12 SEPTEMBER 1931, Page 24

New Novels

THE SHORTEST NIGHT. By G. B. Stern. (Heinemann 7s. 6d.).—Although The Shortest Night is noes very good detective story—the detection is too amateur for most hardened mystery story readers—it provides very pleasant light reading. Miss Stern combines in this novel a comedy of manners, romance, and a murder : a good and unusual combination. Her characters are, with one exception; nice ordinary people, with good intentions which often drive them to act foolishly. They are, in fact, human beings. The Shortest Night would be a universally acceptable book to put on a holiday library list : all the family would enjoy it.