Our Occasional Book Column

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 12, 22 December 1933, Page 4

Our Occasional Book Column

In view of “Taffrail’s” (Captain Taprell Dorling, D.S.O. R.N.) visit to New Zealand, readers will be interested in his latest books, which are now obtainable. We give a brief review of four of these received from Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, Ltd.: “The Lonely Bungalow” Diverging a trifle from hie usual deep sea setting, Taffrail, in “The Lonely Bungalow,” combines ingenuity and wit to write an extremely interesting and highly dmerting account of an amateur detective's activities in Cornwall in the uncovering of a plot intended to bring about England’s downfall. In concluding the story, Taffrail brings to bear his wealth of faculties to give the narrative a rousing climax. “Cypher K” Undoubtedly a man of genius, Taffrail comes to the fore" of the greatest modern authors, making a notable achievement in his writing of “Cypher K,” a novel of intrigue and adventure. In this, he relates in his inimitable style the series of adventures through which a retired naval captain passes on his yacht in his endeavour to secure a stolen cypher. The scene of the plot is laid on an English _ coast. “Kerrell” Packed with thrills and tinged with pathos, the war novel, “Kerrell,” by Taffrail, deals with the activities of the British navy in the Great War. In this fine story, the author, with his extensive knowledge of sea lore, gives of his best in describing the adventures of a first-lieutenant in a destroyer, and his passage through trials and tribulations to ultimate suc-

cess. It is truly a novel of topical interest. “Pirates” A gem of all books of adventures, “Pirates” furthet enhances the reputation of Taffrail as a great author. In giving an account of the work of a commander of a British gun-boat patrolling the coast of Hong-Kong, the author promulgates in lurid details the acts of piracy committed by

Chinese outlaws. Even the most stolid of “thriller” readers cannot fail to be impressed by this book.