Evening star., 1934-07-25
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
MwETef Cermond.
THE EMERALD MURDER TRAP.
BY Jackson Gregory, New York:
Charles Scribner'S Sons.

THE EMERALD MURDER TRAP.
BY jackson Gregory, New York:
Charles Scrihner'S Sons.
A dwarf OF a man with the mind
Of an evil monster is the central fig-
ure in this tanciful mystery. in which
unlimited wealth is employed as bait
to entrap unsuspecting victims and a
$50 900 emerald is cast loose In the
midst Of a party Of house guests as
the prize in an exaggerated game OF
findings are keepingS."
Sylvester Psradene sits like a ven-
omous spider in the center of a golden
web of grotesque design, his poison
Gus brain scheming TO the last detail
a special brand OF torture for each
one of his guests as they become en-
shared in the mesh he has woven.
SO that he may more fully enjoy the
dance OF the puppets as he manipu-
lates the strings. he has invited. with
malicious intent, Mr.. Paul Savoy,
widely reputed criminologist and
solver of mysteries.
To be sure, no invitations are sent
out by Sylvester Paradene. He is too
we'll known and too heartily hated in
San Francisco to be trusted as host.
Silvia Van Syle, whose husband
Paradene wrecked and whose property
he now owns, possesses all of the
qualities Of perfect hostess and is,
Furthermore, a logical choice TO serve
as the medium through which his
plans for murder can be fulfilled.
Gull De ctah frA
the magnificent home on an isolated
mountain, twenty miles from the near
est railroad station, over which she
formerly presided as mistress. and the
invitations go out for a house party.
The guests include Larry Deane,
sleek gambler OF unsavory reputation;
Stanley Elliot, OF questionable profess
sional ethics; Miss Justine Jefferson,
of an old Virginia family; Mr.. Amos
Laufer- Hirth, jeweler of sterling in
tegrity from whom the emerald was
purchased, Sir John Hawks. of doubt
ful name and ancestry; Maj. Harry
Quoin, who claims to have been q
soldier of fortune in the British Army,
but who is believed to be on the trail
of the emerald; Nepthys. dusky
Egyptian of goddess-like appearance
and sloofness; Hefty Simpson, burly
underworld denizen; Detective Gate
way and Paul Savoy. Others con-
tinuously in evidence during the party
at the old Carter Van Syle home are
Hugo, a hulking. british Negro who
is dumb but not deaf; two burly
rufians known as Evans and Maltoy,
employed as Paradene's bodyguards,
and Sylvester Paradene himself.
A millionaire may buy the pleasure
of his choice, and call it by any title
his fancy dictates. To Paradene the
perfection of pleasure is a man-hunt,
with the criminal a murderer If pos
sible, and he designates his passion for
watching the quarry double and twist
and blind his trail in an effort to
elude the hounds of the law-the
sport of kings" 1t costs thousands
of dollars, not including the purchase
| OF the Egyptian emerald, to stage the
show which is to crafty his ever
increasing thirst for his chosen
sport" He pays for it, and it is
meted out to him in more than full
measure. Murders are committed but
two of them were not reckoned upon
by the viper in mans clothing, and he
had failed also to take into full ac-
count the shrewd ability and inde-
fatgable determination of Paul Savoy
Mr.. Gregory has long list of sue
cessful stories to his credit. This is
the third IN which Savoy has solved
| a bathing mystery, and by all odds
1t is greater than its predecessors.
1t moves rapidly, grips the attention
and maintains an atmosphere OF
tensity throughout. 1t is a distinct
addition to the mystery fiction of the
season.