13 AUGUST 1898, Page 25

The Stolen Fiddle. By Walter H. Mayson. (F. Warne and

Co.)—We cannot say that this book is a success. There is throughout a series of forced situations which grate on the reader. John Sinclair, one of the chief characters, has a reputa- tion for wit, and he gives the idea of always making desperate efforts to sustain this reputation. Many of his jokes utterly fail to raise a smile ; the best is an undoubted " chestnut." The account of the Christmas party is drawn out in a tedious manner. One part of the book does afford some good reading, the actual discovery of "the stolen fiddle." The "trial" scene is, to say the least of it, unrealistic.