Evening star., 1937-07-14
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
BY MARGARET GERMOND.

sickle. New York: Alfred A. Knopf
Mike Mascarenas, convicted OF murder
and sentenced to die, II ,cted As the
human subject for an aent which
an eminent medical s. - has sue
cessfully performed on n keys. Mike
Is not guilty OF the crime for which
he Is to pay the extreme penalty, but
DR.. Boxton Is not in the least concerned
about the possible miscarriage of jus-
tice. His experiments in the laboratory
have developed to the point where 4
human specimen is required to prove
or disprove his theory. He has repeatedly
petitioned the Governor of the State for
permission to use the convict whose dav
OF execution Is first on the calendar, but
mas consistently been denied that priv
1lege. But Governor Blake Parshall goes
OH on a motor trip and DR.. Boxton.
VINO knows his politics about as we'll as
he knows his science. appeals to the
lieutenant governor. Permission Is
granted and on the day Mike Is SEN
fenced to die he is escorted to the labora
tory. The agreement Is that ii Mike
survives the experiment he Is to be
granted complete freedom
Dr. Boxton's experiment is based upon
the theory that man has no soul and
that human life is purely a matter of
blochemistry. He has successfully put
monkeys to death with monoxide gas and
brought them back to life through A
process OF temporary substitution in the
clrculatory system while the blood is
thoroughly cleansed. The blood is then
reintroduced into the body, the chemical
reactions again set In motion, and the
patient returns to life. Mike is to die
anyway, so II he does not survive the
experiment the State has nothing to lose
Governor Parshall learns that permis-
sion for the experiment has been granted
In his absence and makes a dramatic
enort to return to the State in time to
prevent it. 1t is bitter cold and lust
as Mike is being prepared for death
word Is received that the Governor has
died OF monoxide gas generated by the
heating apparatus in his motor car His
body Is rushed to the laboratory. where
Mike has already been put to death. and
the process OF bringing the two OF them
back to life is undertaken.
Both men survive the opera ton. but
A slip IN the laboratory results in an
exchange OF blood, which in turn results
IN an exchange of personalities that
spells near tragedy to both men. Mike
returns to life In the body OF Blake
Parshall and thereby takes up the duties
OF Governor of the State Just where
Parshall left of. Parshall in the body
OF Gangster Nike Is pitiable char
acter
Such story could not. Of course hang
together unless woven around the DO
litlcal rottenness which infests State
government, with dash OF romance
thrown in to give 1t 4 truly human
touch. The former gangster in the
role OF Governor is ideal for such A part
with the lovely girl to whom Parshall is
engaged as the prize. Extraordinary
things happen in the DAYS that follow.
With an outcome that proclaims itself
from the beginning OF the mix up as the
only logical conclusion-provided any
logic could be brought to bear upon so
improbable situation For all Of it's
lmprobabillty. however, the story is sum
ciently readable and exciting to make
allowances for the strangeness OF It's
plot and the weakness Of its structure
Q 80. BY Michael Banner New York:
Alfred A. Knopf
This story, beginning with an auto
mobile race in England and ending on
the grounds OF secret aerodrome in the
middle OF Europe. is tale of interna-
tlonal intrigue involving theft The con-
niVlng thieves are not making of with
secret papers. plans, blueprints. photo
graphs or any OF the usual hidable things
that spies are expected to fitch, but air
planes
Archie Lumsden. central figure of the
sleuthng OUTFIT, tells the story himself
IN style that throws modesty to the
winds as he mops up almost the whole
OF Europe in his capacity as unofIicial
representative Of the British foreign
once. Arches part in the spy round
up begins with the motor race, when he
nnds hiding in his car an old friend who
hands him mysterious package which
at the risk OF his life he must deliver to
room @ 80 at the foreign Office Exciting
adventures befall him before he reaches
his destination, and simultaneously a
powerful airplane, invented by the father
OF friend Is stolen from It's hangar
and piloted to an unknown destination.
The foreign office, of course, engages
Archie to trace the plane and to f1nd
the missing agent, and he embarks on
a circuitous and hazardous Journey He
soon learns that other planes, supposedly
secret inventions intended for sale to
the great nations of Europe, are being
stolen and presumably hidden in a vast
aerodrome located in one of the smaller
countries where plots are eternally being
Matched for war against an oppressive
or dangerous neighbor.
Spiritual seances enter into the plot
and handsome woman, wife OF a
wealthy man believed to be financing the
theft scheme, does a dramatic bit to trap
Archie in an abandoned dungeon. Mi
raculous escapes from all sorts of traps
keep the intrepid young spy-hound
breathless from start to finish, as a mat
ter of fact. though for all of the speed
and excitement the story Is 4 bit tire
some and heavy in spots. Archie, OF
course. Identifies the members of the
ring and finds the stolen planes and
the story climbs to a dramatic climax
on the last page and hops into banality
with the speed Of crashing plane.
MURDER R-ON-HUDSON. BY Jennifer
Jones. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell
Co.
The author Of this story has had
very remarkable career and her achieve
ments include the writing of several
books. 1t is therefore disappointing to
Apd cplorA{d v,ovctnrv olo& e~1;1>l h.,