The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-08-01
THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW
ROOM. BY CASTOR Leroux. translat-
ed from the French. Published by
Brentano, New York.

THE MYSTERY OF THE YELLOW
ROOM. BY CASTOR Leroux. translat-
ed from the French. Published by
Brentano, New York.
An unquestionably exciting and alb
sorbing story and new sensation in the
line of detective stories. The book has
recently been one OF the sensations OF
the day in France so much so that
loud call for It's translation into Eng
lish has been made and responded TO-
There is a new development on every
page. While lie Mystere de Ia Cham
bre jaime" was running serially In the
Paris Illustration everybody In Paris
was buying the Journal and could hard
ly walt for the next issue in their Gag
erness 10 know how Rouletabille would
succeed In solving the astounding mys-
terry. The ingenuity exhibited by the
author In unfolding the battling mys-
terry is remarkable, The mystery is
solved in the end and the finale is in
tensely dramatic. The plot Of the story
runs as follows: Prof Stangerson, a
celebrated scientist. and his daughter,
who collaborate with him, are working
together one night in their laboratory
in the park pavilion until late hour.
The professor is preparing n paper to
be read before the Academic on the
Dissertation of Matter" The daugh-
ter, in the summer. sleeps in a room
adjoining tho laboratory On the night
In question she says good might TO her
father and retires to her room. where
she Is heard to bolt the door. Some
little time later she is heard TO cry
help and murder. The professor and his
servant are unable to get into the room
until they have broken down the door
The daughter Is found nearly dead,
with horrible marks on her throat and
wound in her temple, but no one else
Is In the room Moreover, It made plain
that nobody could have gotten out of
the room without being seen The
room was as tightly shut as an iron
safe. There Is not even window by
which an animal, like the monkey in
Poes tale, could have escaped.
This is THE Mystery of the Yellow
Room" The mystery is repeated later
in the chateau. where the daughter is
removed A man Is seen In her room
and a trap is laid for him In the gal
lery outside. He Is seen running along
the gallery They close in on him. They
reach toward him-and he is not there
1t Is as If he had vanished in air 81
felt his breath" says one. I touched
him." says another But he is gone
The book Is receiving many encom.
iums Says the New York Globe
There can hardly be question but that
The Mystery of the Yellow Room, by
CASTOR Leroux CBrentanos), is one OF
the cleverest detective stories that has
been written In years. The author ex.
hibits truly amazing ingenuity. But
he is more honest with his readers thar
writer's of this class OF story are like
ly to be, takes them on fewer false
leads, and In the end the parts At to-
gether with all the nicely of card
board puzzle"
The Springfield Republican says: IT
is not too much TO say that this Is thu
most ingenious romance Of the sor
that has appeared for several years
past-the best, perhaps, published II
English since that clever Swedish tale
THE Black Tortoise" And IL 1t has M
single effect so original and memorable
as the revelation that the Venus o
Milo shown In the telltale photograph
has her right knee forward, shown,
that the hour on the faint clock dial i
to be read in reverse, It Is a more bril-
liant book, and more ingenously com
! plicated. The only recent novel in Eng
lsh which Is at all comparable is Con
an Doyle's THE Hound of the Basker
. villes,' and it seems to be generall
agreed that the denouement to that |
> disappointing Mr. Lerouxs book Is de
cidedly more finished in workmanshi
! than any Of Anna Katherine Green
' stories, and in interest Is not inferior t
any Of them. It Is rather dry and arti
, fetal beside the best Of the books Q
. Wilkie Collins, who had not a little G
, the Victorian gift or character crea
S ton, but or the intellectual side 1t =,
= quite up to his level, and crisper, swift
e er, more extravagantly inventive. 1t