Evening star., 1935-10-16
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret CermOnd.
MURDER ON THE APHRODITE. BY
Ruth Burr Sanborn. New York: The
Macmillan Co

MURDER ON THE APHRODITE. BY
Ruth Burr Sanborn. New York: The
Macmillan Co.
A disabled houSeboat, beached on an
isolated New England shore, makes an
ideal setting for tale of murder that
really challenges the deductive ability
of mystery devotees who long for some
thing difficult on which to test the keen
ness of their analytical powers. The
foundation on which the plot is laid is
not new, nor is the circumStantial Occa-
sion that affords the opportunity for
murder altogether original. But the
accuracy with which the stage is set,
the skillful performance rendered by the
actors are qualifications of ingenuity that
command approval and admiration.
The Aphrodite is a floating palace of
luxury and comfort. Christine Van
Wycke, her owner, is a woman about
whom little is known except that she Is
reputed to be wealthy and that she has
a passion for collecting rare gems. On
board the houSeboat when a damaged
propeller blade forced the sailing master
to nose in to shore until repairs can be
made are Mrs. Van Wycke. Jane Bridge,
her secretary; Beulah Mullins, a de-
pendent cousin; Angeline Tredennick,
housekeeper; Professor Dante Gabriel
Burge, an eminent psychologist; Ewell
Choate, an attractive young Virginian;
Max Varro, foreigner of doubtful pro-
fession; a corps of servants, the crew
and dog named Telemachus.
Mystery number one: Young Bill Gal
leon, employe of an insurance firm, de-
liberately sinks his boat within two hum
dred yards of the Aphrodite and swims
the distance to BowSprit Island, thus
forcing himself upon the hospitality OF
the owner of the houseboat. His only
possessions are handkerchief belonging
to the girl he loves and gun, carried in
waterproof case. Mystery number two:
He finds on board the Aphrodite, work.
ing under another name for Mrs. Van
Wycke, the girl whose handkerchief he
treasures. Mystery number three: 1t is
plainly evident that Beulah Mullins is
coWed and terrified by her beautiful and
wealthy cousin. There are other minor
mysteries that puzzle Bill greatly, but
now for the major mystery.
Mrs. Van Wycke, Jane, Angeline, Beu-
lah and the four guests are seated at
dinner when conversation turns upon the
unreliability of human observation and
evidence. The professor proposes test.
is granted permission to carry it out, and
leaves the room to make his plans. He
returns, gives instructions for the test
and begins his experiment. He does a
few inconsequential things in sight of
them all and then plunges the room into
darkness. Events take rapid turn, with
an electric storm adding to the eerieness
of the performance. Pistol shots and
screams are part of the game, but a
groan too real to be mistaken for acting
brings the stunt to an abrupt end. When
the lights are turned on Mrs. Van Wycke
is dead, bullet hole instead of an almost
priceless ruby decorating her breast.
Murder and theft in a few moments
of darkness, and every one except Ange-
line eligible for accusation of one or both
crimes! The status of only one person is
registered after the crime. Bill Is an
investigator. and in a moment of anger
Jane exposes his profession, but not the
purpose of his self-managed presence on
the houseboat. Except for Ewell Choate,
the others on board are as strange to
Jane as they are to Bill, and as they
are to each other. Why were so many
queer people on the Aphrodite and how
did they happen to be invited? Why did
Jane vanish from her place Of employ
ment after Bill had evaded the issue of
complete confidence in his missions of
investigation? Why is she on the Aph-
rodite under an assumed name and why
have her affections switched from Bill
to young Choate? Who is Varro anyway,
and why is he so anxious to buy a bed
spread?
A typical small-town New England
constable appears on the scene and does
some good work, but it is Bill who even
tually solves the murder mystery, and
the story reaches its climax in what
might be called a sudden and smashing
victory. The strong. clean romance run
ming along with the mystery is as essen
tial to the completeness of the story as
is the main plot.
For several hours of genuine enter
tainment this book is recommended.
X X x x
MURDER AT THE PIANO. BY George
Bagby. New York: Covici-Friede.
Inspector Schmidt, whose solicitude for
his increasingly painful feet might give
the impression that his brain Is never
far from his pedal extremities, is ordered
to investigate the report of murder in
the home of a once famous social leader.
Gregor Wilchenski, famous pianist and
composer, has been reported shot to
death at a piano in the home of his
estranged wife. The inspector arrives to
find not only Wilchenski, but also an
other man, notorious dope peddler,
dead on the studio floor.
Several possibilities, even probabilities,
point to justification for the tempera-
mental artists murder, but his evident
association with Jake Cortino raises more
than reasonable doubts against logical
theories. WilchenSki'S secretary con-
fesses to Cortino'S murder on the basis
of having gone into the room and finding
his employer dead and shooting the man
he believed to have killed him. The in
spector is not convinced, for there is too
much evidence of lying to protect some
one else on the part of each member of
the household.
Aching, hurting feet may be a handicap
to some men, but it seems that this afflic-
ton only stimulates the mental faculties
of Inspector Schmidt. He knows nothing
of music, but he takes keen interest in
manuscripts and published music slowed
in the pianist's trunk. He isn't very we'll
informed on social customs, but knows
that Jake Cortino does not fit into either
the professional or private life of the
WilchenSki family. He is not familiar
with pianos, but he makes it his business
To find out why three handsome inStru-