The Queen of Night. By Headon Hill. (Ward, Lock, and
Co.)— This is a moat ingenious story of the breathlessly sensational sort. The fundamental "idea" is a startling one, being that of a " murder syndicate" composed of persons whose interest it is to get rid of relatives, and who for this purpose send their victims off to sea in 'The Queen of Night' under the care of their special medical man and arch-poisoner, Dr. Zavertal. The teller of the story is the captain of the ship, who discovers the intentions of the syndicate with the help of the ingenious American detective Kennard, engaged at the time in running down Zavertal on his own account. The book is choke-full of all sorts of exciting episodes, and the " bosses " of the syndicate, Zavertal, the shrinking Jew Nathan, and above all the " superior fiend" Vizard, are all cleverly drawn. As in most stories of this sort, the amatory underplot is rather feeble. Miss Chaloner, whom Zavertal is engaged in trying to murder, along with certain others, is introduced skilfully enough, however, to fire the flagging zeal of her lover, the captain of ' The Queen of Night.'
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