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Desmond Merrion #13
Death in the Tunnel
On a dark November evening, Sir Wilfred Saxonby is travelling alone in the 5 o'clock train from Cannon Street, in a locked compartment. The train slows and stops inside a tunnel; and by the time it emerges again minutes later, Sir Wilfred has been shot dead, his heart pierced by a single bullet.
Suicide seems to be the answer, even though no motive can be found. Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard thinks again when learns that a mysterious red light in the tunnel caused the train to slow down.
Finding himself stumped by the puzzle, Arnold consults his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur expert in criminology. Merrion quickly comes up with an 'essential brainwave' and helps to establish how Sir Wilfred met his end, but although it seems that the dead man fell victim to a complex conspiracy, the investigators are puzzled about the conspirators' motives as well as their identities. Can there be a connection with Sir Wilfred's seemingly troubled family life, his highly successful business, or his high-handed and unforgiving personality? And what is the significance of the wallet found on the corpse, and the bank notes that it contained?
Suicide seems to be the answer, even though no motive can be found. Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard thinks again when learns that a mysterious red light in the tunnel caused the train to slow down.
Finding himself stumped by the puzzle, Arnold consults his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur expert in criminology. Merrion quickly comes up with an 'essential brainwave' and helps to establish how Sir Wilfred met his end, but although it seems that the dead man fell victim to a complex conspiracy, the investigators are puzzled about the conspirators' motives as well as their identities. Can there be a connection with Sir Wilfred's seemingly troubled family life, his highly successful business, or his high-handed and unforgiving personality? And what is the significance of the wallet found on the corpse, and the bank notes that it contained?
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
51 people are currently reading
540 people want to read
About the author
Miles Burton
108 books24 followersAKA John Rhode, Cecil Waye, Cecil J.C. Street, I.O., F.O.O..
Cecil John Charles Street, MC, OBE, (1884 - January 1965), known as CJC Street and John Street, began his military career as an artillery officer in the British army. During the course of World War I, he became a propagandist for MI7, in which role he held the rank of Major. After the armistice, he alternated between Dublin and London during the Irish War of Independence as Information Officer for Dublin Castle, working closely with Lionel Curtis. He later earned his living as a prolific writer of detective novels.
He produced two long series of novels; one under the name of John Rhode featuring the forensic scientist Dr Priestley, and another under the name of Miles Burton featuring the investigator Desmond Merrion. Under the name Cecil Waye, Street produced four novels: The Figure of Eight; The End of the Chase; The Prime Minister's Pencil; and Murder at Monk's Barn. The Dr. Priestley novels were among the first after Sherlock Holmes to feature scientific detection of crime, such as analysing the mud on a suspect's shoes. Desmond Merrion is an amateur detective who works with Scotland Yard's Inspector Arnold.
Critic and author Julian Symons places this author as a prominent member of the "Humdrum" school of detective fiction. "Most of them came late to writing fiction, and few had much talent for it. They had some skill in constructing puzzles, nothing more, and ironically they fulfilled much better than S. S. Van Dine his dictum that the detective story properly belonged in the category of riddles or crossword puzzles. Most of the Humdrums were British, and among the best known of them were Major John Street.
-Wikipedia
Cecil John Charles Street, MC, OBE, (1884 - January 1965), known as CJC Street and John Street, began his military career as an artillery officer in the British army. During the course of World War I, he became a propagandist for MI7, in which role he held the rank of Major. After the armistice, he alternated between Dublin and London during the Irish War of Independence as Information Officer for Dublin Castle, working closely with Lionel Curtis. He later earned his living as a prolific writer of detective novels.
He produced two long series of novels; one under the name of John Rhode featuring the forensic scientist Dr Priestley, and another under the name of Miles Burton featuring the investigator Desmond Merrion. Under the name Cecil Waye, Street produced four novels: The Figure of Eight; The End of the Chase; The Prime Minister's Pencil; and Murder at Monk's Barn. The Dr. Priestley novels were among the first after Sherlock Holmes to feature scientific detection of crime, such as analysing the mud on a suspect's shoes. Desmond Merrion is an amateur detective who works with Scotland Yard's Inspector Arnold.
Critic and author Julian Symons places this author as a prominent member of the "Humdrum" school of detective fiction. "Most of them came late to writing fiction, and few had much talent for it. They had some skill in constructing puzzles, nothing more, and ironically they fulfilled much better than S. S. Van Dine his dictum that the detective story properly belonged in the category of riddles or crossword puzzles. Most of the Humdrums were British, and among the best known of them were Major John Street.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
February 8, 2017
Originally published in 1936, Death in the Tunnel is one of the mystery novels that was re-issued as part of the British Library Crime Classics series. I was really looking forward to this, not just because it satisfied a task in this year’s holiday scavenger hunt, but also because I was hoping to discover more great writers from the golden age of mystery writing.
Sadly, for me Death in the Tunnel fell short of that mark. The story started out great with a mysterious death on a train that seemed to occur just as the train passed through a tunnel, yet there were no witnesses, no motives, no suspects, and according to the chief investigator it looked like suicide. (Tho, why there would be such an elaborate investigation if this was a suicide is a question that is not really answered…)
Anyway, the leading detective starts to interview people close to the dead man and at some point draws another investigator into the case. Without spoiling too much of the plot, I’ll come straight to the problem I had with the story – the two investigators are utterly useless idiots, who come up with one random theory after another and seem to be stumbling along in the proverbial dark until the very, very end of the book.
Seriously, I had to roll my eyes a lot at their assumptions so many times because they just were the least logical conclusions ever – and yet, we were supposed to believe that this was great detecting when it seemed they created most of the red herrings themselves instead of actually sifting through the relevant information.
Death in the Tunnel is one of those books that would make for a pleasant beach read or something to pass the time while waiting at the dentist’s, but I found it really tiresome as an antidote to a craving for a delicious mystery.
Sadly, for me Death in the Tunnel fell short of that mark. The story started out great with a mysterious death on a train that seemed to occur just as the train passed through a tunnel, yet there were no witnesses, no motives, no suspects, and according to the chief investigator it looked like suicide. (Tho, why there would be such an elaborate investigation if this was a suicide is a question that is not really answered…)
Anyway, the leading detective starts to interview people close to the dead man and at some point draws another investigator into the case. Without spoiling too much of the plot, I’ll come straight to the problem I had with the story – the two investigators are utterly useless idiots, who come up with one random theory after another and seem to be stumbling along in the proverbial dark until the very, very end of the book.
Seriously, I had to roll my eyes a lot at their assumptions so many times because they just were the least logical conclusions ever – and yet, we were supposed to believe that this was great detecting when it seemed they created most of the red herrings themselves instead of actually sifting through the relevant information.
Death in the Tunnel is one of those books that would make for a pleasant beach read or something to pass the time while waiting at the dentist’s, but I found it really tiresome as an antidote to a craving for a delicious mystery.
September 3, 2016
Ha! I love a good whodunnit, and that big smile when all is revealed is why! This was a very complicated murder with lots of moving parts. Desmond Merrion, Inspector Arnold's brainy friend, reminded me a little bit of Nero Wolfe for some reason.
There aren't very many frills on this narrative - the book is very puzzle focused. But Inspector Arnold is one of those laconic, stiff-upper-lip British policemen, and I enjoyed it a lot.
I had no idea whodunnit. BTW.
There aren't very many frills on this narrative - the book is very puzzle focused. But Inspector Arnold is one of those laconic, stiff-upper-lip British policemen, and I enjoyed it a lot.
I had no idea whodunnit. BTW.
April 4, 2016
One dark November evening Sir Wilfred Saxonby was found dead on the train he used regularly to travel from his London office to his country home. He was alone in his carriage; the door locked on his request. A gun, engraved with his initials lay close to his body. His son and daughter were both away, traveling abroad at his suggestion. As the local police worked, slowly and methodically, so many things suggested that Sir Wilfred had died by his own hand.
There were unanswered questions though, and so an officer from Scotland Yard was summoned.
Inspector Arnold believed that there had been a murder; and that to carry out the murder there must have been an elaborate conspiracy. He called in his old friend Desmond Merrion – a criminologist and amateur detective – and between them they untangled the puzzle.
I can’t say much at all about the plot without giving too much away, but I can tell you many things I loved about this book.
I believed in all of the people in the story, and the things they said and did. The crime was extraordinary, but I could quite easily believe that this was the same world where my grandparents lived, and that maybe they had read about the case in the newspaper, and talked about it.
I appreciated the relationship between Arnold and Merrion. One was a steady worker with all of the resources of the police at his disposal; the other was an ideas man in possession of the sharpest of minds. They made a great team and they had a mutual respect that I really appreciated.
And I loved that small pieces of evidence were assembled, steadily building a case against the murderer. The plotting is clever and complex, red herrings are very well deployed, and the story twisted and turned beautifully. It’s very much a puzzle mystery; there’s a solid motive for the murder, the psychology is there but it is very simple.
I had to keep turning the pages, and I was sorry to reach the last one.
But I see that Inspector Arnold and Desmond Merrion investigated quite a few more cases, that one is already on its way back into print, and I hope that others will follow.
There were unanswered questions though, and so an officer from Scotland Yard was summoned.
Inspector Arnold believed that there had been a murder; and that to carry out the murder there must have been an elaborate conspiracy. He called in his old friend Desmond Merrion – a criminologist and amateur detective – and between them they untangled the puzzle.
I can’t say much at all about the plot without giving too much away, but I can tell you many things I loved about this book.
I believed in all of the people in the story, and the things they said and did. The crime was extraordinary, but I could quite easily believe that this was the same world where my grandparents lived, and that maybe they had read about the case in the newspaper, and talked about it.
I appreciated the relationship between Arnold and Merrion. One was a steady worker with all of the resources of the police at his disposal; the other was an ideas man in possession of the sharpest of minds. They made a great team and they had a mutual respect that I really appreciated.
And I loved that small pieces of evidence were assembled, steadily building a case against the murderer. The plotting is clever and complex, red herrings are very well deployed, and the story twisted and turned beautifully. It’s very much a puzzle mystery; there’s a solid motive for the murder, the psychology is there but it is very simple.
I had to keep turning the pages, and I was sorry to reach the last one.
But I see that Inspector Arnold and Desmond Merrion investigated quite a few more cases, that one is already on its way back into print, and I hope that others will follow.
August 17, 2020
I liked this story about a death of a man on a train in a locked cabin. Arnold is the detective on the case, everyone is saying it was self inflicted but he has to prove it one way or the other.
This story is all about the death, it doesn’t go into the personal life of Arnold, I did like it for that. But when he got his friend into help solve the case in between the chasing up leads they did a lot of analysing and I got so lost in what they were saying so it took me out of the story.
I liked the solving parts not the theory parts.
This story is all about the death, it doesn’t go into the personal life of Arnold, I did like it for that. But when he got his friend into help solve the case in between the chasing up leads they did a lot of analysing and I got so lost in what they were saying so it took me out of the story.
I liked the solving parts not the theory parts.
September 2, 2016
This was an enjoyable puzzle, but it was very dense with information - like a detailed report. I couldn't read too much at once. Recommended for people who like Sherlock Holmes-style mysteries.
October 27, 2021
Two elderly men are aboard the train running from Cannon Street to Stourford. When the train arrives at the station after traveling through a long tunnel, one is dead--shot to death in a locked compartment--and one has completely disappeared. The death of Sir Wilfred Saxonby has the surface appearance of suicide. He specifically asked the conductor to keep others out of his first class compartment. The gun found bore the initials W. S. and was positioned exactly where it might have fallen if Saxonby had used it himself. The compartment was locked.
The other gentleman left a first-class compartment shared with two ladies (strangers all) before the train entered the tunnel and apparently evaporated into thin air. The men in railroad buildings at either end of the tunnel swear that nothing, other than the train, either entered or left the tunnel. If Saxonby didn't kill himself (and none of his family or business associates can suggest a reason why he might have), did the man who disappeared have a hand in the death? And how did he get to Saxonby...and where did he go when he was done?
Even when Inspector Arnold learns that mysterious red and green lights in the tunnel caused the engineer to slow the train, he's hard put to figure out what that had to do with the death. The slowed train would have allowed someone to get off or to get on...if there were any way they could have dones so without being seen by the men at either end of the tunnel. Arnold calls upon his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur of the Lord Peter Wimsey sort, to lend his imagination to the problem. It winds up being a more involved conjuring trick than Arnold supposes.
I mention Lord Peter Wimsey above. I have to say that I don't quite think Merrion is in Wimsey's league. Some of his ideas are little off-the-wall and I had difficulty following his different permutations of "A" and "B" (his proposed collaborators). Wimsey sometimes comes up with some fanciful-sounding propositions, but there's generally some solid logic underneath. At times, Merrion seems to be trying to come up with the most outlandish explanation possible.
I did like the fact that we mixed the death on a train trope with a "locked room" mystery. Not only is the compartment locked, but there is apparently no way in or out of the tunnel except on the train. It made for an interesting combo and puzzle. However, as soon as one little comment is made while examining the tunnel, I was ahead of Arnold and Merrion in figuring out how access/egress was gained. I had my eye on the main culprit (the brain behind the plot) though I couldn't quite see how they could have played the part they did. Burton explains that well, but I do cry foul on the second figure--there's no way the reader could guess their identity that I can see.
Overall, a fairly interesting puzzle mystery. It's my second venture into Street's work (the first, written under his John Rhode pseudonym) and so far he's given me solid ★★★ and 1/2 books. (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
The other gentleman left a first-class compartment shared with two ladies (strangers all) before the train entered the tunnel and apparently evaporated into thin air. The men in railroad buildings at either end of the tunnel swear that nothing, other than the train, either entered or left the tunnel. If Saxonby didn't kill himself (and none of his family or business associates can suggest a reason why he might have), did the man who disappeared have a hand in the death? And how did he get to Saxonby...and where did he go when he was done?
Even when Inspector Arnold learns that mysterious red and green lights in the tunnel caused the engineer to slow the train, he's hard put to figure out what that had to do with the death. The slowed train would have allowed someone to get off or to get on...if there were any way they could have dones so without being seen by the men at either end of the tunnel. Arnold calls upon his friend Desmond Merrion, a wealthy amateur of the Lord Peter Wimsey sort, to lend his imagination to the problem. It winds up being a more involved conjuring trick than Arnold supposes.
I mention Lord Peter Wimsey above. I have to say that I don't quite think Merrion is in Wimsey's league. Some of his ideas are little off-the-wall and I had difficulty following his different permutations of "A" and "B" (his proposed collaborators). Wimsey sometimes comes up with some fanciful-sounding propositions, but there's generally some solid logic underneath. At times, Merrion seems to be trying to come up with the most outlandish explanation possible.
I did like the fact that we mixed the death on a train trope with a "locked room" mystery. Not only is the compartment locked, but there is apparently no way in or out of the tunnel except on the train. It made for an interesting combo and puzzle. However, as soon as one little comment is made while examining the tunnel, I was ahead of Arnold and Merrion in figuring out how access/egress was gained. I had my eye on the main culprit (the brain behind the plot) though I couldn't quite see how they could have played the part they did. Burton explains that well, but I do cry foul on the second figure--there's no way the reader could guess their identity that I can see.
Overall, a fairly interesting puzzle mystery. It's my second venture into Street's work (the first, written under his John Rhode pseudonym) and so far he's given me solid ★★★ and 1/2 books. (rounded up here)
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
March 9, 2016
Sir Wilfred Saxonby is found shot dead alone in his compartment on the train from London to his home in the country. As the door of the compartment was locked and the gun is close to the body was it suicide? The police are not satisfied that it was and Scotland Yard are called in and Inspector Arnold gets to work with the help of his friend Desmond Merrion - a criminologist and amateur detective. Gradually they piece together what happened.
I found this totally fascinating reading. I loved the way the tiny snippets of information gradually built up into a case which could be proved against the murderer. It is almost impossible to say anything about this book without giving too much away. Suffice it to say that the book is well written and exceptionally well plotted but if you want a glimpse into the psychology of the murderer or the victim you won't find it here.
This book is a classic example of the puzzle type of who done it and the reader can follow the detective step by step through the investigation - and maybe get ahead of him at times - or maybe, as I did, go off chasing red herrings. I finished reading the book in less than twenty four hours and was sorry when I read the last page. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
I found this totally fascinating reading. I loved the way the tiny snippets of information gradually built up into a case which could be proved against the murderer. It is almost impossible to say anything about this book without giving too much away. Suffice it to say that the book is well written and exceptionally well plotted but if you want a glimpse into the psychology of the murderer or the victim you won't find it here.
This book is a classic example of the puzzle type of who done it and the reader can follow the detective step by step through the investigation - and maybe get ahead of him at times - or maybe, as I did, go off chasing red herrings. I finished reading the book in less than twenty four hours and was sorry when I read the last page. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.
November 30, 2016
Four and a half stars.
This is just the sort of murder mystery that I enjoy most. The murder happened right at the beginning and all the story is unfolded to the reader by the detection process. A fiendishly clever and intricate plot with red herrings galore; I can't imagine how the author dreamed it all up.
Super example of British Golden Age Murder Mystery. Very highly recommended.
This is just the sort of murder mystery that I enjoy most. The murder happened right at the beginning and all the story is unfolded to the reader by the detection process. A fiendishly clever and intricate plot with red herrings galore; I can't imagine how the author dreamed it all up.
Super example of British Golden Age Murder Mystery. Very highly recommended.
August 7, 2022
A locked train carriage mystery…
When Sir Wilfred Saxonby is found dead in a locked carriage in a train, it looks like it must have been suicide, for how could a murderer have got onto and then off a moving train? But Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard can find no evidence that Sir Wilfred had been suicidal, and those who know him find it impossible to believe. And there are one or two odd things – like the mysterious red light that caused the train driver to slow down while the train was passing through Blackdown Tunnel, or the fact that Sir Wilfred apparently used an unlicensed gun even though he owned several licensed ones. Arnold can make no sense of it, so consults his old friend Desmond Merrion, a man with a gift of imagination that sometimes enables him to make sense of the seemingly senseless…
Although there’s a slight whodunit aspect to this, mostly it’s a howdunit, with the mystery revolving around various aspects of how the crime could have been committed, and who had alibis and who didn’t. It starts out well – the point about the red light and slowing train is intriguing, and the solution to that aspect, which comes quite early on, is fun. But then it kind of collapses into a morass of ever more complicated, and ever less interesting, speculation as to how the unnamed murderer or murderers did the deed, with Arnold and Merrion each spouting theory after theory, only for the next fact to come along and change everything.
This felt very different in style to the only other Merrion book I’ve read, The Secret of High Eldersham. That one had a wonderfully creepy atmosphere and aspects of a thriller, in that Merrion and others were put in peril. Merrion also had an enjoyable sidekick in it. This one had none of that – it is a cerebral puzzle with no peril and therefore very little atmosphere. Whoever turned out to be the culprit, I feel I’d have met it with a mental shrug, since none of the suspects were developed in a way to make me care about them. Having said that, Merrion himself is likeable and not nearly as insufferable as some of these brilliant amateur ‘tecs, and Arnold too is quite fun, even if he’s not exactly the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
Although it’s well written and will probably appeal to the puzzle-orientated reader, I gradually found myself losing interest. I had decided on the most likely suspect fairly early on, and found it odd that neither Merrion nor Arnold seemed to be spotting what seemed like fairly obvious indicators. But I had no idea why the crime had been committed, and was disappointed that when all was revealed it was clear that the reader had had no chance to work that out, since the required information was withheld until very close to the end.
Overall, then, I found the plotting rather dull despite its “impossible” cleverness, and felt too much emphasis was given to the puzzle aspect at the expense of developing any sense of atmosphere or tension. However, it’s redeemed a little by the quality of the writing and the likeability of the two leads, Merrion and Arnold. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Sir Wilfred Saxonby is found dead in a locked carriage in a train, it looks like it must have been suicide, for how could a murderer have got onto and then off a moving train? But Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard can find no evidence that Sir Wilfred had been suicidal, and those who know him find it impossible to believe. And there are one or two odd things – like the mysterious red light that caused the train driver to slow down while the train was passing through Blackdown Tunnel, or the fact that Sir Wilfred apparently used an unlicensed gun even though he owned several licensed ones. Arnold can make no sense of it, so consults his old friend Desmond Merrion, a man with a gift of imagination that sometimes enables him to make sense of the seemingly senseless…
Although there’s a slight whodunit aspect to this, mostly it’s a howdunit, with the mystery revolving around various aspects of how the crime could have been committed, and who had alibis and who didn’t. It starts out well – the point about the red light and slowing train is intriguing, and the solution to that aspect, which comes quite early on, is fun. But then it kind of collapses into a morass of ever more complicated, and ever less interesting, speculation as to how the unnamed murderer or murderers did the deed, with Arnold and Merrion each spouting theory after theory, only for the next fact to come along and change everything.
This felt very different in style to the only other Merrion book I’ve read, The Secret of High Eldersham. That one had a wonderfully creepy atmosphere and aspects of a thriller, in that Merrion and others were put in peril. Merrion also had an enjoyable sidekick in it. This one had none of that – it is a cerebral puzzle with no peril and therefore very little atmosphere. Whoever turned out to be the culprit, I feel I’d have met it with a mental shrug, since none of the suspects were developed in a way to make me care about them. Having said that, Merrion himself is likeable and not nearly as insufferable as some of these brilliant amateur ‘tecs, and Arnold too is quite fun, even if he’s not exactly the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
Although it’s well written and will probably appeal to the puzzle-orientated reader, I gradually found myself losing interest. I had decided on the most likely suspect fairly early on, and found it odd that neither Merrion nor Arnold seemed to be spotting what seemed like fairly obvious indicators. But I had no idea why the crime had been committed, and was disappointed that when all was revealed it was clear that the reader had had no chance to work that out, since the required information was withheld until very close to the end.
Overall, then, I found the plotting rather dull despite its “impossible” cleverness, and felt too much emphasis was given to the puzzle aspect at the expense of developing any sense of atmosphere or tension. However, it’s redeemed a little by the quality of the writing and the likeability of the two leads, Merrion and Arnold. 3½ stars for me, so rounded up.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 10, 2018
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
The other Miles Burton book I’ve read was fun, but the plot was kind of out there. Death in the Tunnel is a little more down to earth, and I ended up devouring it. Burton’s writing is crisp and sure, and while the story has its twists and turns, it all makes perfect sense. Never are you left feeling that the detective has made a sudden leap and left you behind — you have the clues you need, provided you can make something of them.
I can’t really put my finger on why it worked so well for me: it’s just well-structured, with enough to keep one interested and some odd puzzles along the way. It’s also a glimpse at some interesting characters — the murder victim, for example, is fascinatingly self-righteous and determined he’s doing the right thing, while somehow managing to justify fraud. And it all makes sense, too; you can see the character and what drives him.
The fact that the detective (not the police officer, but the independent guy the policeman consults for some reason) is the same guy from The Secret of High Eldersham is kind of irrelevant: he remains a bit of a non-entity, just distinguished by being clever. The point of the book is more the mystery-solving through the understanding of the characters and clues presented. I enjoyed it, but if you were looking for a good series detective, Desmond Merrion isn’t the one.
The other Miles Burton book I’ve read was fun, but the plot was kind of out there. Death in the Tunnel is a little more down to earth, and I ended up devouring it. Burton’s writing is crisp and sure, and while the story has its twists and turns, it all makes perfect sense. Never are you left feeling that the detective has made a sudden leap and left you behind — you have the clues you need, provided you can make something of them.
I can’t really put my finger on why it worked so well for me: it’s just well-structured, with enough to keep one interested and some odd puzzles along the way. It’s also a glimpse at some interesting characters — the murder victim, for example, is fascinatingly self-righteous and determined he’s doing the right thing, while somehow managing to justify fraud. And it all makes sense, too; you can see the character and what drives him.
The fact that the detective (not the police officer, but the independent guy the policeman consults for some reason) is the same guy from The Secret of High Eldersham is kind of irrelevant: he remains a bit of a non-entity, just distinguished by being clever. The point of the book is more the mystery-solving through the understanding of the characters and clues presented. I enjoyed it, but if you were looking for a good series detective, Desmond Merrion isn’t the one.
April 5, 2017
A light and fun read with a totally bonkers plot at its heart! Definitely one for those of us who enjoy a good puzzle at the heart of crime fiction. Remember those old Enid Blyton books where the Famous Five explore old railway tunnels? This reminded me of them, with one of the maddest and most ingenious ways of committing murder ever!
October 25, 2017
3.5 Stars
Like many other readers, I often find myself drawn to stories that take place on trains. There is something very appealing about this type of setting for a novel. Perhaps it’s the relatively intimate, self-contained nature of train compartments, an environment conducive to chance encounters and secret assignations. Maybe it’s the mix of people we brush up against during the journey, a disparate group of individuals, each with their own characteristics and idiosyncrasies. Or could it be the sense of continuous momentum involved, a feeling of journeying into the unknown whatever this may bring? In reality, I suspect it’s a combination of several factors – whatever it is, I find these stories hard to resist, especially if there’s a crime involved. All of which brings me to Miles Burton’s 1936 novel, Death in the Tunnel, a Golden Age mystery featuring a highly suspicious incident that takes place during a train journey.
As the novel opens, the 5 pm train from London’s Cannon Street is travelling to Stourford via its usual route. A little while after the train enters the Blackdown Tunnel, the train driver suddenly applies the breaks, causing the guard to commence a check of all the compartments to see if there has been an emergency on board. Shortly afterwards, the train begins to gather speed again, arousing the guard’s curiosity even further. As it turns out, the driver had seen a red light swinging in the middle of the tunnel, only for the light to change to green as the train slowed down and approached the source – a most peculiar occurrence, especially given the absence of any scheduled works on the line. Then, just as the train is pulling into Stourford, the guard discovers a passenger who seems to be in a bad way. On closer inspection at the station, it would appear that the man in question is in fact dead.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2017...
Like many other readers, I often find myself drawn to stories that take place on trains. There is something very appealing about this type of setting for a novel. Perhaps it’s the relatively intimate, self-contained nature of train compartments, an environment conducive to chance encounters and secret assignations. Maybe it’s the mix of people we brush up against during the journey, a disparate group of individuals, each with their own characteristics and idiosyncrasies. Or could it be the sense of continuous momentum involved, a feeling of journeying into the unknown whatever this may bring? In reality, I suspect it’s a combination of several factors – whatever it is, I find these stories hard to resist, especially if there’s a crime involved. All of which brings me to Miles Burton’s 1936 novel, Death in the Tunnel, a Golden Age mystery featuring a highly suspicious incident that takes place during a train journey.
As the novel opens, the 5 pm train from London’s Cannon Street is travelling to Stourford via its usual route. A little while after the train enters the Blackdown Tunnel, the train driver suddenly applies the breaks, causing the guard to commence a check of all the compartments to see if there has been an emergency on board. Shortly afterwards, the train begins to gather speed again, arousing the guard’s curiosity even further. As it turns out, the driver had seen a red light swinging in the middle of the tunnel, only for the light to change to green as the train slowed down and approached the source – a most peculiar occurrence, especially given the absence of any scheduled works on the line. Then, just as the train is pulling into Stourford, the guard discovers a passenger who seems to be in a bad way. On closer inspection at the station, it would appear that the man in question is in fact dead.
To read the rest of my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2017...
April 10, 2016
Though I may not have loved, loved, loved Death in the Tunnel by Miles Burton, I did find it a thoroughly enjoyable read. The murder in this murder mystery happens early on--in the first few page. And this murder occurs on a train--in a train tunnel. Two men set about solving this mystery, Desmond Merrion (who has his own series, this is #13) and Inspector Arnold (from Scotland Yard). The victim is a businessman, Sir Wilfred Saxonby. The murder was made to look like a suicide--a gun with the victim's initials are found in his compartment. Nothing was stolen from his body, from his wallet. His compartment was locked. But there are several reasons why this suicide theory doesn't sit right with Merrion and Arnold. Can they sift through the dozens of clues to find the murderer? Can they agree upon a believable motive for the crime?
Death in the Tunnel is certainly not a character-driven novel. I would say that character development is kept to a bare minimum. But the abundance of clues and the way that they are shared with readers, keeps one reading to see who did it.
The novel was first published in 1936. It has recently been republished. I am glad to see more golden-age mystery novels being brought back into print. This is one of my favorite genres.
Death in the Tunnel is certainly not a character-driven novel. I would say that character development is kept to a bare minimum. But the abundance of clues and the way that they are shared with readers, keeps one reading to see who did it.
The novel was first published in 1936. It has recently been republished. I am glad to see more golden-age mystery novels being brought back into print. This is one of my favorite genres.
March 22, 2017
As a puzzle, it was excellent. As a mystery, it was lacking. Part of the problem with the mystery aspect was that an entire secondary plot was introduced toward the end, and part of the problem was that the murder plot was ridiculously complicated and
January 31, 2019
When I read The Secret of High Eldersham, another book by Burton, I had no idea why it was included in the Crime Classic series. It was simply idiotic and I found it hard to believe that anybody could enjoy it. Death in the Tunnel isn’t that bad. It even has quite a decent locked room mystery as a base. But then the author tried too hard and kept adding more mystery and more deception and more twists and it ended up being ridiculous more than anything.
March 29, 2018
A most enjoyable and very challenging puzzle which kept me guessing almost to the end.
Although the death takes place in a railway train in a tunnel this is not one of those mysteries which drearily relies on the minutiae of rail timetables although timing and timetables do play a part.
There are lots of fine red herrings and the author leads everyone except Desmond Merrion up a lot of blind alleys.
Highly recommended.
Although the death takes place in a railway train in a tunnel this is not one of those mysteries which drearily relies on the minutiae of rail timetables although timing and timetables do play a part.
There are lots of fine red herrings and the author leads everyone except Desmond Merrion up a lot of blind alleys.
Highly recommended.
June 13, 2017
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August 6, 2016
After a slow and somewhat wooden start this becomes an entertaining puzzle of a story.
July 7, 2017
3.5 stars
Sir Wilfred Saxonby sits alone in his locked compartment as the train he is travelling on enters a tunnel. When the train emerges from the other side of the tunnel, Sir Wilfred is dead. All evidence indicates suicide but Inspector Arnold and his friend Desmond Merrion believe that murder is more likely. Can they outwit the seemingly perfect perpetrators?
A traditional ‘locked room’ mystery, Death in the Tunnel was the first of the British Library crime series I have read. The series features re-issues of various Golden Age crime novels, popular at the time but forgotten by the reading public until recently.
There were parts of the story where I was silently shouting at Arnold, telling him to stop being an idiot and see what was blatantly obvious to the reader and to Merrion. Of course he did get to the same conclusion, just several pages later. I had figured out the main motives and spotted the red herrings before the reveals but this didn’t alter my enjoyment of the story.
There is something comforting about Golden Age crime novels. The murders are clean, no gore or unnecessary violence. Usually the victim was disagreeable, no justification for murder of course, but lends to lots of suspects (from a small cast of characters) and perhaps a little understanding of their actions. There is the clever detective, amateur or otherwise, and their not so on the ball sidekick. The scenery is idyllic, the stories threaded with a sort of romanticism for a bygone age where glamour and understated opulence were the mainstays. The stories are clear cut, easy to read and the guilty parties revealed and dealt with accordingly, order therefore being restored. They gentle tax the ‘little grey cells’ to borrow from one of the era’s finest detectives. Death in the Tunnel was reminiscent of this, even the cover suggests a long lost glamour.
This was a pleasant, gently paced novel with an old world charm, reminiscent of Sunday evenings watch Poirot or Marple adaptations. Happily I have all of the other British Library crime series novels to work my way through.
Sir Wilfred Saxonby sits alone in his locked compartment as the train he is travelling on enters a tunnel. When the train emerges from the other side of the tunnel, Sir Wilfred is dead. All evidence indicates suicide but Inspector Arnold and his friend Desmond Merrion believe that murder is more likely. Can they outwit the seemingly perfect perpetrators?
A traditional ‘locked room’ mystery, Death in the Tunnel was the first of the British Library crime series I have read. The series features re-issues of various Golden Age crime novels, popular at the time but forgotten by the reading public until recently.
There were parts of the story where I was silently shouting at Arnold, telling him to stop being an idiot and see what was blatantly obvious to the reader and to Merrion. Of course he did get to the same conclusion, just several pages later. I had figured out the main motives and spotted the red herrings before the reveals but this didn’t alter my enjoyment of the story.
There is something comforting about Golden Age crime novels. The murders are clean, no gore or unnecessary violence. Usually the victim was disagreeable, no justification for murder of course, but lends to lots of suspects (from a small cast of characters) and perhaps a little understanding of their actions. There is the clever detective, amateur or otherwise, and their not so on the ball sidekick. The scenery is idyllic, the stories threaded with a sort of romanticism for a bygone age where glamour and understated opulence were the mainstays. The stories are clear cut, easy to read and the guilty parties revealed and dealt with accordingly, order therefore being restored. They gentle tax the ‘little grey cells’ to borrow from one of the era’s finest detectives. Death in the Tunnel was reminiscent of this, even the cover suggests a long lost glamour.
This was a pleasant, gently paced novel with an old world charm, reminiscent of Sunday evenings watch Poirot or Marple adaptations. Happily I have all of the other British Library crime series novels to work my way through.
November 29, 2023
3.5*
On a dark November evening, successful business man Sir Wilfred Saxonby is found dead on a train in a locked compartment. A gun with his initials is found nearby and suicide seems to be the only answer. But when Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard starts to investigate he learns of a mysterious red light which forced the train to slow down in the tunnel and of a series of hoax messages sent to lure away Sir Wilfred’s closest family and colleagues. Together with his friend Merrion, Arnold unravels the mystery of the locked compartment and in doing so reveals the motive for murder.
I enjoyed this but it was more of a detective story than a cosy crime, I guess I prefer a village setting with a busybody or two. The main storyline of how the red light was placed in the tunnel was quite inventive but at times I had difficulty following the plot, due to the suspects being called A and B. Ultimately in wrapping up the murder, it was found that a series of convincing disguises were used which I found hard to believe and ultimately disappointing.
On a dark November evening, successful business man Sir Wilfred Saxonby is found dead on a train in a locked compartment. A gun with his initials is found nearby and suicide seems to be the only answer. But when Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard starts to investigate he learns of a mysterious red light which forced the train to slow down in the tunnel and of a series of hoax messages sent to lure away Sir Wilfred’s closest family and colleagues. Together with his friend Merrion, Arnold unravels the mystery of the locked compartment and in doing so reveals the motive for murder.
I enjoyed this but it was more of a detective story than a cosy crime, I guess I prefer a village setting with a busybody or two. The main storyline of how the red light was placed in the tunnel was quite inventive but at times I had difficulty following the plot, due to the suspects being called A and B. Ultimately in wrapping up the murder, it was found that a series of convincing disguises were used which I found hard to believe and ultimately disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2024
Purely a puzzle mystery, which tells if you'll enjoy it. As usual with this school (think John Dickson Carr) the solution is complicated, awkward, and unlikely, while the characters are predictable, cursory, and cardboard. This was my first Desmond Merrion (never heard of him before). There are two detectives: one follows routine by the book, the other (Merrion) is whimsical and imaginative. Their conversational interplay forms most of the book. For puzzle mystery aficionados this is your jam.
March 9, 2025
Miles Burton is one of the pen names of one of my favorite authors, Cecil [John Charles] Street. He also wrote the Doctor Priestley's stories under the pen name John Rode. Street was an incredibly prolific author.
Read
November 25, 2024DNF 46%. Really boring and somehow very complicated plot. Definately not for me.
January 18, 2025
An ingenious plot with some very interesting characters. Well done to the author as this book had me guessing all the way through and to a solution I didn't see coming at all
April 23, 2016
Sir Wilfred Saxonby is riding alone in a locked train compartment when the train suddenly stops in the tunnel. When the train emerges from the tunnel, Sir Wilfred is dead - shot in the heart with a gun that is found in the compartment.
Suicide? It certainly seems like it, but Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard has some nagging doubts about that verdict. For one thing, the train stopped due some mysterious red and green lights in the tunnel, lights that should not have been there. Sir Wilfred is also an unlikely candidate for suicide - rich, successful, powerful, and apparently healthy. Why would he kill himself? The more Inspector Arnold investigates, the more doubts he has that this is suicide. He decides to ask for the help of his friend, Desmond Merrion, an amateur criminologist.
At first Merrion believes that Sir Wilfred committed suicide, but like Arnold, he begins to have his doubts. Things aren't adding up and it becomes increasingly obvious that Sir Wilfred was murdered. There is no shortage of suspects - the dead man was an extremely strong-willed, arrogant and unforgiving character who made more than his share of enemies.
Death in the Tunnel is not for everyone. It is strong on puzzle and rather weak on characters. Merrion and Arnold remain flat and two-dimensional. There is a great deal of talking and exposition in this novel. For example, Chapter 8 (pages 70-78) is almost entirely dialog. There are also painstaking descriptions of the scene investigation. Now, these issues may not appeal to some people who are more interested in character-driven stories. However, if you like puzzle-oriented stories with an emphasis on detection, then this is the book for you. The plot is complex and well drawn. I never suspected the killer and was actually rather surprised by who did it. Once you learn what really happened, everything fits nicely together and makes perfect sense. I can't remember the last time I actually encountered that outside of my favorite authors (Agatha Christie, Rex Stout & Erle Stanley Gardner).
Miles Burton was a pseudonym of Cecil John Charles Street (1884-1964), who also wrote under John Rhode and Cecil Waye. He was an artillery officer in the British army during World War I, a propagandist for MI7 (British Military Intelligence), and an Information Officer for the British government during the Irish War of Independence. He rose to the rank of major.
Street turned to writing during World War I and eventually to mysteries. In addition to Desmond Merrion in the Burton books, he created Dr Priestley, whose books were published under the Rhode name. A good source on Street is The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards. Julian Symons was rather dismissive of Street, placing him in the "Humdrum" school of detection:
I think Symons is being overly harsh here. I have read two other books by Street (Murder at Lilac Cottage & Death Sits on the Board). I didn't like Murder at Lilac Cottage, but Death Sits on the Board was quite enjoyable. In fact, I am about to start another Street book (Fatal Descent, a collaboration with John Dickson Carr). Street is definitely an author worth trying out.
Suicide? It certainly seems like it, but Inspector Arnold of Scotland Yard has some nagging doubts about that verdict. For one thing, the train stopped due some mysterious red and green lights in the tunnel, lights that should not have been there. Sir Wilfred is also an unlikely candidate for suicide - rich, successful, powerful, and apparently healthy. Why would he kill himself? The more Inspector Arnold investigates, the more doubts he has that this is suicide. He decides to ask for the help of his friend, Desmond Merrion, an amateur criminologist.
At first Merrion believes that Sir Wilfred committed suicide, but like Arnold, he begins to have his doubts. Things aren't adding up and it becomes increasingly obvious that Sir Wilfred was murdered. There is no shortage of suspects - the dead man was an extremely strong-willed, arrogant and unforgiving character who made more than his share of enemies.
Death in the Tunnel is not for everyone. It is strong on puzzle and rather weak on characters. Merrion and Arnold remain flat and two-dimensional. There is a great deal of talking and exposition in this novel. For example, Chapter 8 (pages 70-78) is almost entirely dialog. There are also painstaking descriptions of the scene investigation. Now, these issues may not appeal to some people who are more interested in character-driven stories. However, if you like puzzle-oriented stories with an emphasis on detection, then this is the book for you. The plot is complex and well drawn. I never suspected the killer and was actually rather surprised by who did it. Once you learn what really happened, everything fits nicely together and makes perfect sense. I can't remember the last time I actually encountered that outside of my favorite authors (Agatha Christie, Rex Stout & Erle Stanley Gardner).
Miles Burton was a pseudonym of Cecil John Charles Street (1884-1964), who also wrote under John Rhode and Cecil Waye. He was an artillery officer in the British army during World War I, a propagandist for MI7 (British Military Intelligence), and an Information Officer for the British government during the Irish War of Independence. He rose to the rank of major.
Street turned to writing during World War I and eventually to mysteries. In addition to Desmond Merrion in the Burton books, he created Dr Priestley, whose books were published under the Rhode name. A good source on Street is The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards. Julian Symons was rather dismissive of Street, placing him in the "Humdrum" school of detection:
"Most of them came late to writing fiction, and few had much talent for it. They had some skill in constructing puzzles, nothing more, and ironically they fulfilled much better than S. S. Van Dine his dictum that the detective story properly belonged in the category of riddles or crossword puzzles. Most of the Humdrums were British, and among the best known of them were Major John Street."
I think Symons is being overly harsh here. I have read two other books by Street (Murder at Lilac Cottage & Death Sits on the Board). I didn't like Murder at Lilac Cottage, but Death Sits on the Board was quite enjoyable. In fact, I am about to start another Street book (Fatal Descent, a collaboration with John Dickson Carr). Street is definitely an author worth trying out.
July 19, 2019
A somewhat convoluted plot, with an awful lot going on. Lots of howdunnit and a bit of whodunnit. Lots of police procedural type stuff too, which leant at times to the tedious.
All that said, it pretty much held my attention throughout. The locked-room type train tunnel murder was a great setting. A fantastic idea, that didn't always feel well executed.
All that said, it pretty much held my attention throughout. The locked-room type train tunnel murder was a great setting. A fantastic idea, that didn't always feel well executed.
July 8, 2016
This is the second book I have read in as many days published by the british Library in its Crime Classics series, and this is much the better book than the previous I read. It starts as a traditional murder in a locked room, although in this case it's a murder in a locked railway carriage compartment. Initially, the death is thought to be ssuicide, but the Scotland Yard Inspector called in to investigate quickly dismisses that. I'm sure that if it were a modern crime story there would have been a great deal about the Inspector's superiors disagreeing with him and urging him to close the case in the interests of efficiency and costs. Things were clearly a great deal more relaxed in the 1930s and on the odd occasion when the Inspector meets an Assitant Commissioner during the course of the narrative, all is most polite and gentlemanly. That Inspector is aided in his investigation by one Desmond Merrion, said to be 'a wealthy amateur expert in criminology'. I see this individual features in at least one other book by this author, but I have to say I get very little feel as to why he is an 'expert' or, indeed, very little about his character. If I have another criticism, it is that the reason for the crime, and others that come to light, become rather complicated, perhaps too complicated for a lightweight novel.
On a totally nerdish level we are told that the murder takes place on a train leaving Cannon Street and from talk of chalk downs it is clear that the train is heading to Kent or Sussex, although the destination is fictitious. The cover picture shows a Southern Railway locomotive hauling maroon coloured carriages - they would have been green like the locomotive - and travelling through country side which is more redolent of the Scottish Highlands than south east England! Incidentally, it is a habit of these 'golden age' novels to make everything fictitous. At one point, we are told that a note hase been typed on a 'Remingwood' and elsewhere that a character drives a 'Morstin' car. Clealry not in the habit of product placement as some modern writers are all to guilt
On a totally nerdish level we are told that the murder takes place on a train leaving Cannon Street and from talk of chalk downs it is clear that the train is heading to Kent or Sussex, although the destination is fictitious. The cover picture shows a Southern Railway locomotive hauling maroon coloured carriages - they would have been green like the locomotive - and travelling through country side which is more redolent of the Scottish Highlands than south east England! Incidentally, it is a habit of these 'golden age' novels to make everything fictitous. At one point, we are told that a note hase been typed on a 'Remingwood' and elsewhere that a character drives a 'Morstin' car. Clealry not in the habit of product placement as some modern writers are all to guilt
May 7, 2024
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sir Wilfred Saxonby is dead, shot in a locked compartment on a train moving through a tunnel. Was it a suicide or was he murdered?
I loved this book. The mystery was interesting and while I figured out who one of the perpetrators was halfway through the book and how the murder was accomplished, the mystery of why he had Sir Waxonby killed was more than enough to keep me engaged. I did find the characters of Inspector Arnold and Desmond Merrion to be a little flat and underdeveloped, but that didn’t bother me. I prefer the focus in mysteries to be on the clues and possible motives, not on developing the character of the investigating officers. So if you prefer your detectives to be a little more fleshed out, than this probably isn’t the book for you. I did have a bit of an issue with the last chapter – it felt a little rushed. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I will be picking up the other books in this series. I gave this book four stars.
Sir Wilfred Saxonby is dead, shot in a locked compartment on a train moving through a tunnel. Was it a suicide or was he murdered?
I loved this book. The mystery was interesting and while I figured out who one of the perpetrators was halfway through the book and how the murder was accomplished, the mystery of why he had Sir Waxonby killed was more than enough to keep me engaged. I did find the characters of Inspector Arnold and Desmond Merrion to be a little flat and underdeveloped, but that didn’t bother me. I prefer the focus in mysteries to be on the clues and possible motives, not on developing the character of the investigating officers. So if you prefer your detectives to be a little more fleshed out, than this probably isn’t the book for you. I did have a bit of an issue with the last chapter – it felt a little rushed. Overall this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I will be picking up the other books in this series. I gave this book four stars.
November 26, 2018
4.5 stars
I found this story was quite a lengthy, elaborate in terms of investigation.
Sir saxonby is found dead and inspector Arnold from the S Yard is investigating it and takes the help of his friend Merrion who Is studying criminology
What starts as a mere guess work of Merrion leads to this elaborate investigation on his part along with Arnold.
I must say that I could not guess who the murderer was till it was revealed, the suspense was very well maintained throughout the novel but at some places I found it to be a big dragging but nevertheless I give it to the writer for such fabulous writing and story telling keeping me at the edge of my seat and keeping the mystery alive till the very end
Would recommend this book to all mystery lovers and Christie fans
I found this story was quite a lengthy, elaborate in terms of investigation.
Sir saxonby is found dead and inspector Arnold from the S Yard is investigating it and takes the help of his friend Merrion who Is studying criminology
What starts as a mere guess work of Merrion leads to this elaborate investigation on his part along with Arnold.
I must say that I could not guess who the murderer was till it was revealed, the suspense was very well maintained throughout the novel but at some places I found it to be a big dragging but nevertheless I give it to the writer for such fabulous writing and story telling keeping me at the edge of my seat and keeping the mystery alive till the very end
Would recommend this book to all mystery lovers and Christie fans
October 8, 2016
A fairly complex but thoroughly enjoyable mystery. Sometimes I got lost in the details, but this didn't really detract from being able to get into the book. The plot unfolded gradually, from puzzle to puzzle, bafflement to bafflement, until the unexpected reveal at the end. A good addition to this series.
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