A PARCEL OF NOVELS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 17

A PARCEL OF NOVELS

"Coral," a sequel to "Carnival." By Compton '.Mackenzie: London; Cas- ' sell and Co. "Watlings for Worth." By Horace .•'■■ Ann'esley Vachell; and "The Valley of Adventure," by G.W. Ogden. ;' London: Hodder and Stoughton.

"Who Killed Gerald Cruden ?" by Alan Graham; "The Isle of Enchant- .. ment,".. by S. Andrew Wood;. "-.' "When Aloes Bloom," by Evelyn Ciose —all from Herbert Jenkins, ■ Ltd.,.London. i ; ■/ ;..■. "The TVagedy of Trifles." By E. Ev- •- erett-Green. : London: Stanley .-.- Paul.: :■-■-,-..' . ">• . ./■;

'."Ehe Gay Intrigue.". /By Jack Ka- : hane. London : Grant Richards.

"Coral" .is a sequel to a very fino novel/but it lacks the fibre of "Carnival." .It, is well written, and -will be found attractive to most readers, because •Mr.'■ Mackenzie knows how to attract. Corai Avery-is an attempt on her author's part;to present a".woman as near perfection as the limitations of human nature will permit. ' She is a girl of today in thought and deed, and her falling in love/with her father's chauffeur is genuine enough. But .there is' a secret about the chauffeur's paternity which complicates . much, and 1 obstructs the course; of 'true 'love, /and. implicates Coral's father: ' Then Mr; Mackenzie, "with all that art in which he is a mas-ter,-gives a fine study in dual personality in the chauffeur husband. There is a decidedly tearful episode, admirably written, which it would not be fair to prospective readers to -disclose, but its result :is; to:brihp; husband;and wife together again, ,an,d furnishra fitting conclusion, to a novel, rich in humaii interest; /; •■ ."■••■■..,'."" ■'/ ; " "- _. . • .■ ■;

,''■; i'.'Watlings for Worth" is a simple and homely ;'story of the family 'life'of William Watling, founder of a..great. Lon:'don department store.! The title of the noyel/Vis;. his motto; .In the- home : Mr. Watling is a genial, human' sort' of person ; strong in kindliness^ there as he is weak in: grammar.. In business he isan autocrat. • Some: would-say that he was a hard yman:/.But, like many business: men, William -Watlirig is shown with a kind of dual personality. The love affair -between.his daughter -June arid, Gerry'Marrable, a member of an old: county family, gives: Mr.: AVatling all ho .asksKfor ,in the way of solving knotty Watling. up Ho ridicule: when his" "hero" is floundering about in unaccustomed social dfjpthsj■ On the contrary,.the sym-pathy-bf the.freader iis .always for the ■ man who-knows what '/he 1, would say. and do in'a matter of business, but'is;some-' times in difficulties outside it. One of the .most enlightenirig : and amusing ; features of the novel- is the .description of .the: .methods and: workings of the. ■publicity department of..''Watlings.'' , Above all, the'novel' is: entertaining.:: . :.: ; :.K.: : .;■;:: j ' "The.': Valley ofvAdventure"':isLa-pro-pery book, of ; thri_lls . showing how ; . John "Miller,;ah American traveller,'■'.'■' entered' . Alta, Galifornia,"-and?fell among ignorant soldiersVacting:';uhder a cruel 'Spanish decree 'that'ordered death -to-strangers; how.rhe' found sanctuary 'with the missionaries; of .San Fernando. Key;; how -he became" • Juan.'Molinero' ahd:the m'any.£hings: that happened :to him thereafter.'-

"The Valley of Adventure" is a splendid yarn for boys, and the lovo interest if not left out is not made too conspicuous, i

■,",''Who.Killed/(lerald;Cruden?" is re-: markable'for the;ability ; of:the;\vnter;to' hold the.reader;in Buspense; /It'is an uhusually;'.\vell- told 'det'ectiy.e story and relates.;, to a-riinrder/.committedtin Wales.. Several people.;are involved": in/-ilie crime/ at; least suspected of /committing it./'A love./motive/'runs /-through/the story.: There?is .consolation to be derived from the/fact" that -although/Gerald/Cruden died 'his .loss; was not, so Very great, either. tb"> society. or io. his family. It is not to the;police or;;detectives that;hohour: of - solving the/mystery is 7 due, ■ but. to a journalist. :> ; ; ;■ . •./-: .•:

. The-/scene r of ."The'lsle of .iEnchant.meht',;; is '■ situated yin the"; Mediterranean and ;its 'name;' is San-. Martin6;:-It is-'a place -of neglect and ruin, .but can^be turned into |'a sound business proposition. ". At: any,.i rate' John;.\Chatterton, >a' wealthy 'North- Country : manufacturer, thinksso. So; he decides to- buy 'it;' He is a ■determined^ Englishman, trough, good looking, and has a:passion for] spending money. He purposes to .spend some 'on Judy.Kinsella, a pretty girl whom he met ;-at;;a /balL-As'lieis a millionaire buying ah :island and transforming it into;': an;:up*-to-date'•: pleasure resort it is a mere trifle to Him. But- havV ing:.made\up."his mind ' to;hand it over to -Judy ;when :it isv transformed' :he brooks no obstacle. 'However,-there 1 is a Count Leon deßersac to be disposed of ■and, this:;is : no/easy ori humdrumtask, as/the' reader ..will discover.:: But—well this is a closing sentence from the novel • Judy, lifted her; face. His (John's) lips iouched;hers:"v - . -. „ N ■'■• '■ A-

When Aloes- Bloom" describes what Damans Trendell did when she realised that: her father. being) dead -she , was— alone, free, and.independent. What is she to do -with her hfo:now' that her father is not,there to" be cared for?. But the casual mention of a name—Summergill—' ■recalled ;a dim.;and .distant jmemory of the long ago, of "a quiet arid peaceful English,village, an old'house and the scent.of yellow. roses. '.And Damaris Ireridell resolved to make Summer Kill her happy home, marrying late in life the rector of her parish. ...

The Tragedy of Trifles," a novel remarkable f orbits literary ;;charm, ends also on a tragic note. It is a tale of society before and ' after the war, and there is afamOy feud in the stoi-y which intensifiev.its; interest. Misunderstandings and want of tact-account for much of its .pathetic, parts. Politics enter into it, but riot too-much. "The Trae edy of Trifles" is a refreshingly clean story.. ' -. , - ■••

■'*u Thj'Gf-ay Intri Sue "is a clever and rather f daring story in which diplomacy and amours are neatly blended As a novell it ;is rather K more French than English, in spirit. Jack:Kahane is a witty writer,/ Whatever else he is.'' The intrigue is an uninvolved little transaction in which an Italian prince and an American banker are deeply/interested, and out of which they hope ;to do 'very well for themselves. It concerns the acquisition of a seaport in the Adriatic and the favourable twisting of Italo-Jugo-Slavian "^understandings to their: own advantage An Englishman is to be used as the instrument What he does ancT his love affairs, also those of the Italian prince, make up the story; but it if in its telling that the charm of "The Giv Intrigue "..will.be found to lie y

■oT!\ e.."? ai ty Tele SraPV writes "The Posts London correspondent, had a lengthy review of "Constance Grande " by her. husband, Julian Grande It is remarked that, "she possessed great gifts of exposition, and an unusual capacity for seizing-, on" the essential features of her subjects. She excelled: especially in personal characterisations. . . The study of Stead is very remarkable as coming from one who knew him inti matcly, and had worked with him for many years. It- sets out quite impartially his weaknesses us well as his strength, and might even .seem ;i trifle unsympathetic if it did not carry such convincing 'evidence of unbiased sincor-' ifcy. Mrs. Grande was a woman o[ warm feelings, but she never allowed Jior emotions to influence her severe impartiality of judgment la public affaire.'i