NEW BOOKS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1413, 13 April 1912, Page 9

NEW BOOKS.

"Queen of All Hearts." By Eric CleW" 001 !' n '! thor " Tl >e Mof a lit. London: Greening and Co.,

* a storjSof the London stage, and as the author is the son of the late matic rr!l the well-kaown dramatic critic, there is no difficulty about scones "ti I P ' C - UreS °f life bch ' ind tho scenes. Ihe heroine, who is the lovclv but wilful daughter of the haughty Earl of Launceston, stepped unexpectedly into tho vacant part of Prineo Hall'in a pageant at the castle. Tho Earl was deeply annoyed, 'and the result of his seventy was that Lady Molly ran awav to London, and, with tho assistance of Geoffrey Brandt, the producer of tho pageant, went on the. stage. An accident to a leading comedienne provided her with an linmediato opportunity, and as she was a born genius, she awoke the morning'after her debut to find herself famous. The stage people were for the most part very jolly, but she had troubles with her relations, and there were affairs of the heart, ,«o that, with one thin" and another, she had to go through a Rood deal before the final scone,, where she breathed the word," and "he took « ln t V s nrms " Tlle story is pleasantly told, and moves along at a good round pace. There are no problems or preachments in it. It is just a novel, and as such may be recommended to anybody who is looking out for wholesome light reading.

"Letters of a Spinster." By Winifred James. London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd. 3s. Cd. Oil the title page of this book Miss Winifred James' acknowledges for the first timo the authorship of "Letters to My Son," and thus supplies the answer to a question which was eagerly asked in many quarters upon the anonymous appearance of that unusual and attractive book. The "Letters of a Spinster" has not very much in common with the former volume and its sequel ("More Letters to My Son"), but the "spinster" is a clever anil amiable lady, who writes accordingly, and her letters are very good reading. " They are often witty, and sometimes brilliant, but they always have that natural and spontaneous air which is never absent from .the best letter-writing. These qualities cast a charm over common themes, so that, even when the spinster writes of trivialities, her letters are not trivial. She is. something of a traveller, for while she has at least an acquaintance with Australia and its bush, she writes from London, Paris, the South of France, and Corsica. Her correspondent is a "dear, good, much-to-be-depended-upon, but a little bit elusive" man friend, but these are not love-letters. She calls herself ] "middle-aged," and explains why she will never marry. But in thß end slio is tidying up her London flat to receive a visit frorir him, and "it is the' very most exciting.l tiling in my, world, to know that you are already in Jermyn Street." '

Ward, Lock, and Co.'s Ninepenny Novels. —(1) "The Garden of Lies," by Justus Miles Forman: (2) ; "Anna tho Adventuress," by E. Phillips Oppenheim. Melbourne: Ward, Lock, and Co., Ltd. With two of tho most successful novels of Mr. Justus Fornmn and Mr. Phillips Oppenheim,' a new series of pocket volumes of fiction has been commenccd by Messrs. Ward, Lock, and Co., Ltd. The price in England is sevenpenco net; which usually comes to ninepcnce over the bookseller's counter in Australasia. The volumes aro of a handy size, the typo is largo and clear, and the binding in cloth boards is neat and apparently strong. 'Che little books arc equally suitable for the pocket or the shelf,.'and tho reader could hardly wish for .fiction in a pleasanter form.' ■

'Jacqiiine of the Hut," by E. Galberine Hobin. London: Hurst and Blackett. 3s. Gd. . •

It is rather unfortunate for this book that the publishers Imvo called it on the ■ cover, a ' great novel." Only a vorv few °f the numerous volumes of new fiction can "live up to" such a claim as that, and "Jacquine of the Hut" is not ono of the few. It is, however, a wellwritten and very interesting tale, and as a "first novel" it shows considerable pro™jse - The scene is laid in the Channel Islands in the eighteenth century, when, the wild coasts and rocky caves of Sark, Guernsey and Alderney were the home of smugglers. Jacquine, her father, and her lover are all smugglers, and the whole story has a sort of elemental wildness about it. Its chief theme is the love of Jacquine for R.icart de Carteret, who- is at' first irresponsive, but finally is impressed by her devotion, and returns it. Many adventures and much tribulation intervene before they finally come together. A number of curious old customs and superstitions of the Channel Islands are introduced, and the life of the curious little community, in which dignity and uncouthness were so strangely- mingled, is clearly portrayed.