~ tracking down this book ~
'Sir Richard Hannay is living quietly in the country until he is persuaded to help unmask a vast criminal conspiracy dedicated to undermining English and European society. Three young hostages are taken - the children of national figures - and their lives are forfeit unless Sir Richard can get there first. To do so he has to grapple with a man whose plausibility is boundless, whose evil is without limits and who is hellbent on gaining control of Hannay's mind with his terrible powers. ' [From Biblio. com (Australia) Website catalogue entry for this, 2nd February 2004].