SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 158, 23 March 1918, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

"Tho Lost Naval Papers." The chief figure in i\lr. Bennett Copplestone's very readable stories of tho British secret soi'vic.c, "Tim Lost Naval Papers" (John Murray, per Whiteonibe and Tombs) is a. Scotland Yard detective, William Dawson. Thero is moro than a touch of the immortal Sherlock Holmes in him, but he has his own personal and strongly-marked characteristics, Wisoly enough, his oTeator has not made him infallible. .Oawson

makes his mi&takos and has his failures, But, fortunately for tho British, and •unfortunately for the Huns, his successes and triumphs are fai' more numerous, and soma of these, so his Watson would have us believe, arc of very substantial assistance to tho cause of the Allies. Dawson's methods are . his own, and sometimes may appear to bp singularly simple and illcalculated to deceive the cunning spies against whom he is so constantly pitting his wits. Bui it is astonishing how ingenious and successful, in the long run. the detective's seemingly quito innocent devices prove to be. One of Mr. Copplestoue's best stories relates how his hero circumvents the efforts of soma German, spies who are working the Devonport naval station, and completely deceives the over-entorpris-ing Huns into believing that.two vessels lying piled up outside the dockyard are identical with certain cruisers wliich are, in fact, on their-way at full speed to the Mediterranean. Several of the stories relate the exploits of a certain fascinating lady friend and agent of tho resourceful Dawson, one Madame Gilbert, who is commissioned to pav special attention to the officers of the French Flying Corps, amongst whom, it is. suspected, air audacious Gorman has managed to enrol himself. At the same time the French Secret Service is employing a Gallic airman. The two trusted acents. unknown to each other, are soon found "pitting against each other those treasures of wit. Intelligence and sensibility which they were employed and paid to exercise in the defence of their countries," and some cxeeedincly amusing complications ensue. Mr. Copplestone tells his stories with a vivacity which is decidedly engaging.

"Somewhere In Scoitand." "Somewhere in Scotland: August to December, 1914," by Mrs. F. HayNewton (John Murray; per Wliitcoinbe and Tombs), is a war story. We - aro not, however, taken to the lroiit, but to tho little Scottish village, of Geesekirk, apparently located about midway 'twixt Edinburgh and Glasgow. Tho book consists of a series of sketches of Geesekirk society, and how it is affected by the outbreak of war. We. are introduced to tho aristocratic Maitland family at the Castle, tlio social arbiters of the village, and at ordinary times most exclusive folk; to Sir Thomas Clegg, a millionaire manufacturer, who has gained a baronetcy, his homely wife, and his son; to the Wilson-Brownqs, who are "social 1 olimbers"; aiid to a host of other people, including a conceited, scandalmongering, and mischief-making young lady, Miss Mysie Cunningham, a character upon whom the author has evidently bestowed special pains.' We aro ■shown how the war affects all these people, how it brings out good qualities in some and in others selfishness, jealousy, and meanness. Mrs. HayNewton's stylo suggests memories of Jane Austen's novels. It is simple, direct, and full of a quiet, ironic humour, which is all the more effective in that it is nevor strained. Miss Rankin, tho eccentric old maid, whose tongue is the terror of the village, the plump and jovial Mrs. Binnie, and the acidulous Mrs. Baird, are characters of whom any novelist might well be proud. As for the scandal-loving, selfrighteous Misß Mysie Cunningham, the humiliating discomfiture and punishment which she earns by her jealousy and mischief-making cannot fail -to delight the reader. "Somewhere in Scotland" is a quito original and most refreshing book.

James Lane Allon, whose "Choir Invisible" is probably the most beautiful (spiritually _ beautiful) _ book produced by any living American writer, has written another tale of his favourite Blue Grass country. The title is "The Kentucky Warbler."