THE SEVEN STABS. By John Cameron. (Gollancz. 75. 6d.)—This is
the right sort of detective story. Murders, clues, new theories and other fresh developments occur on every page. We suspect every member of the house-party in turn, for they all of them seem to have had both motive and opportunity for murdering any of the others, and their behaviour is in each case suspicious enough to warrant investigation. The clue of the two stone rabbits, and that of the disused well, seem to be thrown in merely to distract us ; and the two detectives are as distracted and baffled as the reader, though they are neither of them conventionally stupid. There are only two doubtful points, and they occur after the solution, so that they do not spoil our enjoyment. Was Harden's secretary not in a position to disclose the identity of the murderer, and why did he not do so ? Secondly, what motive had the person arrested finally for concealing the murderer at the risk of her own life ? None is suggested. But the book is so crowded with amusement that we do not worry much about such small inconsistencies as these.
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