Evening star., 1938-08-10
NEW BOOKS AT
RANDOM
By MARGARET GERMOND.

THE DooMsDAY MEN. BY J. B.
Priestly. New York: Harper e. Bros
Dorothy, must begin
BY warning you: here's fantasie,
A fairy-tale in Western rig ."
So runs the first three lines Of Mr..
Priestly's dedication Of this American
scene novel to Dorothy Brooke. The
author, 1t seems, has been harboring the
idea for his story for q number of years,
but not until he came to know the Cali
fornia desert did he find proper setting
for it. Any one who is in the least IA
miliar with the sense OF vast isolation
induced by particular sections OF the
American Southwest understands imme-
diately how Mr.. Priestly found it to be
the ideal location for the sort of fairy
tale he had in mind. For the past sew
eral winters he has brought his family
from England and lived on a ranch In
Arizona. From there he has explored
countless miles Of the Southwest, SO that
his descriptions are vibrant with the
life of the cities and towns and the solt-
tude Of the desert.
The American scene is, of course. fan
tastic-even to Americans. Viewed by
a Londoner with keen sense Of appre-
citation Of the feverish enthusiasm OF
the mob for the monStrosities Of its new
civilization, 1t undoubtedly draws close
to the grotesque. Has any one pictured
more accurately or eloquently that new
est and strangest California metropolis
which Mr.. Priestly describes as that
vast conglomeration and gayly colored
higgledy-piggledy Of unending boule-
wards, vacant lots, oil derricks, card
board bungalows, retired farmers. for
tune-tellers. real estate dealers, Aim
stars false prophets afauent pimps,
women in pajamas turning on victrolas,
radio men, Middle Western grandmoth-
ers, Chinese grandfathers, Mexican
uncles and Philippine cousins, known as
Los Angeles? And is it not easy to
feel compassion for the young English
hero Of the story as he contemplates
"one of those hard Jumps of lettuce dec
grated with bits Of pineapple and grape
fruit and cheese and smeared all over
with a thick pink paste. which are con-
sidered by all American caterers to be
salads?
The young Englishman is in Barstow
because he is in love with mysterious
American girl with whom he played in
tennis tournament at Beaulieu, France.
George Glenway Hooker, lean young
American physicist, Is in Barstow be-
cause he is searching for a fellow SCI
enlist who dropped from sight and re-
appeared in England in disguise. Jimmy
Edlin is in Barstow because he is on the
trail of religious fanatic whose cult
he believes to be responsible for the
murder of his brother.
All three young men arrive in Barstow
at about the same time. They scrape
acquaintance during the dinner hour
and discover that their destinations are
identical The leader of the Brother
hood OF the Judgment, the physicist ana
the father of the mystery girl are broth
ers. That they are engaged in some
extraordinary conspiracy Is obvious, for
their hide-out is an estate OF palatlal
proportions, located miles from civ1li-
zation and on the edge of Death Valley.
It is guarded from trespass by numerous
automatic devices as well as by men
with shotguns. Other important charac-
ters who add to the romance, mystery
and adventure are Rushy Drew, vet
eran newspaper reporter Of Los Angeles.
who gives the clue to the murderers OF
Phil Edlin; Rosalie Atwood, a charming
widow whose gray curls play havoc With
Jimmy Edlin's sentimental nature;
Charlie Atwood her courageous If in
ebriated aviator brother -in-law, and
Nav" and Paw" Larragan. lookouts
for the Doomsday men.
Murder, adventure and romance spiced
with science and religious fanaticism.
rolled into one thrilling and entertaining
novel guaranteed to give satisfaction on
all three scores!
FIELD OF HONOR. BY Adela Rogers
st. Johns. New York: E. p Dutton
& Co.
Already popular as the author OF nu-
merous heart-warming stories, Adela
Rogers st. Johns is assuredly scheduled
to win more admiring friends with TINS
tender romance that depends for its
modern dress upon radio and aviation.
Kendall Sande is young and not 100
beautiful executive in one OF the great
broadcasting corporations. The position
is one that she earned by hard work
and the application Of keen brain 10
lesser jobs in the same organization.
Jim Harrington is an aviator, ''as pop
ular as any man in New York, ana the
head of an airways company engaged IN
promoting the first transatlantic mail
and passenger service. He is married
and is in love with his beautiful wife.
She has given him two attractive daugh-
ters, made his home an ideal haven OF
rest and comfort and guarded their
happiness with worshipful devotion.
Until he meets Kendall Sande in a
tiny restaurant which he sometimes
patronizes to get away from every one
he knows, he is unaware of any lack in
his busy, exciting life. He knows Ken
dali Sande only slightly, but out OF that
chance meeting in the restaurant grows
a fine and honorable friendship. Trained
in the hard school of the business
world, clear thinking and sometimes
brutal in her dealings with corporation
officials, associates and the public. Ken
dali has learned to be content with lie
as it is meted out to her. She asks no
quarter and gives none.
Jim Harrington finds this alert young
woman a keen listener and an enthu-
siastic believer in the possibility OF
trans Atlantic passenger service, ana
when the plans are complete and Jim is
all set to be the first passenger TO make
the trip Kendall superintends the radlo
publicity that is to keep the world IN
formed and at the same time educate
the public to the safety and desirabillty
of air transportation. During these
months of preparation for the great
flight Jim becomes aware that only In
this one respect has Isabel failed him.
Che hates aviation and is terrified when