‘A hand came down on Sarah’s shoulder. But it wasn’t a human hand. It was orange-green in colour, claw-like and alien.’
There’s something rotten in Scotland and it isn't just haggis. In the village of Tulloch, located in the South highlands, strange happenings warrant the attention of no one’s favourite military organisation, UNIT, and everyone’s favourite time-hopping eccentric, the Doctor (fourth incarnation). He’s going to need that scarf.
Sarah Jane Smith provides commentary on the Doctor’s actions and draws attention to his quirks when needed, for those readers not familiar with them already. She gets some investigative scenes of her own; she was a journalist after all, so that makes sense. With Sarah being useful the plot needed a bitch to be kidnapped. i.e. Harry Sullivan, the third wheel. Poor Harry wasn't cut out for adventure. And finally Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is… well… he just is.
It’s a reprint of the original Target edition (Doctor Who Library #40) published in 1976 that was itself based on a four episode arc of the Doctor Who TV series (Terror of the Zygons) originally broadcast from August to September 1975. I admit to not having seen the original episodes but familiarly with the production values of the show during that era and with Tom Baker’s inimitable style made it easy to visualise the happenings.
It’s not the most exciting Doctor Who book I've ever read but I never expect high art when I sit down to this kind of thing. I expect hurried advancements and convenient turns that get me from point A: danger and mystery, to point B: happy resolution. It delivers that with some cheapo 70s charm. Job done.
2 hullabaloos out of 5
