Evening star., 1934-06-20
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margwes Csrmond.

| Il
THE PRINCE OF PLUMBER. BY
Sydney Horler. Boston: Little.
Brown & Co.
When Charles Grandon, M. D., r.
r. c. p, slumped forward in his chair
at the dinner table Judy Farrell,
daughter OF q recently deceased cabi-
net minister, was the only one OF
Lady Blanchard's guests to make an
outcry. She had seen the butler pass
the man a note and had witnessed
the color in his face change from q
motley red into q dirty gray as he
read it. Immediately afterward she
saw him take something from his
waistcoat pocket and put 1t into his
mouth. He died almost instantane-
ously. The verdict was suicide and
London mourned the loss OF its
esteemed medical consultant, but why
so successful and popular q man
should have taken his own life re-
mained q mystery.
The tragedy brought Lady Blanch-
ards party to An abrupt end and
Clark Dangerfield, q new member Of
bAiC AhlCI lCdkl EkIlbdS3y StAu, 1Glt Lndt
his dinner companion had been sum-
ciently unnerved to warrant his TAX
| ing her to a quiet restaurant, where
he could talk TO her alone. He had
liked Judy Immediately. and he want
ed very much TO cultivate his liking
into friendship. While eating a sand
wich and slipping the wine which he
insisted she needed, Judy told him
what she had seen at the dinner
table, and expressed the belief that
Grandon had been the victim OF
blackmailers. The newspapers had
been full Of the activities of a ring
OF blackmailers under the leadership
of man whom they had styled The
Prince of Plumber" but no one ex-
cept Judy thought OF linking Gran
don's death with the work OF the
notorious criminal
On the morning after the dinner
party Judy awoke with a feeling that
something was terribly wrong. Being
subject TO lunches" experience had
taught her that she was usually right
when a sense OF depression which
she could not overcome made her
feel that something dire was going
to happen. During the morning she
was called away from her work and
informed that her brother, a lovable
chap and an incurable gambler, had
been found dead in Hyde Park. The
revolver from which the fatal shot
had been fired was lying beside his
body. A clear case Of suicide, the
jury found, and the incident was
closed oficially.
But Judy was not satisfied, and
when in a, dream her brother ap-
peared before her and told her that
he had not killed himself but had
been murdered. she knew that her
hunch about blackmaIl was right. Her
pleas ignored by officials she deter
mines TO run the criminal to earth in
her own way. Dangerfield believes
in her sincerity, though he doubts
her logic, and adds his unselfish
efforts TO help her in the dangerous
task she has undertaken. His friend,
KNOCK OF the British secret service
organization. happens to be in Lon
don, and when Dangerfield unbur-
dens his soul of the trouble which
has descended upon the girl he loves
KNOCK joins unofiicially and unob-
trusively in the man hunt.
Those Of outstanding interest in
the story besides Dangerf1eld, Judy
and KNOCK are Sir Ronald Luke Of
the British foreign ONCE, Vania
Deane, an actress of infamous repu-
tation; Gerald Leicester. wealthy So
ciety man about town; Jameson
Carewe. American Ambassa dor TO
London: Sir Hector Pandervell czar
OF Londons society life; Sir Gilbert
Mildmay, highly esteemed theatrical
manager and actor; Olive Sloane. Co
worker and friend Of Judy Farrell,
and Sir Brian Fordinehame. depart
ment head of the secret service or
ganization.
As mystery THE Prince oi
Plunder" ranks among the best. and
II carries clean and wholesome love
story as well.
DEATH ON THE DIAMOND. BY
Cortland Fitzsimmons. New York
Frederick A. Stokes Co.
Here is = highly imaginative. clev-
erly constructed murder story which
would be one Of the most fkable anc
enjoyable tales Of crime on the market
II it dealt with any other group oi
people except those engaged in the
national sport. But every real base
ball fan who reads it will wish that
the author had not turned to the
diamond for his inspiration. Over 6
long period Of years the most popular
sport of the world has been kept fret
from the taint of crookedness. and II
somehow does not seem to be quite fail
to use the game as a vehicle on which
to ride a series Of crimes committed
for the purpose of insuring victory
for a team not likely on its own merit,
to wind up the season far above the
cellar.
The United League teams were al
set for a gala opening day. In New
York the Blues were playing the
Philadelphia Runners. As the team'
entered the ninth inning the Blue'
had q one-run lead. In the twinklini
of an eye the Runners had one ou
and a man on third, with only a sac.
: rifice needed to tie the score. Tit
next man went down and Whitper
: famous pitcher for the Runners, hi
past the f1agpole for a home run. bu'
] between third base and the home
plate he dropped dead. Examination
D showed that he had been shot through
the heart.
Team after team throughout ths
J season suffers the loss of star player!
: in games against the Blues in sudden
2 mysterious deaths until the whole
: league Is stricken with terror and con-
fusion. Newspaper men, crooks, kid
: napers, gangsters and gamblers be-
come involved in a mesh Of suspicion
and circumstantial evidence calculated
to keep the deductive ability of any
reader under a heavy strain until the
climax is reached in a game between
the Blues and the Washington Feds
when even the pet pigeon known tc
J thousands of fans plays a major par
in bringing an end to the murders,
A contest is announced to readers
offering autographed base balls a.
prizes for the best answers to the
question as to whether or not Detec.
: tive Kelly of the New York Homicide