not going to fit on the shelf where I have the rest of my vintage crime books. Annoying.

Archibald Gordon MacDonell was born in India but he regarded himself as a Scotsman so this one counts towards the Read Scotland 2016 Challenge.