SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2914, 28 October 1916, Page 13

SOME RECENT FICTION

"The Curved Blades." "The .Curved Blades," "by" Carolyn Wells (Lippincotts), is an exceptionally well-told story of crime and its detection. In tho dead of night, in her palatial mansion oh. Long Island, the middle-aged, wealthy, and eccentric Miss CaKington is found dead in her chair facing her dressing table. Round her neck is a Japanese paper snake, and in one hand the glove of a fortunehunting French Count. Death, it' is found, has been caused by poisoning, and suspicion falls in turn upon two ladios, one the murdered woman's companion, Anita Frayne, the other her niece Pauline. The detectivo called in to investigate the mystery falls in love with Pauline, whilst Haviland, Miss Carrington's nephew, who for a time is also under some suspicion of being implicated in the murder, is deeply attached to the companion. Eventually the actual murderer is found in Egypt, in the person of the victim's relative, Carr Loria, and the much-tried Pauline, against whom the circumstantial evidence had .been specially black, marries the detective, whose cleverness had established her innocence. The story takes its title from the curved blades of a pair of-manicure scissors used in cutting the edges of tho papers in which tho poison powders—supplied to thevictim ostensibly as beauty producers —had been sent by tho rascally Loria, who. had gulled hi s aunt into believing that: they would give her the beauty or the famous Cleopatra. '_...'■ "The Key of the world." The wicked Lord Trevengarth, son and heir to the Earl of Came, quarrels with his father, and to spito that haughty nobloman marries -the daughter of 'a man who travels the country with a boxing booth. A son is horn of this union, but of.this fact, indeed, that his heir had ever married, the Earl remains in blissful ignorance, , until Lord Trevengarth, exhausted by dissipation, dies, when it is assumed that his cousin, Evelyn Carew, becomes the heir to the earldom, § To tho astonishment of tho Earl his son sends news from his death-bed that there is a direct heir to the title and estates. A rascally lawyer, who has an old grudge against Xarow, goes down to Cornwall 1 and discovers the fact, that both Irevengarth's widow and his son are dead. He announces, however, to a fine young fellow, a farm labourer, Garth Berry by name, that he is thelong-sought for heir, and, aided by certain circumstantial evidence, makes both the young man and his benefactor, an honost old farmer, believe that Garth is now a real live lord. Much against his will, for ho loves a village lass, and has no taste or inclination for the life to which his supposed position entitles him, i Oarth goes np to London, and is received, with very mixed feelings, by tho Earl. How all this happens, and how tho -honest young fellow lemains ignorant of tho deception practised by the lawyer, how ho pines for Cornwall and his rosy-cheeked Honesty, and refuses to be beguiled by certain wellborn but impoverished young ladies into falling a victim to their charms, and how, finally, tho fraud being discovered, Carew is reinstatod in tho place of honour, while Garth goes back to his farm and the simplo life, is told by Dorin Craig in a pleasantly-written story entitled "The Key of the World," published by Mr. John Long. For an "untried author," to quoto the- publisher's announcement on tho cover, Rorin Craighas made a very, good start.

"Tha Man Who Knew All.!' d Mrs. Marie Connor Leighton is a novelist whoso industry is much on a 9. par with that of Mr. William Le Queux or the lato Mrs. L. T. Meade. Exactly how many novels she produces in a year 1 I cannot say, but almost every two or „ three months eome new story from hor prolific pen is announced. Mrs. Leighton's forte is the sensational, aad she is, I believe, a great favourite with e readers of those English provincial papers which run serial stories. Her

, latest, effort, "The Man Who Know All" (London, John Long), is packed full onough with sensation to afford plots for half a dozen molodramas of the Bland Holtian typo, with which New Zealand playgoers were onco so familiar. The plot contres round tho impersonation of a young English baronet by a rascally cousin, and is complicated by the ovil doings of a lady of title, who thinks nothing of committing murder and' bigamy, to say nothing of several minor crimes, Those who love to sup on sensation may turn to Mrs. Leigh, ton's Jatest story with full confidenco of a rich menu of their favourite dishes being provided. "Creat Snakes!" Willuiu Cairio, who has given us so many amusing stories, from "Hoffmann's Chanco" down to "Bildad, the Quill-Driver," of quite recent publication, ' is in his wildest mood of funmaking in "Great Snakes 1 A Variation on a Classical Theme" (John Lane). Hero .we aro in tho realms of tho most grotesque humour, oven of broad farce, tho.plot turning on the screamingly funny misadventures which befall Mr. Wildbore, an elderly gentleman, in whose handbag there is placed a harmless grass snake. A bibulous young gentleman and Mr. "Wildbore's strongminded and highly suspicious wife also play leading roles in a farcical comedy which is packed full of mirth-provokiV situations. (Price, Is. 6d.) ' °