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Sir Clinton Driffield #2
Tragedy at Ravensthorpe
At Ravensthorpe-a lonely country house inherited by Maurice Chacewater-a masked ball is in progress amid scenes of great gaiety, celebrating the honor of his sister's coming of age. What each guest was to wear had been kept a secret and all who enter Ravensthorpe that night wear masks. Cecil, who is on bad terms with his brother Maurice, arranges a practical joke with several young friends to plunge Ravensthorpe into darkness and to carry out a mock burglary at a given moment; but the plan is overheard. The ensuing situation is doubly complicated. In the drama that follows, the theft of rare Leonardo da Vinci medallions, thrilling chases through the woods, secret passages, suicides and murders, all have their places. Everything is woven into one complex and exciting pattern, and the final unravelment by Sir Clinton Driffield is masterly. Tragedy at Ravensthorpe was published in 1927. The Coachwhip edition includes an introduction by Curtis Evans.
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1927
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 4, 2018
On the face of it, a classic late 1920's English country house murder mystery, complete with secret passages, old family legends, romance, robberies and murders.
However, although I have some reservations-the solution is beyond the reader until very late on- there are a few twists to the formula.
The main characters are more complex than the usual upper-class, county-set stereotypes met elsewhere.
We also get some insight into Clinton Driffield's methodology from this piece of conversation with Inspector Armadale:-
“This is one of these cases, Inspector, where I think that two heads are better than one. Now if I tell you what’s in my mind, it might tempt you to look at things exactly as I do; and then we’d have lost the advantage of having two brains at work on the business independently. We’re more likely to be usefully employed if we pool the facts and keep our interpretations separate from each other.”
As one reads on in the series, it becomes clear that this was often the way the Chief Constable proceeded. In another part of the book we get what is presumably the author's view of mystery readers:-
"There’s too much of the smart reader of detective stories about that. He suspects about six of the characters without having any real proof at all; and then when the criminal turns up clearly in the last chapter he says: ‘Well, that fellow was on my list of suspects.’ That style of thing’s no use in real criminal work, where you’ve got to produce evidence and not merely some vague suspicions.”
Connington's solutions are always based on the reality of detective work, where building a solid enough case to convince the jury is of primary importance.
Most enjoyable and, with a small reservation, highly recommended.
However, although I have some reservations-the solution is beyond the reader until very late on- there are a few twists to the formula.
The main characters are more complex than the usual upper-class, county-set stereotypes met elsewhere.
We also get some insight into Clinton Driffield's methodology from this piece of conversation with Inspector Armadale:-
“This is one of these cases, Inspector, where I think that two heads are better than one. Now if I tell you what’s in my mind, it might tempt you to look at things exactly as I do; and then we’d have lost the advantage of having two brains at work on the business independently. We’re more likely to be usefully employed if we pool the facts and keep our interpretations separate from each other.”
As one reads on in the series, it becomes clear that this was often the way the Chief Constable proceeded. In another part of the book we get what is presumably the author's view of mystery readers:-
"There’s too much of the smart reader of detective stories about that. He suspects about six of the characters without having any real proof at all; and then when the criminal turns up clearly in the last chapter he says: ‘Well, that fellow was on my list of suspects.’ That style of thing’s no use in real criminal work, where you’ve got to produce evidence and not merely some vague suspicions.”
Connington's solutions are always based on the reality of detective work, where building a solid enough case to convince the jury is of primary importance.
Most enjoyable and, with a small reservation, highly recommended.
January 30, 2022
A bit of a slow starter but it did pick up.
A country house party, combined with sibling rivalry bordering on hatred, theft, practical jokes, murder, chases through the woods, a costume party. Not all in that order. The elder son inherits everything and is in the process of selling jewels off, before the daughter's engagement party which is a masked ball. Poor Joan made things a little worse by making everyone keep their masks on until a big reveal at the end. Only younger brother Cecil is part of a mock robbery. The planning of the mock is overheard by someone who is eager to buy the jewels.
It becomes quite convoluted and kept me up late several nights.
Plus, Sir Clinton, chief constable, is an invited guest as an old family friend.
This is Connington's second book featuring Sir Clinton. In reality, he was a chemistry professor and he published both of these books in 1927.
A country house party, combined with sibling rivalry bordering on hatred, theft, practical jokes, murder, chases through the woods, a costume party. Not all in that order. The elder son inherits everything and is in the process of selling jewels off, before the daughter's engagement party which is a masked ball. Poor Joan made things a little worse by making everyone keep their masks on until a big reveal at the end. Only younger brother Cecil is part of a mock robbery. The planning of the mock is overheard by someone who is eager to buy the jewels.
It becomes quite convoluted and kept me up late several nights.
Plus, Sir Clinton, chief constable, is an invited guest as an old family friend.
This is Connington's second book featuring Sir Clinton. In reality, he was a chemistry professor and he published both of these books in 1927.
August 22, 2025
A snapshot of English society in a time of change.
Opinions vary, don't they? I've been reading all I can find about the Scotsman who wrote mysteries under the name J J Connington. It's not much because he was never as famous as Christie or Marsh or Sayers or Mitchell. Still, he had admirers and all of them seem to love the first book in this series - "Murder in the Maze."
I thought it was weak, but showed promise. I think the next two books ("Tragedy at Ravensthorpe" and "Mystery at Lynden Sands") are huge improvements over "The Maze" but no one else seems impressed with them. Needless to say, I'm right and they are wrong.
This author wrote about wealthy families, where wills are of great importance. Several of his mysteries revolve around unwise wills. In the case of the Chacewater family of Ravensthorpe, the father (recently dead) made the mistake of leaving everything to his oldest son. Traditionally, the head of the family was expected to provide for younger siblings, etc out of his fortune. Old Mr Chacewater failed to realize that times were changing and his oldest son didn't have the same sense of responsibility as his father, grandfather, etc.
Maurice Chacewater is an odd duck and may be jealous of his younger brother and sister because they are more popular than he. Whatever the reason, he makes it known that his younger brother Cecil is on his own. He seems willing to provide for their sister Joan, at least to the extent of financing a large costume party for her 21st birthday.
Joan is engaged to the son of a wealthy family and Cecil is engaged to Una Rainhill. As you can see, Connington gives his characters strange names and I'm wondering how it works out for them. If Cecil Chacewater marries Una Rainhill and they use her maiden name as the Christian name of their first son (common in old English families at the time) will the poor kid go through life named "Rainhill Chacewater"? Sounds damp, doesn't it?
Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield is an old family friend and invited to the party. He's been given the position of Chief Constable after returning from years in South Africa in police work. Nothing is said about him being awarded a knighthood for his public service, so I assume he was born to a title. It's a great asset in working on crimes involving wealthy families, since he's one of them. At that time, ordinary policemen (no matter how highly ranked or educated) were seen as tradesmen and wouldn't be invited to dine with the family.
In "The Maze" Chief Constable Driffield bounces his ideas off his old friend "Squire" Wendover and directs a cadre of unnamed county constables. In this book, he's acquired a local CID man - Inspector Armadale. They're still working out their relationship and it's an interesting process to observe. Sir Clinton is democratic by nature and encourages his underlings to develop their skills. That and his wry humor make him an appealing character.
Armadale is intelligent and methodical, but lacks Driffield's experience. He also jumps to conclusions and can be stubborn when he makes up his mind. Driffield is a genial man to work for, but he lets Armadale know that they are to pool information, reach their own conclusions, and compare notes. This wasn't the norm at the time and Armadale struggles to understand his eccentric new boss. They show signs of developing a close working relationship like that of George Bellairs' Chief Inspector Littlejohn and his sidekick Sargeant Cromwell. Littlejohn and Cromwell's easy, affectionate partnership is a big reason why that series is so good.
Sir Clinton has qualms about Joan's masked ball, since her late father was a collector of valuable objects and there are items in his museum worth stealing. Sir Clinton observes that having all the guests masked means that the hosts won't know who's an invited guest and who's crashing the party in hopes of stealing something. The Chacewaters agree to some extra security, but Joan insists on the masked ball going forward.
Sure enough, during the ball, the guard is attacked and someone steals the valuable medallions struck by Leonardo Da Vinci himself. Ironically, the Chacewater family is currently hosting Mr Foss, his valet, and chauffeur. Foss represents a U.S. millionaire who wants to buy the Leonardo medallions from Maurice Chacewater. Maurice's brother and sister are appalled that he's selling off his father's possessions, but there's nothing they can do to stop him.
Before the dust clears, there are three deaths and a dangerous man is fatally injured, but lives long enough to make a confession. A gang of three men conspired together to steal the medallions, but one was more ruthless than the others. He killed his two colleagues because he didn't trust them not to turn copper's nark on him. Also, the idea of not having to split the take appealed to his business sense. In the process, one of the family learns too much and has to be eliminated, too. A criminal can't afford to be soft-hearted.
It's a good, old-fashioned English manor house mystery. I like both Driffield and Armandale. I'm looking forward to reading all the books in this 17-book series and Connington's seven stand-alone mysteries. Thank God for e-publishing because I would NEVER have found these books in my local library or book stores.
Opinions vary, don't they? I've been reading all I can find about the Scotsman who wrote mysteries under the name J J Connington. It's not much because he was never as famous as Christie or Marsh or Sayers or Mitchell. Still, he had admirers and all of them seem to love the first book in this series - "Murder in the Maze."
I thought it was weak, but showed promise. I think the next two books ("Tragedy at Ravensthorpe" and "Mystery at Lynden Sands") are huge improvements over "The Maze" but no one else seems impressed with them. Needless to say, I'm right and they are wrong.
This author wrote about wealthy families, where wills are of great importance. Several of his mysteries revolve around unwise wills. In the case of the Chacewater family of Ravensthorpe, the father (recently dead) made the mistake of leaving everything to his oldest son. Traditionally, the head of the family was expected to provide for younger siblings, etc out of his fortune. Old Mr Chacewater failed to realize that times were changing and his oldest son didn't have the same sense of responsibility as his father, grandfather, etc.
Maurice Chacewater is an odd duck and may be jealous of his younger brother and sister because they are more popular than he. Whatever the reason, he makes it known that his younger brother Cecil is on his own. He seems willing to provide for their sister Joan, at least to the extent of financing a large costume party for her 21st birthday.
Joan is engaged to the son of a wealthy family and Cecil is engaged to Una Rainhill. As you can see, Connington gives his characters strange names and I'm wondering how it works out for them. If Cecil Chacewater marries Una Rainhill and they use her maiden name as the Christian name of their first son (common in old English families at the time) will the poor kid go through life named "Rainhill Chacewater"? Sounds damp, doesn't it?
Chief Constable Sir Clinton Driffield is an old family friend and invited to the party. He's been given the position of Chief Constable after returning from years in South Africa in police work. Nothing is said about him being awarded a knighthood for his public service, so I assume he was born to a title. It's a great asset in working on crimes involving wealthy families, since he's one of them. At that time, ordinary policemen (no matter how highly ranked or educated) were seen as tradesmen and wouldn't be invited to dine with the family.
In "The Maze" Chief Constable Driffield bounces his ideas off his old friend "Squire" Wendover and directs a cadre of unnamed county constables. In this book, he's acquired a local CID man - Inspector Armadale. They're still working out their relationship and it's an interesting process to observe. Sir Clinton is democratic by nature and encourages his underlings to develop their skills. That and his wry humor make him an appealing character.
Armadale is intelligent and methodical, but lacks Driffield's experience. He also jumps to conclusions and can be stubborn when he makes up his mind. Driffield is a genial man to work for, but he lets Armadale know that they are to pool information, reach their own conclusions, and compare notes. This wasn't the norm at the time and Armadale struggles to understand his eccentric new boss. They show signs of developing a close working relationship like that of George Bellairs' Chief Inspector Littlejohn and his sidekick Sargeant Cromwell. Littlejohn and Cromwell's easy, affectionate partnership is a big reason why that series is so good.
Sir Clinton has qualms about Joan's masked ball, since her late father was a collector of valuable objects and there are items in his museum worth stealing. Sir Clinton observes that having all the guests masked means that the hosts won't know who's an invited guest and who's crashing the party in hopes of stealing something. The Chacewaters agree to some extra security, but Joan insists on the masked ball going forward.
Sure enough, during the ball, the guard is attacked and someone steals the valuable medallions struck by Leonardo Da Vinci himself. Ironically, the Chacewater family is currently hosting Mr Foss, his valet, and chauffeur. Foss represents a U.S. millionaire who wants to buy the Leonardo medallions from Maurice Chacewater. Maurice's brother and sister are appalled that he's selling off his father's possessions, but there's nothing they can do to stop him.
Before the dust clears, there are three deaths and a dangerous man is fatally injured, but lives long enough to make a confession. A gang of three men conspired together to steal the medallions, but one was more ruthless than the others. He killed his two colleagues because he didn't trust them not to turn copper's nark on him. Also, the idea of not having to split the take appealed to his business sense. In the process, one of the family learns too much and has to be eliminated, too. A criminal can't afford to be soft-hearted.
It's a good, old-fashioned English manor house mystery. I like both Driffield and Armandale. I'm looking forward to reading all the books in this 17-book series and Connington's seven stand-alone mysteries. Thank God for e-publishing because I would NEVER have found these books in my local library or book stores.
February 25, 2025
The most unusual thing about this classic mystery series is that the investigator is the Chief Constable, the head of all the police in a county (the county is not named). His inspector, who would normally be the detective, is instead the Watson. Sir Clinton Driffield is the detective's name.
This one is a country-house mystery of sorts, in that it does take place at a country house, and the first crime is committed during a masked ball in honour of the daughter of the house's 21st birthday.
You always have to make allowances, in period mysteries, for something, and here it's Driffield's rather patronising way of protecting the women from distress (they seem perfectly capable to me), and the fact that he smokes no fewer than three cigarettes during his summing-up of the case.
Driffield is a bit of a self-satisfied clever dick, and figures everything out nicely, connecting a number of odd elements into a complete story. He does acknowledge that he doesn't have enough to take to a jury, so he has to try to trap one of the criminals. This, at least, doesn't go quite as planned, though it still leaves him in a good position.
The mystery turns out to be two entangled mysteries, one of which is not that satisfying.
While it's a cleverly plotted puzzle, it's not much more than that, so I'm giving it a position in the Bronze tier of my annual recommendation list. If you read a mystery novel in part for the stuff that isn't the mystery, which I do, there isn't a lot of that here; the family dynamics are sketched in enough to provide context and a couple of red herrings, but no more, and the personalities of the characters are similarly adequate. The detective is not particularly colourful or individual, either, more like the crime-solving machines of Freeman Wills Crofts or R. Austin Freeman than a Poirot or a Wimsey. Enjoy this one for the cleverness rather than the human interest.
This one is a country-house mystery of sorts, in that it does take place at a country house, and the first crime is committed during a masked ball in honour of the daughter of the house's 21st birthday.
You always have to make allowances, in period mysteries, for something, and here it's Driffield's rather patronising way of protecting the women from distress (they seem perfectly capable to me), and the fact that he smokes no fewer than three cigarettes during his summing-up of the case.
Driffield is a bit of a self-satisfied clever dick, and figures everything out nicely, connecting a number of odd elements into a complete story. He does acknowledge that he doesn't have enough to take to a jury, so he has to try to trap one of the criminals. This, at least, doesn't go quite as planned, though it still leaves him in a good position.
The mystery turns out to be two entangled mysteries, one of which is not that satisfying.
While it's a cleverly plotted puzzle, it's not much more than that, so I'm giving it a position in the Bronze tier of my annual recommendation list. If you read a mystery novel in part for the stuff that isn't the mystery, which I do, there isn't a lot of that here; the family dynamics are sketched in enough to provide context and a couple of red herrings, but no more, and the personalities of the characters are similarly adequate. The detective is not particularly colourful or individual, either, more like the crime-solving machines of Freeman Wills Crofts or R. Austin Freeman than a Poirot or a Wimsey. Enjoy this one for the cleverness rather than the human interest.
June 5, 2017
This is the second book in the Clinton Driffield series. I enjoyed the first one and decided, belatedly to read the rest of the series. In this one Driffield is invited to a fancy dress party by some old friends. He has series reservations about the security of a valuable collection of artefacts which will be on show. His worries prove not to be unfounded when a practical joke collides with a robbery and then is followed by murder.
To modern readers it may seem odd that the Chief Constable oversees an investigation and gets involved in it but if you can get over this apparent oddity this is a really well written and well plotted mystery. I like Sir Clinton Driffield even though some commentators say he is supercilious and hard on his inferiors but I think he is encouraging with his staff and lets them work things out for themselves. He really does work as part of the team.
The clues are there but I didn't work out what was going on until almost the end - which is a tribute to how well the book is written. I have already started the next book in the series and I'm really enjoying it. If you like classic police procedural novels then I can recommend this series.
To modern readers it may seem odd that the Chief Constable oversees an investigation and gets involved in it but if you can get over this apparent oddity this is a really well written and well plotted mystery. I like Sir Clinton Driffield even though some commentators say he is supercilious and hard on his inferiors but I think he is encouraging with his staff and lets them work things out for themselves. He really does work as part of the team.
The clues are there but I didn't work out what was going on until almost the end - which is a tribute to how well the book is written. I have already started the next book in the series and I'm really enjoying it. If you like classic police procedural novels then I can recommend this series.
June 21, 2025
The second Sir Clinton Driffield mystery is very much like the first. It's fairly typical of a 1920s detective story, with upper class characters dominating. It shares with the rest of this series an odd deviation from actual policing at this period (and indeed, any time after modern regional police forces were formed in the nineteenth century): Sir Clinton, who is the Chief Constable of the county, takes an enthusiastic lead in the investigation. Chief Constable was a fairly symbolic rank, not including actual sleuthing, which was basically left to ranks specially trained to do so. This lapse may be deliberate: in the days when the gentry were powerful, especially in the shires, a pushy Chief Constable with an interest in crime would be hard for a mere Inspector to Sir Clifford to take over. (I suspect that this could be dangerous: if an untrained individual is leading the investigation, it would make it more likely that the investigation may fail if the rules were not properly followed.) But it's still a fun read.
January 21, 2022
The problem I'm starting to have with Connington is his protagonist Sir Clinton Driffield who is pretty much a rude arrogant prig and can get quite tiring over the length of a book. Expect lot's of clue's mixed with lot's of red herring's. Expect Sir Driffield to know instantly which is which and expect him to keep it to himself although with a occasional smirk or shrug of the shoulders. Expect a adoring side-kick for him to lecture continuously. Expect a long and tedious explanation at the end where he explains how his various surmises somehow turn into an increadibly detailed explanation of everything that happened as if he had been video-tapping the whole thing from the start.
Ok, maybe a little harsh, maybe I've been down this path too often, maybe ...naw I'll leave it at that.
Ok, maybe a little harsh, maybe I've been down this path too often, maybe ...naw I'll leave it at that.
June 22, 2021
Chief Constable Chief Clinton Driffield is invited to Ravensthorpe by Cecil and Joan Chacewater for the weekend. Ravensthorpe includes it own museum with the most valuable items 6 rare Leonardo Di Vinci Medallions. During the Masked Ball Party all the lights go out and with three of the medallions in what turns out to be a practical joke by Cecil Chacewater's nephew Maurice. The ruse, however, sets up the first part of an elaborate sting. Connington writes a complex mystery and the "Tragedy at Ravensthorpe" provides plenty of sleight of hand with the Leonardo Medallions the prize. As the mysterious gang who are casing the museum begin to fall out the murder count rises.
Want to read
November 6, 2018Synopsis: at a lonely country house, a masked ball is in progress when valuable medals are stolen. Sir Clinton unravels the confusing events.
February 21, 2022
Intricate, demanding, stylized ... thoroughly enjoyed when I am in the mood. Moving on to the next in the series, but in a while ...
December 30, 2018
A classic mystery : a masked ball at a country house, a priceless collection, a family feud. It's a complicated puzzle, with fake treasures, fake identities, and a rather unusual medical condition in one of the main characters. Good puzzling fun of the old-fashioned sort, but little psychology. Sir Clinton Driffield is a little too fond of letting his entourage know how smart he is, and there is never anything to check his sense of self-satisfaction. Even Hercule Poirot had to admit every once in a while that he had been wrong in his deductions !
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