Books: Mysteries of the Month: Nov. 28, 1938

Of this month’s 15 crime stories, three stood out as best bets:

DEATH SENDS A CABLE—Margaret Tayler Yates—Macmillan ($2). Murder and malice domestic at a naval post. Large roster of credible characters; sprightly details of service life.

THREE BRIGHT PEBBLES—Leslie Ford˜Farrar & Rinehart ($2). Two killings brought on by an old Maryland family’s domestic and financial tangle. Suspense, people and style skilfully handled.

THE D. A. HOLDS A CANDLE—Erh Stanley Gardner—Morrow ($2). In his second exploit, small-town District Attorney Douglas Selby finds far-flung repercussions in the apparently accidental death of an unknown hitchhiker. Good detection but the D. A. can’t hold a candle to Gardner’s Perry Mason.