1 MARCH 1957, Page 25

Woman of Straw. By Catherine Arley. (Collins, 12s. 6d.) A

woman is chosen, by advertisement, and groomed by a sort of Svengali to marry a millionaire who has not hitherto even heard of her. Succeeding, she 'transports millionaire's stiffening corpse from ship to foreign shore, deceiving police, reporters, servants and officials into thinking him asleep: and this only begins the list of ludicrous improbabilities. With ten months still to go, here already is the year's winner of the Pym prize for silliness.