Evening star., 1929-12-15
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settling of mystery and doubt. A love
story goes along with the sterner stun
Of this adventure. A good love story
that at moments seems oddly out OF
place-but it is not, as q matter OF
fact. This is one of the good Edgar
Wallace mystery tales.
X
OUR SECRET WAR; True American
Spy Stories, 19l7-1919. BY Thomas
M. johnson. author of Without
Censor" Indianapolis: Bobbs-Mer-
rill Co. ...-.s
THESE are stories Of the American
Intelligence Service during the
World War stories of that far-f1ung
highly efficient organization known in
military sign language as Ga" They
are stories of spy catching, of counter
espionage, of queer fish" caught in the
net of the Army,S special agents work
ing behind the lines and on the other
side. There are some shocking stories,
tales that are decidedly unpleasant in
detail; others that have their humorous
aspects. They are all true. but they
might be fiction for their fascination
and, at times, complex plots. This ma
terial is all vouched for as authentic.
In some cases real names are used, in
others the identities of participants are
camoufiaged. Some of the stories are
documented, while others must be
taken on faith. War is a ruthless buSi-
ness. and the apothegm about all be-
ing fair in it applies particularly to
the secret service or the intelligence
branch of an army organization, as we'll
as to the killing devices upon which the
military force chiefly relies for its sue
cess. This is clearly demonstrated in
the chapters of "Our Secret War"
which will appeal as strangely to civil
ianS as to those who participated di-
rectly in the great struggle. G. AL.
y X X X
MICAH CLARKE. BY Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle. author of The White
Company" etc. Edited by Virginia
Kirkus. Pictures by Henry c. Pitz.
New York: Harper & Bros.
TRIMMED little for the sake of
making such headway as the young
reader insists upon making, dressed up
in fine holiday outfit, pictured freshly
and most happily, Micah Clarke"
comes forward here again to tell the
old and exciting story of war in Eng
land-thiS one bent upon the over
throw of kings and the opening out of
liberty and safety to all the people, not
alone to the high and mighty ones of
lies, far behind the present time. Yet
we still are fighting, or were but a
minute ago, and probably will be the
next minute. So II you are of the
strain that takes to battle, that likes to
make pictures of the noise and the din
and the hand-to-f1and encounters
why. then, you will have an interesting
time with this we'll told story by Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, the man who in
vented Sherlock Holmes and with whom
he has spent much of his time, to the
enjoyment of readers who rather lean
away from war tales. However, here
IS good history. a fine account of the
fighting animal who spurs himself into
dread dangers in the name of honor
and "chivalry"
LAD OF sUNNYBANK. BY Albert
PaySon Terhune, author of MY
Friend the Dog" etc. New York:
Harper g. Bros.
THE picture of Lad" on the front
page of this book provides not only
abundant credentials Of the dogs iden-
tity but promises as we'll a foretaSte Of
the adventure in hand. Here is hero
worth while, able to carry of, and with
gusto to spare, any sort of doi9gs that
may come along which he considers
counting for Lad it is a raccoon and q
crow that spur invention and render
inspired first aid to every ingenious de-
vice of the collie to liven up a stodgy
and jog-trot world. Whirlwinds of pur-
suit with only shadows as the quarry,
deep INNINGS into the earth for purely
imaginary miscreants in hiding, riots Of
pure play, minutes of rest, and then at
1t again. If you know the Terhune
~ or NVYtA
know them?-be sure to gather in Lad
OF Sunnybank" as another endearing
possession in your collection of dog
stories. You, boy-Im talking to you
% x \
THE DARK EYES OF LONDON. BY
Edgar Wallace. New York: Double
day, Doran g. Co., Inc.
EDGAR WALLACE, who runs E.
Phillips Oppenheim a close race,
perhaps distances him as a prolific pro-
ducer of mystery and crime fiction,
never tells a dull tale. Not all of his
many stories of criminal adventure and
ri its detection and punishment have an
even quality of appeal to the interest,
but none of them is ever dull, and none
is ever lacking in invention and origi-
nality. This story, The Dark Eyes of
London" narrates the unfolding of a
mystery which begins with the finding
Of the body of drowned man on a flight
of steps leading down to the Thames
and ends with the fall Of the death trap
of the scaffold through which the mas
ter mind" of the murder gang fell to
his death. There is a good deal of
killing In the story. There are some
blind men-"dark eyes"-and there are
some extraordinary devices for the be-
guilement OF the minions of the law
Most of the killings tnvolcel in the story
are quite justihable and the reader
closes the tale with sense that JUS
tice still prevails, though often under
severe difficulties