Evening star., 1936-07-15
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.

strange. Even the title breaks away from
the continuity of the four-word Queen
scheme and stamps the book with an
unfamiliar hall mark. Oddly, in fact.
is the distinguishing characteristic of
a story in which Ellery Queen himself
participates in a role differing in some
respects from the part usually played by
MIN in the dramatic business of track
ing q murderer
The popularity of a beggarly shack
in a desolate neighborhood as the scene
OF the murder is matched in design by
the queernesS of the victim whose un-
timely demise brings together an aSsort-
ment of people totally at variance with
the sordid business of violent death. But
it is distinctly human group, and one
so small that there is no escape from
the indulgence in bitter personalities
which invariably marks a clash between
the rich and the poor. Another interest,"
ing angle of the case is the fact that
Ellery Queen is the warm personal friend
of one-half of the quartet most inti-
mately affected by the tragedy.
Bill Angel, on his way from Baltimore
to his home in Philadelphia, by way OF
New York, stops over in Trenton to keep
an engagement with his brother-in law.
He wanderS into the main hotel in
search OF company while waiting for
the hour of his appointment and there
he meets Ellery Queen, whose friend
ship dates back to college days: Queen
intends to drive to New York that eve
ming, and Bill offers to go with him if
the session with his brother -in-law does
not cause too late a start. Queen Is
delighted at the opportunity of enjoying
The companionship of his longtime
friend and settles himself in the hotel
lobby to wait until Bill returns. But
they fail to make New York that night.
With explicit instructions as to the
location of the place he is to meet his
brother-in Bill eventually reaches
the isolated roadside shack. He arrives
at the appointed hour. hears a horrible
scream just as he is getting out Of his
car, sees a beautiful young girl rush
from the shack and drive off in
luxurious car and enters the shack to
find his brother-in-law dying from a
knife wound in the chest. A blood
stained paper knife is lying on the table
which hides all but the legs of the
victim, who is able to tell Bill only
that he has been stabbed by woman
wearing a heavy veil.
Upon receiving Bills frantic call for
help, Queen inStructs him to call the
Trenton police and then Immediately
drives to the lonely shack, arriving just
ahead of the police and a red-haired
newspaper woman by the unholy name
of Ella Amity. Something about the
dead mans face revives memory in
Queens mind, and while Bill is con-
sollng his lovely sister, who has been
brought to the scene of the crime, an
other handsome car is on the way to
the shack at Queens request, bringing
a wealthy woman her dantily beautiful
daughter and a man whose devoted
friendship both return with warm af-
fection.
Preliminary investigation by the New
Jersey police brings TO light a change
by the murdered man of the beneficiary
of his million dollar life insurance policy.
A splendid motive for murder on the
part of either the former or the present
beneficiary or members of their families
The police lose no time in making an
arrest. A quick trial is held and a
conviction obtained, with the defendant
sentenced to prison. Ellery testifies on
the witness stand, but a railroading
prosecuting attorney succeeds in break
ing down all reasonable doubt and the
verdict is guilty.
So far as Queen is concerned. however
the case is not ended, and not until he
brings the murderer to account in a
fantastic trap does his brilliant mind
cease to search for the truth. There are
no ramlf1catlonS into Oriental philoSo-
ph1es or priceless ancient treasures, and
no hidden meanings beyond the signifi-
canoe OF the location of the murder
shack. 1t is a straight-out murder
mystery with no fancy trimmings. in
which Ellery Queen tantalizes and chal-
lenges the deductive powers of the reader
with his usual fascinating method of
analysis and his own attractiveness.
BRIDAL MARCH. BY Elizabeth Car
frae. New York: G. P. Putnam's
For American readers a story based
upon the so-called woman problem in
the economic scheme is somewhat out
of date. But as it is founded upon life
in England, 1t still has freshness in
that it brings to attention the fact that
in the United Kingdom the status of
the married woman who works has not
yet been settled.
The story concerns q Young connie
who marry when the income of both is
required to meet the most elementary
necessities of life. They are sensible
and they are as happy as any two people
in such circumstances can be. Celia is
ambitious to make good and to win a
place of Importance in the establishment
which has employed her for several
years. Nicky hopes to become a famous
playwright, but is, meantime, earning a
meager stipend as a newspaper man.
So long as they are poor things go along
as they should. But Nicky inherits a
fortune and then troubles begin in
earnest. The English gentleman who
does not have to work prefers to enjov
the idle pleasures which money affords.
and Nicky represents that particular
type. Celia, however, loves to work and
she persuades him to let her continue
few years more. The few years. of
course, extend into much longer period
until she loses all desire to devote her.
self to the job of being a housewife and
mother.
The idea of course, Is to develop once
again the frayed theory that a married
woman who does not have to earn q
living is not only shirking but violating
her duty to the home and to society.
OF far greater Importance to the well
fare OF home and society and to the
economic order in this country is the
problem OF the woman who works, not
L.