NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 318, 3 October 1908, Page 12

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

"An<*el Esquire." By Edgar Wallace. London: George Bell and Sons, 2s. Gd. (Whitcombo arid Tombs.) In "Angel Esquire," Mr. Wallace has given us a novel brimful of excitement—a halfcrown parody, as Mr. Punch would say, of the "shilling shocker." When a novelist sets out to keep one constantly thrilled— when, that, is to say, he decides to produce a fast-moving melodrama—lie fails unless he keeps in view the necessity for being thorough. Buttered teast is tolerated only when it is soaked through and through. Judged by this rule, "Angel Esquire" is a huge success —it would be a complete success if Mr. Wallace had not fallen in the end by winding up with "love triumphant." Angel:. Esquire is a' diplomat turned detective, and his activities are'' directed towards frustrating ,the villainous plots of some astounding rogues to get possession of the millions left by one Rcale,' a bad old' man who grew ' rich as tlio proprietor of various gambling hells, and who left his gold, which is stored in a stagey safe deposit, to whichsoever of three people—two of them old accomplices and the other the daughter of one of his victims—shall guess 'the riddle which will open the safe. The leading villain, a lawyer, who is executor of old Reale's will, attempts to obtain the money for himself. He shoots ohe man, attempts to poison a second, and endeavours to burn down a houso containing the detective and his friends. The story is full of surprises, and the jjace, in the sporting writer's idiom, is terrific throughout. We should imagine that tho novel would make an excellent and extremely hair-raisin" play. .

"Poems." By J. Giles. Whitcombe and' Tombs, ss. \ ' In a foreword to this-collection of some forty sets of verse, the author explains that ho spreads "no rich and sumptuoUß feast." but .. "Since these thoughts; unheeding friend .or foe, Crave for some utterance, I let them go." It must bo said that the. verses " are not poems: the author has a correct car for rhyme and metre, and considerable fluency in expressing himself. But his verses, many of which are upon quite uninspiring occasions, are pedestrian, and full of trite commonplaces and hackneyed phrases. We must submit that this, from a long dialogue entitled "Boer and Briton," is not poetry: The Britishers camo crowding in, rapacious, keen and bold. And wo received them gladly, for we ever kept in view That their coming meant for us a fast increasing revenue. v. Yet the volume has the interest that attaches to any revelation of a personality, and : the enthusiasm of. the author and his ready 'sympathies are very agreeable.

" The Willougliby Affair." By G. W. AppleLondon: John. Long, 2s. 6d. (Whitcombo and Tombs). The average detective novel usually has some clevorly-hidden clues, which, combined with more or less sound reasoning and ingenious deductions, eventually bring the criminal to book. Though "The Willouehby Affair" will not stand close analysis on these lines, it is, nevertheless, interesting enough to lovers of mystery and its unravclment. A murder is committed, and an innocent man arrested coming out of the room where the body is found. Things look black against him, and two friends take up the role of amateur detectives. Tho hints they receivo from unexpected, quarters, and the clues they find that have been overlooked by the police, appear at .times rather improbable, but after some 'exciting investigations, in the course of which a second crime is traced home, the real criminals are run to earth. The reward of tho leading amateur detective provides a suitable climax to the story.

In tin October number of the "Lone Hand," Louis Esson has a "scare" article on "The Asiatic Monace," in which the writer solemnly repeats the absurdities that every competent authority has ridiculed. In. an editorial "review" of tho month—a new feature, and a lather dull ono —there is a noto on " tho international position," •which seems to show that the magazine has settled down into a permanent condition of delirium tremens on the Asiatic question._ It is solemnly stated that Japan's decision to curtail her military expenditure contains "some little hint of reassurance to the white communities in these seas." It must be terribly wearing to feel liko that. A new serial, "Tho Commonwealth Crisis," opensA-of course it is "tho Japaneso menace" again. There are many good features in tho magazine, nevertheless. There are pictures of tho champion beauties of New South Wales and Victoria, another batoh of clever and really interesting caricatures of prominent Australian politicians, somo passable verse —including a poem by the late Victor Daley, a vil-lainously-illustrated short story by G. B. Lancaster, and a number of short stories. Good features aro a brief notico of Sir James Boucant, somo talk on " aboriginal art" by Harry Stockdale, and an excellent investigation of tho boilers of tho American battleships by C. A. Jeffries. "Sausages" aro tlie subject of tho "Public Good" section.

Tho door of Canadian immigration is closed. That of Australia is still wide open. Thero is a kind of immigration that may be a blessing, anil an immigration that may be a bitter curso. Australia must discriminate, which Canada did noWWAgo," Melbourne.