[Rooke's The Last One Home Sleeps in the Yellow Bed shows] that the author knows his craft: the careful pacing, the ability to capture and render a scene, and his fine eye for telling detail are all virtues of the conscious artisan. There are both good and exceptional stories in this collection of six. "The Ice House Gang," "When Swimmers on the Beach Have All Gone Home," and the title story all rank as fine fictional achievements; and "Brush-Fire," the longest story in the volume, is truly exceptional. The remaining two stories, however, seem to lack those virtues which Rooke demonstrates in the other stories. It may be that there is too much behind them that is not rendered. An impressive first collection. (pp. 1577-78)