10 Mr. Edward Arnold’s List of New Books 
Crown 8v0. 6s. cach. 
THE DESERT VENTURE. 
By FRANK SAVILE. 
This is a good stirring story, reminding one of the late H. Seton 
Merriman in its power of introducing a series of exciting adventures 
which, but for the author’s skill, might seem almost too extraordinary 
for the twentieth century. As we read these pages, however, we 
feel that there is no reason whatever why an enterprising European 
should not even to-day attempt to carve out for himself a new little 
empire in the heart of Africa, why he should not have to confront all 
sorts of intrigues culminating in most sanguinary fighting both with 
natives and European rivals; while the chain of circumstances 
which takes out Eva, the heroine, to follow the fortunes of ‘ Uncle 
Dick’ and her cousin Arthur in the hinterland of Morocco seems 
the inevitable result of an ingeniously-contrived situation. An in- 
teresting and exciting book, which arrests attention and retains it. 
THE ELECTION OF ISABEL. 
By RONALD MACDONALD, 
AutTuHor oF ‘A Human Trinity,’ ‘Tue Sea-Mar,’ Etc. 
It was inevitable that the claims of the ‘ Suffragettes’* should afford 
material for a novel, but few authors could have attacked the subject 
in a lighter or happier vein than Mr. Macdonald. Lady Isabel Fen- 
church, the daughter of the Duke of Hounsditch, is depicted as a 
perfectly charming woman with an infatuation for the ‘ Feminist 
Movement.’ She marries Charles Lawless on the understanding 
that it is merely a matter of convenience, that he will supply her 
with funds for ‘the cause,’ and give her absolute freedom. He 
hopes in time to win her love, and accepts half a loaf as better than 
no bread. Then follows a host of difficulties arising from the 
situation, all treated most humorously, and culminating in an 
election, in which Lady Isabel and her husband are rival candidates. 
It would not be fair to reveal the finale; the book should be read 
mainly for its amusing qualities, but here and there are glimpses of 
a more serious appreciation of this burning question. 
