The Mystery of the Back Passage

A Lady Darriby-Jones Mystery #3

by C.M. Rawlins

Darriby Hall is famous for entertaining second-tier aristocrats, tales from distant lands and a dead body... every now and then.
On a frigid winter's night, Lady Darriby-Jones is roused from her daydreaming by an unexpected late-night visitor, a familiar yet vexing presence known for annual visits to the Darriby estate. Hailing from her Welsh village, she grudgingly invites him in, leaving his care to her butler. Little does she know that this decision will lead to a grim discovery the next morning.

In the early light of day, a shrill cry pierces the serenity, unveiling a most unwelcome gift of the the uninvited guest from the previous night lies lifeless.

Amid the ensuing chaos, Lady Darriby-Jones is left to contemplate a series of confounding

1. Why did she grant this man an overnight refuge in her residence?
2. What sinister connection lies behind a bottle of her beloved gin beside the deceased?
3. How could someone have taken his life when he was confined within a room with no apparent escape?

It becomes evident that this enigma is one that Lady Darriby-Jones may not unravel. However, with an inept, ill-tempered law enforcement officer assigned to the case and a young family member implicated as the prime suspect, she must sift through the scant breadcrumbs of clues to disentangle this bewildering puzzle.

Will she succeed in unmasking a shrewd killer, or will this chilling incident forever taint the most cherished season of the year with haunting memories?

Join Lady Darriby-Jones in this 1920s cozy mystery, a whimsical, laughter-inducing adventure where witty sleuthing meets eccentricity galore.

Get your copy of The Mystery of the Back Passage to discover how events unfold in this historical cozy murder mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook

Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2023

Reviews

[TheGood ByeGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful play on words with the restorative power of gin added in.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This historical cozy murder mystery is page-turning with exceptional world-building that is mysterious, and characters that are realistic, captivating, and an amateur sleuth. Their journey is exhilarating as they embark upon the mystery of the back passage. Lady Darriby-Jones is famous for entertaining second-tier aristocrats, tales from distant lands, and a dead body... This 1920s cozy mystery is a whimsical, laughter-inducing adventure where witty sleuthing meets eccentricity galore, there is suspense, an unexpected late-night visitor on a frigid winter's night the disrupts Lady Darriby-Jones' daydreaming, which turned out to be a huge mistake that resulted in a grim discovery the next morning. In the early light of morning there is a shrill cry that pierces the serenity, unveiling a most unwelcome gift of the uninvited guest from he previous night lies life less... The mystery and suspense are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats in this thrilling adventure with action, chaos/drama, heartfelt emotions, a sinister connection that lies behind a bottle of her beloved gin that is beside the deceased...There is an ill-tempered law enforcement officer that is assigned to the case and a young family member is implicated as the prime suspect, Lady Darriby-Jones must solve this mystery by sifting through the scant breadcrumbs of clues to disentangle this bewildering puzzle and succeed in unmasking a shrewd bitter chilling incident that will forever taint the most cherished season of the year with haunting memories; in this enthralling roller coaster ride that is magical, mysterious, and unforgettable. I recommend reading this book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate her readers' hearts and attention with the mystery of the back passage and mystery in this magnificent cozy murder mystery that screams to be read.

I received this book via BookFunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this series, mainly for the tongue-in-cheek approach to these murder mysteries. Lord Darriby is fascinated with slugs, of all things, and Lady Darriby reads "Penny Dreadfuls" like they are the latest in true crime, yet the Lady is able catch the criminal, make them confess, and hand them over to the local police detective who immediately claims all responsibility. There are some good men in both the upper and lower ranks of our police force, but I would be also willing to bet the power goes to many of the men's (or women's) heads, hence the perfect bumbler detective in these stories. The characters are fascinating, the plot is easily followed and the premise is twofold. First, the person staying overnight is murdered, and secondly, the prior enemy of the household has escaped from prison and bent on revenge. The answers come fast and furious and Karma plays a very important part as well. I highly recommend this book.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Lady Darriby-Jones has a murder in her home. This time it is a tramp who has been strangled in an empty locked room. How could that be possible. There is a new person in the house & (just because he’s new) he got arrested by the DCI. Meanwhile back at the mansion virtually everyone has “the runs”. Poor Lady D-J & Alfie have to take on everything including clearing up nasty messes. Once they are slowly recovering the local Sergeant gets sent to look closely at the room, & quite by chance a tunnel under the room is discovered. Going on in the background is the fact that a lunatic Lord who Lady D-J helped put into prison has escaped & will definitely be looking to get revenge. Another amusing read, easily read in one evening.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Darriby-Jones is awakened to a puzzling murder. A man has been killed in a locked room and if she doesn't find out who did it and how it was done then a young member of her family may end up paying for it. This is an entertaining, intriguing, cozy mystery that held my attention.

I'm a member of the ARC team and have left an honest review voluntarily.

[JOAN SALLEY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Lady Darriby-Jones way of thinking and working out mysteries. While I really enjoyed the previous two books, this one seemed to drag a little bit. Really like the title and the mystery connected with it. Looking forward to more of this series.

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Darriby-Jones has a new case to solve. How did a man in a locked room manage to get himself killed? Good thing Lady Darriby-Jones has a good crew of sleuths around her as they manage to solve the mystery that has a number of twists and turns. The narration was well done and enhanced the story. This can be read or listened to as a stand-alone.

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was downright hilarious! Lady Darriby-Jones can truly out-snob anyone - but! In this book, she also proved to be very down-to-earth and when needed, she knew how to grab a bucket and a mop and take care of her whole household when everybody got the runs. And she did it without complaining - too much. It made me like her a lot!

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Darriby-Jones is confronted with the past when a man escapes from prison. No slugs! I think this story is the best one, better than the other two.
I received an advance review copy for free and I’m leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[Dianne Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading cozy with a fun play on words. A mixed bag of characters and personalities makes this an interesting read.

I read this book as part of an advance reader team and am providing my honest opinion.

[Heart DeCoupeville · Rating 1 out of 5]

The description of this book is just not very appealing, but when a quick glance at the cover screams YOU CAN'T HAVE A '57 BEL-AIR CONVERTIBLE IN 1920s WALES, well, it's just a total no go.

I don't know who CleanTales Publishing is, but their art department . . . . has problems.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoy this series and characters, but the editing of at least the Kindle version is terrible! Different years listed, wrong pronouns used, inconsistent punctuation, unattributed speakers in a conversation. Normally, I love finding mistakes in books as I read, but it’s SO many in all of this series so far that it makes for a frustrating reading experience.

[Mary Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Darriby does it again.

An escaped murderous convict, a romance on and off again. A trip through the tunnels under Darriby Hall. Will Lady Darriby solve the mystery of the back passage?

[Elainebowden]

Brilliant

I really encountering thesevbooks, the characters are really well written,I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cosy mystery stories.

[Charmian M. Lander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never ending.

Not worth the time or effort. So many mangled metaphors. So many travels through a tunnel. To many references to daiŕeah and the smells thereof Yuck,!

[Patricia Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyable

Light hearted and enjoyable. A cozy historical mystery that is funny at times. I needed to write seven more words

[Ka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most amusing entry among the first 10 books IMHO, since a good poop joke is evergreen! This book also introduces us to Freddie, a fun-loving teenager who becomes a permanent cast member (and whose story is expanded in the next book).