The Rockingdown Mystery

The holidays will be fun, think Roger and Diana, despite having to have extra lessons. Their cousin Snubby is staying with them, and they make a new friend called Barney. But when Barney disappears the children begin to worry about the strange behaviour of their new tutor.

The first of the Barney "R" Mysteries takes place at Rockingdown Hall, a deserted mansion once owned by Lady Rockingdown and occupied by her son until he was killed in "a war," after which his wife died of a broken heart (is that actually a medical condition?). Tragically, their two children were also killed—little Miss Arabella fell from a high nursery window, and young Master Bob later died of scarlet fever. After that the place was emptied, locked up, and forgotten—and the nurseries on the top floor were left exactly as they were, fully furnished, to gather dust and cobwebs...