THE KING AGAINST ANNE BICIMRTON. By Sidney Fowler. (Harrap. 7s.
6d.)—This book is described as being by an author whose books " in a different field of fiction have recently achieved enormous popularity." It is a fairly well- written story of an inquest and murder trial designed appa- rently to illustrate how easily an innocent man or woman may be hanged. It is made apparent to the reader that there is a very damaging case against all the persons connected with the murdered woman, but the final solution given is not satis- factory, and we arc inclined to think that Anne Bickerton did it after all. It is not explained how she could fail to see a large quantity of weed-killer in a supposedly empty cup which she carried down a long corridor and up a flight of stairs in broad daylight. While this fact remains unexplained, we are unable entirely to allay our suspicions that she did see it and in fact put it there, and that the little boy who stole in from the neighbouring garden was only dragged in by the author in order to acquit her and defeat the ends of the law. This is a very reprehensible proceeding, and if done should be done with more skill. The passages relating to the way in which the police decide upon an arrest are also unconvincing.
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