4 MAY 1956, Page 31

S TRANGER IN THE DARK. By Helen Nielsen. (Gollancz, 10s. 6d.)

And this is what happens when a once first-rate detective-story twriter decides to rely solely on local colour, cramming in every- blag that an American tripper would regard as characteristic °f Copenhagen (except that I didn't notice the little bronze erfflait:1), and letting Cold-War confidence-trick plot lurch from e 'Incidence to coincidence. No go, Miss Nielsen.