More good fun from John Buchan - two stories in one volume.

"The Power House" has barrister Leithen fighting a Napoleon of crime in London:
"Reflect, and you will find the foundations are sand. You think a wall as solid as the earth separates civilization from barbarism. I tell you the division is a thread, a sheet of glass. A touch here, a push there, and you bring back the reign of Saturn"
But as always in Buchan, the evil doers are thwarted but not just the brains but by the decency of the hero and his friends. All the elements of Buchan's thrillers are here and none the worse for repetition - and underlying the romp is a strong love of fighting for what's worth fighting for and retaining ones own integrity, something that never dates!
"The Frying Pan and the Fire" is a slight and comic romp involving a bet and a chase in Scotland, all the more enjoyable for the brief appearance of our old friends Sandy Arbuthnot and Archibald Roylance - I love the self contained world and recurring characters which makes one feel amongst friends.
Vintage Buchan for hot summer days ( )