Mr. B. BENNION follows the vogue for confidentially descriptive covers in announcing, as a title to his volume of angling reminiscences, that _The Trout are Rising in England and South Africa_ (LANE) and suggesting that here is "a book for slippered ease." One is certainly warned not to expect anything very strenuous in its course, and indeed so placidly flow its waters that few, perhaps, but devotees of the craft will follow it to the end. Not but what there are metaphorical trout in it, too--enticing descriptions of bits of rivers, for instance--but on the whole they are easy-going fish that come to bank without showing very much sporting spirit. Here is no manual of precise information, though even old fishermen may gather a hint or two; nor yet a guide-book to the trout-streams of two continents; not even a collection of good stories, though anyone may come across some old friends in it. The author's yarns indeed are numerous and, on the whole, as an angler's yarns should be, picturesque. If he does seem to enjoy the rather feeble joke or incident as much as the other sort, that may be natural in a book of ease, whether slippered or not. Indeed one half suspects it is as a book for his own ease that the writer is mainly considering it, yet, taken in the right spirit and especially if you are an enticer of trout, it may be for your ease too. Of course, if you are not an angler and if your spirit is not right, the slipper may not fit. * * * In the course of a long study of detective fiction I have never met any sleuths with a gift of loquacity like that of _Messrs. Corson_ and _Gibbs_, who during the first part of _In the Onyx Lobby_ (HODDER AND STOUGHTON) make futile efforts to trace the murderer of _Sir Herbert Binney_, proprietor of Binney's Buns. _Sir Herbert_ had gone to New York to persuade his nephew to become the manager of an American branch of a Binney Bun factory, and, on returning late at night to his apartment-house, was stabbed to death. Fortunately Miss CAROLYN WELLS seems to have grown as tired of them as I did, and they give way to one _Pennington Wise_ (whose name did not prepossess me in his favour) and his assistant, _Zizi_. This couple have the authentic sleuth-touch, and their detection of those implicated in the murder is a very ingenious piece of work. There is so much padding in this book that if _Sir Herbert_ had worn a tithe of it no stabber could even have scratched him; but with judicious skipping it will wile away two or three idle hours. And, as I said, the solution is a really skilful piece of work. * * * * * [Illustration: "I 'EAR SHE'S 'AD A LEGACY O' TWENTY POUNDS LEFT 'ER." "YES, SHE 'AS. BUT ONE GOOD THING ABOUT 'ER IS, 'ER WEALTH AIN'T SPOILT 'ER."] * * * * * Extract from an account of the unveiling of the portrait of Mr. ----, M.P.:-- "It was a happy idea to unveil the portrait in a darkened room."