Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5120x7168 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

MONEY'S WORTH
IN "THRILLERS"
"Thriller" reading this week included a better
than-average John Creasy, a fairly rewarding mys
tery hy a woman writer and a slightly under f.a.q.
Erie Stanley Gardner.
The Creasey story, Death
in Cold Print, is one of
mayhem in a book-publish
ing works in Kent. It is
more psychological and
much more earthy and sexy
than the usual Creasey line.
Unfortunately, the tying
up is not as tidily done as
one would expect from an
assembly-line writer like
Creasey.
The first 80 per cent, oi
the book, however, with the
admitted fallibility of the
hero, Superintendent "Hand
some" West, compensates for
the hurried wind-up.
4" >> *
Another policeman, In
spector Septimus West, of
Scotland Yard, is the detec
tive in The VVomaii at Bel
guardo, by Margaret Erskine
Miss Erskine has an irri
tating habit shared by the
majority of her sex who ven
ture into the dangerous field
of murder stories, of con
cealing clues from her
readers and making much of
false clues and esoteric ref
erences.
Nevertheless, she contrives
to work in a neat turn in
motivisation. The main
criticism of this turn is that
she deliberately conceals it.
She is, however. NOT
; GUILTY of the coincidental
clean-up.
| * * ■ *
Erie Stanley Gardner can
be depended on to get Perry
Mason into and out of
trouble which always threat
ens Mason's remarkable
career. The Case of the Sun
Bather's Diary is no excep
tion.
The fault is that Gardner
does not tie up his ends as
neatly as usual.
In fact, the murderer
whose crime threatened
Perry's client with the death
chamber and Perry with dis
barment is so sketchy that
we never really meet him.
The courtroom scene, as
ever, is the highlight and the
saving feature.
Gardner fans will get
their money's worth. —
TINKER.
DEATH IN COLD
PRINT. John Creascy. Hod
dcr and Stoughton. 15/6.
THE WOMAN AT BEL
GUARDO. Margaret Ersk
ine. Hodder and Stoughton.
18/9.
THE CASE OF THE
SUN BATHER'S DIARY.
Erie Stanley Gardner.
ITeinemann. Mif-.
$