Murder in the Maze · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Murder in the Maze by J. J. Connington.
Chapter 1
I: The Hackleton Case
Neville Shandon, a barrister, recuperates at his brother Roger's estate, Whistlefield. The chapter introduces the Shandon family, including the idle brother Ernest and their niece Sylvia Hawkhurst. Neville discusses his ongoing Hackleton case, a complex legal battle involving a dangerous opponent, while the family prepares for a casual afternoon.
Chapter 2
The Affair in the Maze
Vera Forrest and Howard Torrance become separated in the maze at Whistlefield. Vera hears cries and thuds, then Howard discovers the body of Roger Shandon. The murderer may still be in the maze, and Vera must find her way out while avoiding the killer. She eventually reaches the exit and is instructed to raise the alarm.
Chapter 3
III: The Immediate Results
Vera Forrest returns to the house to raise the alarm after discovering Neville Shandon's body in the Maze. She finds the house nearly empty and enlists the help of the secretary, Mr. Stenness, who efficiently organizes the response, sending for the police and arming gardeners. Meanwhile, Howard Torrance and Stenness return to the Maze to guard the body, where they examine evidence including a scrap of paper in Neville's hand and Skene's discovery of darts and a tin box lid near Roger Shandon's body. The chapter highlights the immediate aftermath and the beginning of the investigation.
Chapter 4
IV: The Chief Constable
Sir Clinton Driffield arrives at Whistlefield with Wendover and police. Stenness leads them to the two murder scenes in the Maze. Sir Clinton examines both bodies, photographs the scenes, and uses a dog to track the murderer's path, which ends inconclusively at a tree and then a road. He also encounters Timothy Costock, an old acquaintance from South Africa, and warns him not to incriminate himself. The doctor arrives to begin formal examinations.
Chapter 5
The Evidence in the Case
Sir Clinton Driffield interviews the household at Whistlefield, gathering testimonies from Vera Forrest, Howard Torrance, and Mr. Stenness about the events in the Maze and the relationships among the Shandon brothers. Stenness reveals threatening letters to Roger Shandon, his gambling habits, and tensions with Dr. Ardsley. Ernest Shandon arrives late, expressing disbelief at the murders and providing a vague alibi involving a nail in his boot.
Chapter 6
VI: The Toxicologist
Sir Clinton Driffield and Wendover visit Dr. Ardsley, a toxicologist, to identify the poison used on the darts. Ardsley tests the poison on a guinea pig and identifies it as curare, revealing that a supply of curare is kept openly at Whistlefield. Sir Clinton urgently dispatches Wendover and Ardsley to secure the poison, while he makes seemingly casual purchases at the village ironmonger and druggist, hinting at a deeper investigation.
Chapter 7
VII: The Pot of Curare
Wendover and Dr. Ardsley visit Whistlefield to secure a pot of curare for Sir Clinton. They encounter Arthur Hawkhurst's hostility and Sylvia's distress over the murders. Sir Clinton arrives, negotiates with Ernest Shandon (now an executor of Roger's will) to borrow the pot, and examines the darts from the Maze. Arthur reveals his expertise with airguns, and the chapter ends with Sir Clinton taking the curare pot.
Chapter 8
VIII: Opportunity, Method, and Motive
Sir Clinton Driffield and Wendover discuss the murder case over drinks. Sir Clinton outlines the three pillars of a prosecution case: opportunity, method, and motive. Wendover presents his theories on possible suspects including Hackleton, young Hawkhurst, Dr. Ardsley, Howard Torrance, and Tim Costock, while Sir Clinton challenges each theory and emphasizes the difficulty of real-life detective work compared to fiction.
Chapter 9
IX: The Burglary at Whistlefield
Sir Clinton Driffield receives a phone call about a burglary at Whistlefield and rushes to investigate with Wendover. At the house, Ernest Shandon and Stenness recount the events: Ernest heard a noise while reviewing Roger's papers, went for a walk, discovered a ladder against Neville's window, and saw a masked figure. He and Stenness found the room ransacked but did not catch the burglar. Sir Clinton inspects the scene and notes the ladder marks and soil on the windowsill, but decides not to post guards, suspecting the burglars got what they wanted.
Chapter 10
X: The Third Attack in the Maze
Sir Clinton and Wendover discuss the burglary at Whistlefield and the lack of clues. Wendover speculates that the burglar was in Hackleton's pay, seeking Neville Shandon's notes. Sir Clinton later receives a call about an attempted murder of Ernest Shandon, who is found in a state of nervous collapse. Sir Clinton advises Ernest to reveal his knowledge to ensure safety, and questions him about Stenness's whereabouts during the incident.
Chapter 11
XI: The Squire's Theories
Wendover and Sir Clinton discuss various theories about the murders, including the possibility of mistaken identity, a cooperative murder scheme, and the significance of the burglary. Sir Clinton reveals that the murderer knew the Shandons by sight, suggesting a local connection. They examine the Maze, finding a black silk thread and Ernest Shandon's cigar-case, which Sir Clinton decides to keep secret for further examination. Sir Clinton hints that he knows the murderer's identity but lacks proof.
Chapter 12
The Fourth Attack
Sylvia Hawkhurst is shot with a poisoned dart through an open window during a bridge game. Wendover pursues the attacker into the rhododendrons and retrieves the airgun. Ernest Shandon's cowardice is evident as he refuses to help. Sir Clinton examines the evidence and the group's tensions rise.
Chapter 13
The Dart
Wendover is deeply unsettled after the attack on Sylvia Hawkhurst, struggling to reconcile the events with his earlier theories linking them to Hackleton. He confronts Sir Clinton, who reveals he had set himself up as bait for the murderer during the bridge party, expecting the attack on himself rather than Sylvia. Sir Clinton admits uncertainty whether the dart was meant for him or Sylvia, and discloses that the airgun used in the earlier murders has been recovered from the river.
Chapter 14
The Forged Cheque
Sir Clinton Driffield interviews Ernest Shandon's secretary, Mr. Stenness, about a forged cheque. He presents a hypothetical case involving John Doe and Richard Roe to illustrate how a secretary could forge his employer's signature, destroy the original cheque, and remove the counterfoil to cover the crime. Sir Clinton suggests that the forger might have murdered his employer to prevent discovery. The chapter ends with Dr. Ardsley announcing that Sylvia Hawkhurst has died.
Chapter 15
XV: The Secretary's Affairs
Stenness confesses to Sir Clinton that he forged Roger Shandon's signature to recover money Shandon had swindled from him. He explains his moral justification, his love for Sylvia Hawkhurst, and why he did not flee after the murders. Sir Clinton, after hearing his account, decides to give him a chance and instructs him to secure the money.
Chapter 16
XVI: The Last Attack in the Maze
In the aftermath of Sylvia Hawkhurst's death, tensions rise at Whistlefield. Ernest Shandon displays his characteristic cowardice, refusing to retrieve his lost cigar-case from the Maze at night, while his nephew Arthur Hawkhurst volunteers to go, partly out of bravado and contempt for his uncle. Sir Clinton Driffield reveals he has recovered a sum of money for Ernest and hints that he knows the murderer's identity, but decides to delay the arrest until morning, risking the suspect's escape to avoid a scandal. The chapter ends with Sir Clinton making a coded phone call to the police station, ostensibly ordering tobacco but likely arranging for reinforcements.
Chapter 17
XVII: The Siege in the Maze
Sir Clinton Driffield leads a siege in the Maze to capture the murderer, Ernest Shandon. After a night of planning, he gathers Wendover, Stenness, and Ardsley, arms them, and surrounds the Maze. Ernest, trapped and choking on sulphur fumes, attempts to escape but is driven back by gunfire. He eventually shoots himself in Helen's Bower. Sir Clinton recovers a letter addressed to Stenness from Ernest's body, and the case concludes with Ernest's suicide.
Chapter 18
XVIII: The Truth of the Matter
Sir Clinton Driffield reconstructs the murders in the Maze, explaining how Ernest Shandon killed his two brothers using a poisoned airgun and darts, mistaking Roger for Neville, and then later faked an attack on himself to divert suspicion. He outlines the evidence, the loopholes, the bicycle alibi, and the motive of inheritance, concluding that Ernest is the mass-murderer driven by greed.
