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Sir Clinton Driffield #3
Mystery at Lynden Sands
'Mr J. J. Connington is a name revered by all specialists on detective fiction' Spectator In the fourth Sir Clinton Driffield mystery, the detective finds himself up against a missing heir, an accidental bigamist, a series of secret marriages and impersonations and an ingenious scientific murder. Aided by his wit and powers of reasoning, as well as Wendover, his very own Watson, Sir Clinton once again succeeds in piecing together a solution as the novel reaches its thrilling climax.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1928
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 18, 2023
Footprints in the sand…
Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield is on holiday with his friend, “Squire” Wendover, at the sole hotel in the little seaside resort of Lynden Sands. So when a man is found dead and the local doctor is unwilling to sign the death certificate, the local man, Inspector Armadale, asks for Sir Clinton’s help in determining whether foul play was done. It’s a tricky one – the dead man had been subject to apoplectic fits for some time and it looks like a major stroke was the cause of death. But faint traces on his wrist suggest he may have been tied up prior to death. While this investigation is ongoing, a report comes in of another man found dead, and this time there is no doubt about the cause – he was shot. His body was found on Neptune’s Seat, a large rock in the middle of the beach. Could two suspicious deaths happen in this small place by coincidence, or are they linked? It will be up to our three investigators to decide… if they can ever stop arguing with each other…
Connington was apparently known for his “scientific” mysteries, which seems in this case to mean the science of footprints in the sand. I never knew there was so much to know about how sand is displaced when trodden on, and how much depends on the wetness of it and how best to take a cast! Sherlock Holmes himself would surely have learned something from the intricate explanations of how footprints made in such a varying substance may appear different to those made on a more stable surface. Connington was a scientist in real life, and he uses his knowledge well and, I must admit, explains the science bits clearly and interestingly enough to hold even my attention (my eyes usually tend to glaze over at the introduction of science in mysteries). There are a couple of diagrams showing the tracks left by the various unknown people who visited Neptune’s Seat at the time in question, and a lot of Sir Clinton’s investigation centres around them.
I got rather fed up with the constant reference to the footprints after a bit, but fortunately there are some interesting characters with motives too, and this stops it becoming too dry. Everything seems to lead back to the Fordingbridge family, most of whom are also staying in the hotel. Paul Fordingbridge is the trustee for his nephew, who is the heir to Foxhills, a large property in the neighbourhood. The nephew, Derek, was declared missing during the war (WW1) but has not yet been legally pronounced dead. Now his aunt claims she has seen him, alive but horribly disfigured. Each member of the family is affected by this news, either because they love Derek and want it to be true, or because they will be in line to inherit if Derek doesn’t return, so want it to be false. Is the man calling himself Derek the real thing or a clever impostor? Everyone has an opinion, and each of the investigators’ theories of the crime depends on which side of that question they favour.
All good, then, and the plot is fed out at a steady pace with a reasonable chance for the reader to play detective. But the constant bickering among the detectives became increasingly irritating as the book went on, and I found Sir Clinton so annoying that the greatest mystery to me was why no one punched him. I certainly would have, if I’d got the chance! He has this theory that pooling information and ideas is a bad thing because, he claims, more ground will be covered if each investigator follows his own theory individually. So, omniscient as he is, he happily stands by and allows his inspector to make a fool of himself time and again in front of suspects, when a word in advance from Sir Clinton could have put him on the right track. He is horribly sarcastic, with poor Inspector Armadale again taking the brunt of his sneers. He involves his pal, Wendover, in the investigation on the flimsiest of excuses – to provide an outside witness – and then allows Wendover to be rude to Inspector Armadale and treat him like a fool. Poor Armadale – I bet he rued the day he asked for Sir Clinton’s help! Punching Sir Clinton would have lost him his job but I feel it would have been worth it.
However, despite my dislike for Sir Clinton, I enjoyed the plot and characterisation enough to be willing to try another in the series to find out if he’s always this irritating or if he improves on acquaintance.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield is on holiday with his friend, “Squire” Wendover, at the sole hotel in the little seaside resort of Lynden Sands. So when a man is found dead and the local doctor is unwilling to sign the death certificate, the local man, Inspector Armadale, asks for Sir Clinton’s help in determining whether foul play was done. It’s a tricky one – the dead man had been subject to apoplectic fits for some time and it looks like a major stroke was the cause of death. But faint traces on his wrist suggest he may have been tied up prior to death. While this investigation is ongoing, a report comes in of another man found dead, and this time there is no doubt about the cause – he was shot. His body was found on Neptune’s Seat, a large rock in the middle of the beach. Could two suspicious deaths happen in this small place by coincidence, or are they linked? It will be up to our three investigators to decide… if they can ever stop arguing with each other…
Connington was apparently known for his “scientific” mysteries, which seems in this case to mean the science of footprints in the sand. I never knew there was so much to know about how sand is displaced when trodden on, and how much depends on the wetness of it and how best to take a cast! Sherlock Holmes himself would surely have learned something from the intricate explanations of how footprints made in such a varying substance may appear different to those made on a more stable surface. Connington was a scientist in real life, and he uses his knowledge well and, I must admit, explains the science bits clearly and interestingly enough to hold even my attention (my eyes usually tend to glaze over at the introduction of science in mysteries). There are a couple of diagrams showing the tracks left by the various unknown people who visited Neptune’s Seat at the time in question, and a lot of Sir Clinton’s investigation centres around them.
I got rather fed up with the constant reference to the footprints after a bit, but fortunately there are some interesting characters with motives too, and this stops it becoming too dry. Everything seems to lead back to the Fordingbridge family, most of whom are also staying in the hotel. Paul Fordingbridge is the trustee for his nephew, who is the heir to Foxhills, a large property in the neighbourhood. The nephew, Derek, was declared missing during the war (WW1) but has not yet been legally pronounced dead. Now his aunt claims she has seen him, alive but horribly disfigured. Each member of the family is affected by this news, either because they love Derek and want it to be true, or because they will be in line to inherit if Derek doesn’t return, so want it to be false. Is the man calling himself Derek the real thing or a clever impostor? Everyone has an opinion, and each of the investigators’ theories of the crime depends on which side of that question they favour.
All good, then, and the plot is fed out at a steady pace with a reasonable chance for the reader to play detective. But the constant bickering among the detectives became increasingly irritating as the book went on, and I found Sir Clinton so annoying that the greatest mystery to me was why no one punched him. I certainly would have, if I’d got the chance! He has this theory that pooling information and ideas is a bad thing because, he claims, more ground will be covered if each investigator follows his own theory individually. So, omniscient as he is, he happily stands by and allows his inspector to make a fool of himself time and again in front of suspects, when a word in advance from Sir Clinton could have put him on the right track. He is horribly sarcastic, with poor Inspector Armadale again taking the brunt of his sneers. He involves his pal, Wendover, in the investigation on the flimsiest of excuses – to provide an outside witness – and then allows Wendover to be rude to Inspector Armadale and treat him like a fool. Poor Armadale – I bet he rued the day he asked for Sir Clinton’s help! Punching Sir Clinton would have lost him his job but I feel it would have been worth it.
However, despite my dislike for Sir Clinton, I enjoyed the plot and characterisation enough to be willing to try another in the series to find out if he’s always this irritating or if he improves on acquaintance.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
August 14, 2021
I would have rated this as 2.5 stars if possible, but I gave this Too-Long story a 3. I didn't like most of the characters, and it was very repetitive. Did I mention it was Too-Long?
June 7, 2017
Sir Clinton Driffield is on holiday with his friend 'Squire' Wendover but it seems crime can't leave him alone when a dead body is discovered on a rock on the beach known as Neptune's Seat and a body is also discovered in a nearby cottage. One of his inspectors comes to find him in his hotel to ask him for his help. Naturally curiosity gets the better of both Driffield himself and Wendover. The rivalry between the inspector and Wendover adds to the tension of the story.
There are plenty of suspects who seem to be avoiding telling the police exactly what they've seen or what they know. The characters are well drawn and the plot contains enough twists and turns to satisfy most readers. I read this in less than a day and found myself totally absorbed in the story.
Even though it seems odd to have a Chief Constable involved in a police investigation to modern readers this series is still worth reading. Sir Clinton himself is an interesting character though the reader doesn't find out too much about his earlier life. He agonises over potentially arresting the wrong person and seeing sympathetic characters on trial for murder. The series can be read in any order and this is the fourth book in the series.
There are plenty of suspects who seem to be avoiding telling the police exactly what they've seen or what they know. The characters are well drawn and the plot contains enough twists and turns to satisfy most readers. I read this in less than a day and found myself totally absorbed in the story.
Even though it seems odd to have a Chief Constable involved in a police investigation to modern readers this series is still worth reading. Sir Clinton himself is an interesting character though the reader doesn't find out too much about his earlier life. He agonises over potentially arresting the wrong person and seeing sympathetic characters on trial for murder. The series can be read in any order and this is the fourth book in the series.
July 30, 2018
Interesting and nicely complex tale of marriages, inheritance, murders and financial shenanigans involving members of the Fordingbridge family.
The story is set in and around a fashionable beach resort/hotel.Sir Clinton Driffield, Squire Wendover and Inspector Armadale are all involved in sorting out the murders and their ramifications.
The writing and plotting are clear, but the solution is probably the weakest part, surprisingly.
The story is set in and around a fashionable beach resort/hotel.Sir Clinton Driffield, Squire Wendover and Inspector Armadale are all involved in sorting out the murders and their ramifications.
The writing and plotting are clear, but the solution is probably the weakest part, surprisingly.
January 11, 2022
This is a 1928 book by British chemist and author Alfred Walter Stewart, writing using the pseudonym JJ Connington. This is the third book in his Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield series. The setting is in late 1920s in the fictional small seaside town of Lyndon Sands. Sir Clinton is a young but brilliant Chief Constable who was vacationing in Lyndon Sands Hotel with his good friend Wendover who he called Squire (Wendover is a Justice of the Peace and is Sir Clinton’s Watson). Like many stereotypes Watson of the period (such as Sherlock Holmes’ Dr Watson and Hercule Poirot’s Captain Hastings), Wendover has a protective instinct towards beautiful women and would never believe a beautiful woman could commit any criminal act. The book is a police procedural book with a complex and twisty plot and comes with a few maps which helps the readers understand the lay of the land. Overall, however, I feel like it just read like an average Golden Age country house mystery. A book that is only 3.5 Star on a 5 Star scale.
In the book, Sir Clinton uses a lot of interesting scientific detection method. In a way, he is like R. Austin Freeman’s Dr. Thorndyke but probably less technical. The forensic sciences used in this book included very extensive footprint analysis, preservation of footprints using wax cast, toolmark analysis, bullet casing trajectory analysis, tire mark analysis, etc. It also uses one of the common plots of the Golden Age: whether a returning heir is the real heir or an imposter; other themes include accidental bigamy and embezzlement. The one thing I think really useful is that Connington has Sir Clinton provides a recap of the whole case in the end to tie up loose ends and put all the clues in perspective.
Spoiler Alert. The story starts with the death of Peter Hay, the caretaker of a local estate called Foxhills which are held by the Fordingbridge family. Like many Golden Age mysteries, when old Fordingbridge died, he left multiple adult offsprings and a very complex will. Under the will, the Foxhills estate (and the family money) will go first to the eldest son John on a life-tenancy. John has died. So, it goes to next eldest brother Rufus (who has also died). Then it goes to Rufus’ son Derek. Derek, however, has been missing in action in World War One and nobody is sure if he is dead or alive. Before Derek went away, however, he gave a power attorney to his uncle Paul to manage his affairs. If Derek were to die, then the family estate goes to sister Cressida. If Cressida were to die, then the youngest brother Paul were to get everything. In recent time, since John and Rufus have both died and Derek is missing, Paul has been managing the family estate for Derek. It also happens that Paul has been embezzling from the estate.
When caretake Peter Hay died, the doctor was suspicious and called in the local police, Inspector Armadale. Armadale quickly realized the case may be a complex one and since the famous Chief Constable Sir Clinton is vacationing in town, he requested his help. They soon concluded Hay was murdered by a chemical called amyl nitrite, a gas asthmatics inhale to relieve their attacks. While it is harmless to most people, it is fatal if inhaled by someone with Hay’s heart condition (he had a stroke last year). His murderers knew of his medical condition and deliberately used that to try to make it look like is death is from natural cause (a heart attack). Later, Sir Clinton also discovered that someone has broken into the Foxhills estate and stolen the diaries Derek has kept before he left to fight in the war. Later, a man called Nick Staveley was found murdered on the beach, on a large rock called Neptune’s Seat. By following the footprints made around the crime scene and witnesses’ testimony, Sir Clinton were able work though the red herrings and ultimately solved the case.
It turns out what happened was a complex crime scheme masterminded by a man called Cargill. A few years ago, he ran into Nick Staveley, who was a very bad person who was married to Cressida Fordingbridge. Staveley ran into trouble with the army but was given a choice to fight in the war or go to jail. In one battle, where he served with Derek Fordingbridge, he saw Derek being killed. Staveley then switched his identification disc with Derek so people thought it was Staveley who died. Staveley was then captured by the enemy but escaped (as Derek). He then came back to England with a new identity and ran into Cargill. The two came up with the plan whereby Cargill will use his brother (whose physical build is similar to the dead Derek and whose face has been badly disfigured in the war) to be an imposter of Derek and to claim the Fordingbridge estate. Since the real Derek has been close to the caretaker Peter Hay and Hay can easily identify the imposter, one of the first action of the gang was to murder Hay. What they did next was to break into the Foxhills estate to steal Derek’s diaries. With that, they used a card index cabinet and built a chronological database on everything they know about Derek (through information from Derek’s diaries, the ex-valet’s knowledge, and Staveley’s knowledge) so the imposter can educate himself to pass as Derek. In the meantime, however, Staveley was doing a sideshow of his own by trying to blackmail Cressida. Cressida met with Staveley in secret one night at Neptune’s Seat. The two argued. Cressida shot Staveley but missed. Staveley nevertheless had a fall and fainted. Cressida mistakenly thought she has killed Staveley and ran. Later after Staveley woke up, his accomplices arrived and shot him dead. They did it because they could then get a bigger part of the spoils, but also they want to frame his death on Cressida to take Cressida out as a potential challenger to Derek imposter’s claim to the estate. Later, the gang also murdered Paul as he gets suspicious about the imposter and hid Paul’s body in a nearby quicksand pit. After Paul has been eliminated, the only person left to challenge the imposter is Cressida. So, they tried to force Cressida to marry the fake Derek and then to murder her. Sir Clinton and the police arrived in time to save Cressida and to arrest the gang.
In the book, Sir Clinton uses a lot of interesting scientific detection method. In a way, he is like R. Austin Freeman’s Dr. Thorndyke but probably less technical. The forensic sciences used in this book included very extensive footprint analysis, preservation of footprints using wax cast, toolmark analysis, bullet casing trajectory analysis, tire mark analysis, etc. It also uses one of the common plots of the Golden Age: whether a returning heir is the real heir or an imposter; other themes include accidental bigamy and embezzlement. The one thing I think really useful is that Connington has Sir Clinton provides a recap of the whole case in the end to tie up loose ends and put all the clues in perspective.
Spoiler Alert. The story starts with the death of Peter Hay, the caretaker of a local estate called Foxhills which are held by the Fordingbridge family. Like many Golden Age mysteries, when old Fordingbridge died, he left multiple adult offsprings and a very complex will. Under the will, the Foxhills estate (and the family money) will go first to the eldest son John on a life-tenancy. John has died. So, it goes to next eldest brother Rufus (who has also died). Then it goes to Rufus’ son Derek. Derek, however, has been missing in action in World War One and nobody is sure if he is dead or alive. Before Derek went away, however, he gave a power attorney to his uncle Paul to manage his affairs. If Derek were to die, then the family estate goes to sister Cressida. If Cressida were to die, then the youngest brother Paul were to get everything. In recent time, since John and Rufus have both died and Derek is missing, Paul has been managing the family estate for Derek. It also happens that Paul has been embezzling from the estate.
When caretake Peter Hay died, the doctor was suspicious and called in the local police, Inspector Armadale. Armadale quickly realized the case may be a complex one and since the famous Chief Constable Sir Clinton is vacationing in town, he requested his help. They soon concluded Hay was murdered by a chemical called amyl nitrite, a gas asthmatics inhale to relieve their attacks. While it is harmless to most people, it is fatal if inhaled by someone with Hay’s heart condition (he had a stroke last year). His murderers knew of his medical condition and deliberately used that to try to make it look like is death is from natural cause (a heart attack). Later, Sir Clinton also discovered that someone has broken into the Foxhills estate and stolen the diaries Derek has kept before he left to fight in the war. Later, a man called Nick Staveley was found murdered on the beach, on a large rock called Neptune’s Seat. By following the footprints made around the crime scene and witnesses’ testimony, Sir Clinton were able work though the red herrings and ultimately solved the case.
It turns out what happened was a complex crime scheme masterminded by a man called Cargill. A few years ago, he ran into Nick Staveley, who was a very bad person who was married to Cressida Fordingbridge. Staveley ran into trouble with the army but was given a choice to fight in the war or go to jail. In one battle, where he served with Derek Fordingbridge, he saw Derek being killed. Staveley then switched his identification disc with Derek so people thought it was Staveley who died. Staveley was then captured by the enemy but escaped (as Derek). He then came back to England with a new identity and ran into Cargill. The two came up with the plan whereby Cargill will use his brother (whose physical build is similar to the dead Derek and whose face has been badly disfigured in the war) to be an imposter of Derek and to claim the Fordingbridge estate. Since the real Derek has been close to the caretaker Peter Hay and Hay can easily identify the imposter, one of the first action of the gang was to murder Hay. What they did next was to break into the Foxhills estate to steal Derek’s diaries. With that, they used a card index cabinet and built a chronological database on everything they know about Derek (through information from Derek’s diaries, the ex-valet’s knowledge, and Staveley’s knowledge) so the imposter can educate himself to pass as Derek. In the meantime, however, Staveley was doing a sideshow of his own by trying to blackmail Cressida. Cressida met with Staveley in secret one night at Neptune’s Seat. The two argued. Cressida shot Staveley but missed. Staveley nevertheless had a fall and fainted. Cressida mistakenly thought she has killed Staveley and ran. Later after Staveley woke up, his accomplices arrived and shot him dead. They did it because they could then get a bigger part of the spoils, but also they want to frame his death on Cressida to take Cressida out as a potential challenger to Derek imposter’s claim to the estate. Later, the gang also murdered Paul as he gets suspicious about the imposter and hid Paul’s body in a nearby quicksand pit. After Paul has been eliminated, the only person left to challenge the imposter is Cressida. So, they tried to force Cressida to marry the fake Derek and then to murder her. Sir Clinton and the police arrived in time to save Cressida and to arrest the gang.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2025
Two Watsons; no waiting.
This is a clean, well-edited edition, although I don't like the cover art. "The Murder Room" prints all of the books in this series, but some have 99 cent editions by other publishers. The cadaver pictured on the front isn't my idea of Chief Constable Sir Clifford Driffield, a genial sort with a wry sense of humor. Probably the artist never read the book.
In the first book in the series ("Murder in the Maze") Driffield is on vacation staying with his friend
"Squire" Wendover. so the Squire helps him investigate the murders. In the second ("Tragedy at Ravensthorpe") he's back on the job, assisted by the local CID Inspector Armadale. In "Mystery at Lynden Sands" Driffield is on vacation again (must have a good contract) staying at the new Lynden Sands Hotel with his friend Wendover, enjoying golf, good meals, bridge, dancing, and walks on the beach.
However, he's still in his jurisdiction, so when there's a murder, Inspector Armadale insists he become involved. Thus we have TWO Watsons and they don't agree about anything. Wendover (a susceptible man) falls for the pretty young woman who's Armadale's Suspect #1. The idea of such a genteel young lady committing MURDER is appalling to Wendover. Armadale knows that suspects come in all shapes and sizes and digs in his heels.
The fight is on. Driffield thinks both of them are wrong, but (good supervisor that he is) isn't going to let Wendover insult the inspector. He knows that Inspector Armadale has potential and just lacks experience. AND he backs his officers to the hilt. There will be NO making the police look foolish if Driffield can help it.
The first murder is the popular caretaker at the nearby Foxhills Estate, owned by the Fordingbridge family. Some of them are staying at the hotel, although not all are happy about it. Papa Fordingbridge left one of those wills where the oldest son (or his heirs) inherits the estate, then it goes down the line. The oldest son died without issue. The next son moved to Australia and died. He left one son who was reported missing, presumed dead, during WWI.
The third son left a daughter (pretty Cressida) who's first husband was a mistake. He also was reported MIA during the war. Good riddance and now she's remarried to a keeper. Fourth son Paul is in charge of the estate until (if) his nephew comes back from war. His strong-minded sister Julia adores the nephew and is sure he's alive, because a medium told her so. Her brother politely ignores her and goes about his business.
Then those "missing, presumed dead" men start showing back up. Are they who they say they are or imposters seeking to inherit an estate? Are they trying to blackmail former wives, who remarried believing themselves to be widows? No one sheds any tears when Nick Stavely's body is discovered on the beach. He was not a nice guy.
There's a mysterious bunch (including the man who claims to be the Fordingbridge nephew) living in a cottage nearby. There are break-ins and attempts to make it look like the old caretaker was stealing from the family. What the burglars really want is the nephew's diaries, which give valuable information about him. There's an elegant Frenchwoman staying at the hotel, although she doesn't golf or play tennis. What's her game?
The final body count is five (unless I've missed one.) Quite a bloody affair for one of those "cosy" mysteries. Inspector Armadale and Squire Wendover are at each other's throats, while Driffield woos the entrancing Frenchwoman, hoping for information for her. Turns out she has some VERY valuable information, but it's not easy to pry it out of her.
I like this book. Wendover fills the role of the gallant English gentleman, protecting the fair young maiden. He has no idea what she's really like, but she's pretty and seems shy and that's good enough for him. Armadale is the typical bulldog policeman, setting his sights on the most logical suspect and looking for evidence to support his case.
The experienced Driffield keeps an open mind and prevents either of them from going overboard. He knows that sometimes it's not the good guys against the bad guys. Sometimes both sides are guilty of something and have motives for murder. Greed and the desire for easy money is at the root of most crime and many succumb to the temptation.
It's good fun and a good mystery. All the bad guys get their just desserts (watch out for quicksand!) and the innocent are cleared to go forth and live happily ever after. Meanwhile, I'm happy I found this excellent series.
This is a clean, well-edited edition, although I don't like the cover art. "The Murder Room" prints all of the books in this series, but some have 99 cent editions by other publishers. The cadaver pictured on the front isn't my idea of Chief Constable Sir Clifford Driffield, a genial sort with a wry sense of humor. Probably the artist never read the book.
In the first book in the series ("Murder in the Maze") Driffield is on vacation staying with his friend
"Squire" Wendover. so the Squire helps him investigate the murders. In the second ("Tragedy at Ravensthorpe") he's back on the job, assisted by the local CID Inspector Armadale. In "Mystery at Lynden Sands" Driffield is on vacation again (must have a good contract) staying at the new Lynden Sands Hotel with his friend Wendover, enjoying golf, good meals, bridge, dancing, and walks on the beach.
However, he's still in his jurisdiction, so when there's a murder, Inspector Armadale insists he become involved. Thus we have TWO Watsons and they don't agree about anything. Wendover (a susceptible man) falls for the pretty young woman who's Armadale's Suspect #1. The idea of such a genteel young lady committing MURDER is appalling to Wendover. Armadale knows that suspects come in all shapes and sizes and digs in his heels.
The fight is on. Driffield thinks both of them are wrong, but (good supervisor that he is) isn't going to let Wendover insult the inspector. He knows that Inspector Armadale has potential and just lacks experience. AND he backs his officers to the hilt. There will be NO making the police look foolish if Driffield can help it.
The first murder is the popular caretaker at the nearby Foxhills Estate, owned by the Fordingbridge family. Some of them are staying at the hotel, although not all are happy about it. Papa Fordingbridge left one of those wills where the oldest son (or his heirs) inherits the estate, then it goes down the line. The oldest son died without issue. The next son moved to Australia and died. He left one son who was reported missing, presumed dead, during WWI.
The third son left a daughter (pretty Cressida) who's first husband was a mistake. He also was reported MIA during the war. Good riddance and now she's remarried to a keeper. Fourth son Paul is in charge of the estate until (if) his nephew comes back from war. His strong-minded sister Julia adores the nephew and is sure he's alive, because a medium told her so. Her brother politely ignores her and goes about his business.
Then those "missing, presumed dead" men start showing back up. Are they who they say they are or imposters seeking to inherit an estate? Are they trying to blackmail former wives, who remarried believing themselves to be widows? No one sheds any tears when Nick Stavely's body is discovered on the beach. He was not a nice guy.
There's a mysterious bunch (including the man who claims to be the Fordingbridge nephew) living in a cottage nearby. There are break-ins and attempts to make it look like the old caretaker was stealing from the family. What the burglars really want is the nephew's diaries, which give valuable information about him. There's an elegant Frenchwoman staying at the hotel, although she doesn't golf or play tennis. What's her game?
The final body count is five (unless I've missed one.) Quite a bloody affair for one of those "cosy" mysteries. Inspector Armadale and Squire Wendover are at each other's throats, while Driffield woos the entrancing Frenchwoman, hoping for information for her. Turns out she has some VERY valuable information, but it's not easy to pry it out of her.
I like this book. Wendover fills the role of the gallant English gentleman, protecting the fair young maiden. He has no idea what she's really like, but she's pretty and seems shy and that's good enough for him. Armadale is the typical bulldog policeman, setting his sights on the most logical suspect and looking for evidence to support his case.
The experienced Driffield keeps an open mind and prevents either of them from going overboard. He knows that sometimes it's not the good guys against the bad guys. Sometimes both sides are guilty of something and have motives for murder. Greed and the desire for easy money is at the root of most crime and many succumb to the temptation.
It's good fun and a good mystery. All the bad guys get their just desserts (watch out for quicksand!) and the innocent are cleared to go forth and live happily ever after. Meanwhile, I'm happy I found this excellent series.
March 2, 2025
In the third Sir Clinton Driffield novel, Sir Clinton is accompanied both by his Watson from the first book (his friend Wendover, a JP who represents the sound British county chap who's a stickler for the done thing), and his inspector from the second book, who tends to play Scotland Yard bungler to Sir Clinton's Sherlock Holmes, though he's sound enough at basic police work. He can collect evidence and notice evidence, he's just not that good at stringing it together into a narrative, which is where Sir Clinton shines.
The motive for the first murder seemed pretty obvious to me, and gave a clear suspect from the start, though Sir Clinton tries to make out late in the book that it could have pointed two different ways. The main mystery, though, involved gunshots, multiple sets of footprints later washed away by the tide, several different people believing that something had taken place which had not, tyre tracks, eavesdropping, and bigamous marriages, and had me completely confused until Sir Clinton cleared it all up neatly. He's still a bit of a know-it-all; it would be nice to see him confounded, or making a mistake, from time to time just to humanize him (or having a non-professional relationship with anyone besides Wendover, who, because he's drafted as the Watson, ends up still being a professional relationship). But the crimes and solutions are clever, and if you enjoy Freeman Wills Crofts and/or R. Austin Freeman, with their puzzle-solving detectives who don't have much personality, this is another author for you.
The motive for the first murder seemed pretty obvious to me, and gave a clear suspect from the start, though Sir Clinton tries to make out late in the book that it could have pointed two different ways. The main mystery, though, involved gunshots, multiple sets of footprints later washed away by the tide, several different people believing that something had taken place which had not, tyre tracks, eavesdropping, and bigamous marriages, and had me completely confused until Sir Clinton cleared it all up neatly. He's still a bit of a know-it-all; it would be nice to see him confounded, or making a mistake, from time to time just to humanize him (or having a non-professional relationship with anyone besides Wendover, who, because he's drafted as the Watson, ends up still being a professional relationship). But the crimes and solutions are clever, and if you enjoy Freeman Wills Crofts and/or R. Austin Freeman, with their puzzle-solving detectives who don't have much personality, this is another author for you.
April 2, 2020
L'eredità di Foxhills è destinata al primogenito, quindi ai suoi eredi; in loro assenza, si passa al secondogenito, e, alla sua morte, ad eventuali suoi figli, e così via. Al momento, l'erede designato è Darius, di cui però si sono perse notizie durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale. L'eredità passerebbe quindi a Christine, ma per il momento tutto viene amministrato dallo zio Paul. Difficile immaginare che la morte del fedele custode non sia in qualche modo legata alla famiglia, soprattutto ora che Darius, orribilmente sfigurato, sembra essere tornato a casa. Un secondo delitto complica ulteriormente il quadro, ma nulla che non possa essere risolto sir Clifford Driffield.
Un giallo molto classico, non particolarmente complicato, che però richiede un minimo di impegno per mettere insieme tutti i pezzi per arrivare ad una soluzione inattaccabile.
Stile scarno, essenziale, come spesso si confà al genere. Se devo trovare un difetto, ammetto di non amare molto le damsel in distress e, di conseguenza, chi si erge a loro cavaliere (come fa il Watson della situazione), ma credo sia il prezzo da pagare ad un libro che ha quasi cento anni ormai.
Consigliato come passatempo per gli amanti del poliziesco d'annata.
Un giallo molto classico, non particolarmente complicato, che però richiede un minimo di impegno per mettere insieme tutti i pezzi per arrivare ad una soluzione inattaccabile.
Stile scarno, essenziale, come spesso si confà al genere. Se devo trovare un difetto, ammetto di non amare molto le damsel in distress e, di conseguenza, chi si erge a loro cavaliere (come fa il Watson della situazione), ma credo sia il prezzo da pagare ad un libro che ha quasi cento anni ormai.
Consigliato come passatempo per gli amanti del poliziesco d'annata.
February 17, 2024
I didn't think this was one of his better books. It seemed to drag in spots. Maybe because I wasn't reading it straight through?
Our two heroes are on vacation at Lynden Sands and get dragged on a busman's holiday - a local inspector takes Sir Clinton and Squire Wendover on a call where there has been a murder. Way to make yourself feel small. The Chief Inspector tells him he is just a visitor and what does he see? Not much and then the CI tells him all that he missed.
Anyway I felt kind of lost in this one. And I am normally a big Connington fan. Maybe the next one will be better and more enjoyable.
Our two heroes are on vacation at Lynden Sands and get dragged on a busman's holiday - a local inspector takes Sir Clinton and Squire Wendover on a call where there has been a murder. Way to make yourself feel small. The Chief Inspector tells him he is just a visitor and what does he see? Not much and then the CI tells him all that he missed.
Anyway I felt kind of lost in this one. And I am normally a big Connington fan. Maybe the next one will be better and more enjoyable.
March 22, 2024
Good, but too wordy.
SYNOPSIS: "Mystery At Lynden Sands, first published in 1928, is the fourth book in author J. J. Connington’s series featuring chief-constable Sir Clinton Driffield. Set on the English seaside, Driffield encounters the return of a missing heir (who is possibly an impostor), an accidental bigamist, secret marriages and impersonations, embezzlement of trust funds, a kidnapping, and two murders. As is typical of Connington’s detectives, Sir Clinton is able to deduce impressive insights from physical clues. J. J. Connington is a pen-name of Alfred Walter Stewart (1880-1947)."
SYNOPSIS: "Mystery At Lynden Sands, first published in 1928, is the fourth book in author J. J. Connington’s series featuring chief-constable Sir Clinton Driffield. Set on the English seaside, Driffield encounters the return of a missing heir (who is possibly an impostor), an accidental bigamist, secret marriages and impersonations, embezzlement of trust funds, a kidnapping, and two murders. As is typical of Connington’s detectives, Sir Clinton is able to deduce impressive insights from physical clues. J. J. Connington is a pen-name of Alfred Walter Stewart (1880-1947)."
February 2, 2022
If you like complicated crime fiction from the Golden Age series, author J.J. Connington manages to out do himself with a story a man believed to be killed during the Great War returning to claim his inheritance. Clever but not for everyone.
May 15, 2023
Clever
This is only the second book in the series that I've read and have purchased several others. Hard to put down once started so going to take a break with a science book. Don't want to finish the series too quickly.
This is only the second book in the series that I've read and have purchased several others. Hard to put down once started so going to take a break with a science book. Don't want to finish the series too quickly.
July 29, 2020
A good who dun it although the detective as chief constable was a little unconvincing. I did enjoy the detailed plots, characterisation and thriller like ending.
February 17, 2022
Oldie but goodie
An interesting and complicated plot. Enjoyed the characters and the window into the thoughts and values of a pervious era.
An interesting and complicated plot. Enjoyed the characters and the window into the thoughts and values of a pervious era.
Want to read
May 13, 2025Synopsis: Chief-Constable Sir Clinton Driffield deals with a missing heir and his supposed return, bigamy, two murders and more.
August 27, 2021
This is the first time that I read a novel by J.J. Connington and I found it a very nice read, very cunning.
It's a typical vintage mystery with a detective, Sir Clinton, who solves the murder case of an old country house's janitor. At the beginning it should seem a death for natural causes, but Sir Clinton doesn't buy it. And near the house there's an hotel on a beach where other terrible things are going to happen.
It's a typical vintage mystery with a detective, Sir Clinton, who solves the murder case of an old country house's janitor. At the beginning it should seem a death for natural causes, but Sir Clinton doesn't buy it. And near the house there's an hotel on a beach where other terrible things are going to happen.
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