Campbell's Kingdom by Hammond Innes
When Bruce Campbell inherits a parcel of land high in the Canadian Rockies, he leaves London for Come Lucky, a ghost town full of crushed dreams and bitter men.
A slow-burner with careful scene-building before the thrilling finale.
But as Bruce starts to understand the legacy left by his grandfather, he catches the oil bug, and inflames old angers in town as he races against rival business interests in this technical, intelligent mining thriller.
Published in 1952, Campbell’s Kingdom is a slow-burner with considerable scene-building before the final action. This elaborate picture-painting is part of the pleasure of Innes’s writing - he immerses the reader in the location, tricking us with realism. But Innes really shines in the action sequences. When the drama escalated at around page 200, I could feel the pressure in my chest.
A moment later I was climbing a fir tree that stood close against the telephone wires. I had my testing box slung round my neck. I clipped the wires on and waited, my eyes on my watch. At eleven-fifteen exactly I reached into my pack, pulled out a pair of pliers and cut both wires close by my clips. Then I lifted my receiver and wound the handle in a single long ring.
A few dated references show its age.
Note to self: Kipling’s The Jungle Book mentioned on p.138.
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