NEW YEAR NOVELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20454, 4 January 1930, Page 8 (Supplement)

NEW YEAR NOVELS.

TO SUIT ALL. TASTES.

"Tlio Uncertain Trumpet." by A. 8. M. Hutchinson (Hoddor and Stougnton). " To tho Sun," by A. ,E. Fisher (Murray) "Who Killed Charmian Karslake?" by Annie Haynes (Bodloy Head).

"Ghost Tnlen and Lcßonda," by H Dnimmond Gauln (Chambers).

"The Waiting Room," by G. Grimgo (Dont).

" For if tho trumpet give an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself for tho baltlo 1" From this text Mr. A. S. M. Hutchinson derives tho title of his latest book. Tho scene is laid principally in Ashton l'arva, an English villago ruled over by tho obstinate and unapproachable squire, Pelham Heritage, who at nearly fifty years of ago -has married for the second time, his brido being the young and impressionable Dawn Chase. llio uiiovcn course of this unsuitablo marriage is steered to safety by the author, an ardent believer in happy endings, however improbable. It- is not, however, the Heritages that aro concerned with the trumpet, but David Quest, tho idealistic vicar, who, despito the inauspicious opening of his ministry in Ashton Parva, finally by bis bravo blasts levels tho walls of prejudice and ill-will. Unconquerable optimism is tho keynote of all A. S. M. Hutchinson's writing, and while it reveals the lovable nature of the writer, artistically it degrades his books to tho level of the penny novelette. Tho familiar mannerisms of "If Winter Comes and its successors —repetitions, excessive use of Christian names, long sentences devoid of grammatical construction —are here present in full force, to delight or to infuriate, according to tho taste of the reader.

He is a. bold man who attempts the novelised biography of a genius, and when that genius happens to be Shakespeare (ho audacity is unlikely to bo justified. Certainly Mr, A. E. Fisher has not justified his daring in "To the Sun—a Bomanco of Shakespeare." The best part nf the book is the description of young Shakespeare's departure from Stratford and the various stages of his journey to London, the goal of his cloudy dreams. But though it is clear that the author is a keen student, his talent is quite unequal to drawing an adequate picture even of Ben Jonson, to say nothing of Shakespeare himself. The " Dark Lady " of the sonnets is hero identified as Margaret Sarnaran, a tempestuous female beloved by Marlowe. Annie ITaynes is a ri.ime well known to ntvstery " fans " as a competent constructor of detective thrillers. " Who killed-Charmian Karslake ?" is concerned with tho murder of a famous American actress in an English country house. There is the usual profusion of clues from which the reader may take his choice, but on the whole the plot is forced and unnatural. No wonder that after a time tho mystery-writer's inventions should show these signs of flagging inspirations.

Christmas is hardly Christmas without a good ghost story, and the reader has hero tho choice between tho real thing in " Ghost Talcs and Legends " from tho " glens and moorlands of Southern Scotland." and the imaginative effort of "The, Waiting Room," a most unusual type of ghost story. Tho " Waiting Boom " is a stato of being after death. The scene of tho story is a French village cemetery in war time where the ghosts of those buried are disturbed by the burial of German dead. " Each character—Kitchener recruit. or Guards officer, aristocrat or peasant of France, Prussian junker or ranker —is firmly drawn out of his own mouth." Tho author's method is distinguished and tho result—to the reader—is disturbing.