The Tunnel Mystery

by J.C. Lenehan

On the branch line from Boxfield, at the edge of the Peak District, a baffling murder has been committed. As the train passes through Highpen Tunnel, someone has taken advantage of the total blackout to shoot dead one of the passengers. With the discovery that the victim was David Hyde, the noted Hatton Garden diamond merchant, a motive of robbery seems clear. Yet the local police (ably assisted by Inspector Kilby of the Yard) face some challenging questions. What happened to the murder weapon? And why was it that none of Hyde's fellow-passengers noticed the shot in such a confined space? As the investigation continues, Kilby soon discovers that this is far more than a mere case of petty theft - and that this cirme is the work of a very cunning mind indeed...

Originally published in 1929, this is a classic murder mystery thriller from the golden age of detective fiction!

Genres: Mystery

279 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1929

Reviews

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts with a murder, that becomes a puzzle, that needs to call in Scotland Yard and turns into an action packed end.

I like that the local police really do a great job at the start and ask intelligent questions. When it becomes obvious that the criminal is someone they can't find Scotland Yard is called in. And the nice thing is that the the Yard man and the local police all work together and it was their combined knowledge that solved the crime.

A fun mystery that really moves. I had a good idea who was the murderer at a point but that didn't make the story less interesting... cause you need to prove it. I have read short stories by Lenehan and they usually involve trains to some degree. A fun read and a fun puzzle.

[Rick Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tunnel Mystery involves a shooting inside a passenger train compartment as the train passes through a tunnel. The other occupants of the compartment are investigated at length. Much time is spent on trying to figure out just what happened. There are two love stories going on at the same time (Jack Davis/Freda Lowe, George Brent/Connie Hyde) and it is a bit difficult keeping them straight. The action progresses until the very end, and when the murderer is revealed it seems a bit like "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie (although that wouldn't be published for three more years). All the various threads get unravelled on the last few pages. All in all, there are way too many people investigating the crime - official and unofficial. One especially good character is William Ernest Pardoe, a schoolboy who was a witness to the crime. He has a knack of hanging around the rail yard and observing things that the pros overlook. RM

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenehan's second published novel, again featuring D.I. Kilby is a pacy adventure with a nicely open ending which, apparently gives a lead into his next,"The Silecroft Case".

This is thoroughly enjoyable, with murder, jewel theft, railway timetables, two romances, drugs, car chases and withheld evidence in the mixture.

The villains are not too difficult to spot although there are plenty of distractions keep the reader occupied.

Better-written than"The Marked Pistol' but easier to solve.

Really 3.5 stars

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first time reading this author but I will try some more of his books if I can find any.

Quite an ingenious tale with plenty of clues. Probably too many as I found it fairly easy to work out what was going on, hence only three stars.