There used to be two public houses in Dribbleford, the Chequers and the George, but when the “justices” decide that a village of three hundred people only needs one pub, the George closed. Despite a rivalry between the two clienteles, there has been a détente – if only so that a combined darts team with a hope of winning their local league can be formed – and it’s time for a trip in the Dribbleford Queen, a second-hand charabanc, to the annual darts conference…

…which is basically an excuse for the twelve passengers to stop at every pub on the way back and drink themselves silly. Which is a shame, because if they weren’t all drunk, one of them might have seen old Tom Pewter being stabbed while sitting in the front seat.

One of the rarer Miles Burton titles – in other words, near unfindable at any price – and it’s very much a game of two halves.

The opening section is great, with Burton/Rhode/Street’s love of the local pub just shining through. The stories of the two pubs and the trip to the darts conference are just marvelous. The murder is suitably mysterious and the less-than-effective investigations by the local constabulary are entertaining – there’s a lovely line about Inspector Crane being so familiar wandering round the village investigating that children start following him around. And then they hit a brick wall and summon Scotland Yard.

And then it gets a little bit weird. Inspector Arnold invites Desmond Merrion to help out, who promptly decides to break out on his own and not work with Arnold, even refusing to share what is a pretty solid lead. As the halfway mark hits, suddenly it hits the reader – this isn’t really a mystery.

There’s a certain point when we basically know who the villain is – and we are very much told this, rather than being given anything to work it out – and the second part of the book becomes much less interesting. It’s the story of an investigation rather than a play-along mystery and the final sequence – when we know who the murderer and the motive is – is just an extended chase sequence. And the method of murder in a charabanc is not desperately interesting either. The death of Merrion’s friend could have added some weight, but after a page or so of being upset, it’s business as usual.

So very much a game of two halves, the first far superior to the second. As I said, this would cost you a fortune to buy if you can find a copy, but unlike some other ultra-rarities, such as Death Of Two Brothers, I’m not convinced it’d be worth it.

Oh, a charabanc is an old-style minibus, in case you’re too young to have never heard the word before.