5 FEBRUARY 1960, Page 30

The Silent One. By Owen Cameron. (Ham' mond, 12s. 6d.)

'In tragic life, God wot, no villain need be.' The killer here is a psychological casualtY of the war; he brings death to a small Californian town, and drives those who love him near to dis- aster, in a most impressive, moving and quietly written novel of suspense.