MURDER MOST FOUL

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 68, 21 March 1931, Page 21

MURDER MOST FOUL

WHO DID IT ?

Mystery murders are the theme of scores of books published every month, and great ingenuity is displayed by some of the authors in hiding the solu tion until the last few pages. "Midnight Murder/ by Ealph Eodd (Collins), is one of these. The question to solve is who is trying to kill the most popular woman in the country. Eepeated attempts are made on her life, and it remains with the inquiry agent's assistant to unravel the problem. What made two young men suspect that there was something more than a sordid crime behind the violent death of Susan Wheeler, when she was found murdered, her" body hidden in a country lane, and the contents of her purst stolen? Bead "The Boxhill Murder," by J. S. Fletcher (Herbert Jenkins), and the question will be answered, but not until after many pages of thrills. "The Murder of Geraldine Foster," by Anthony Abbott (Collins), is the baffling case of a beautiful girl found hacked with an axe and buried nude in a shallow grave- behind a bungalow in the woods. Nearby was a stream where pigeons came to drink and seven pigeons wore found dead, with red stains on their white breasts. They had drunk from the brook that ran red with the blood of Geraldine Foster. But experts said that the girl had been dead for two days only, but the pigeons had been dead two weeks. Not one murder, but many, occur in "Murder Gono Mad," by Philip Macdonald (Collins). Innocent people are done to death right under the eyes of the law, each murder being followed by a business-like letter announcing "another removal has been carried out." "The Murder at Linpara" (Collins) is a story of intrigue and mystery by Holloway Horn. The scene is laid in the East, and there is more intrigue than murder. Is murder, in exceptional cases, justifiable; or must judgment always be carried out in accordance with the law? "The Shadow of Larose," by Arthur Gask (Herbert Jenkins), depicts a murderer, his mind and how it works, his everlasting fear of detection, the constant uncertainty of his position, and the grim knowledge that the entire community is as one in trying to discover the perpetrator of the crime for which he himself is responsible. Among a party of world tourists' is one who commits four murders and attempts another during the tour's progress. Chief Inspector Duff, of the C.1.D., starts on the trail after the first victim ia found in London, and at Honolulu Inspector Charlie Chan takes a hand and by brilliant deductions brings the work begun by Duff: to a startling conclusion. "Charlie Chan Carries On," by Earl Dcrr Biggers (Cassell), is the title of this story. "The Picaroon Resumes Practice," by Herman Landon (Cassell), is a "mystery" and "crook" story rather than an outright murder yarn. F.or years Martin Dale had led a double life. To his friends he wan the carefree idler, a popular guest at every important social function. But under cover of darkness his personality and appearance underwcr> a change, and Dalo emerged as The Picaroon —a mysterious figure who robbed the rich to assist the poor and exacted punishment from those the law could not touch.