17 OCTOBER 1931, Page 28

DAVID BETTERTON. By His Honour Judge Ruegg. (Daniel. 7s. 6d.)—Blackest

blackmail is the mainspring of the plot ; the villains are " so-called Socialists " ; the sun is facetiously referred to as " Sol " ; and the hero dreams of Queen Mab and the fairies. You look back to the figure 1931 on the fly-leaf, and wonder whether you too are dreaming. It seems too good to be true.