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Albert Campion #short stories
The Return of Mr. Campion
A collection of thirteen short stories brings back an acclaimed Golden Age mystery author’s beloved sleuth, as well as a host of fresh characters and genres.Margery Allingham fans will delight at being reunited with the Queen of Crime’s most thrilling detective, Albert Campion. From capers and traditional mysteries to slice-of-life stories, romantic tales, and even a Christmas story, this anthology is a must-have for Allingham enthusiasts, as well as readers who have yet to discover the esteemed English author.Praise for Margery Allingham“Margery Allingham stands out like a shining knight.” —Agatha Christie“My very favourite of the four Queens of crime is Allingham.” —J.K. Rowling“Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered.” —P.D. James“Spending an evening with Campion is one of life’s pure pleasures.” —The Sunday Times“Startlingly good.” —The Guardian“At once exciting and amusing.” —The New York Times
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1989
223 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Margery Allingham
267 books598 followersAka Maxwell March.
Margery Louise Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for women's magazines as Emmie Allingham. Margery's aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunt's magazine.
Soon after Margery's birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was her collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.
Margery's breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, The Crime at Black Dudley . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for Mystery Mile and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.
After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, A Cargo of Eagles at her request, and published it in 1968.
Also wrote as: Maxwell March
Margery Louise Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for women's magazines as Emmie Allingham. Margery's aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunt's magazine.
Soon after Margery's birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was her collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.
Margery's breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, The Crime at Black Dudley . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for Mystery Mile and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.
After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, A Cargo of Eagles at her request, and published it in 1968.
Also wrote as: Maxwell March
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 15, 2019
Somehow, I have lost my notes containing the excerpts from this collection of short stories that I wanted to share with you. Hopefully they will turn up in some unexpected place, some time in the future, and I will be able to add them.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: In this fantastic collection of thirteen short stories, Margery Allingham explores both the Mystery and the other genres it has allowed her to write.
From a Christmastime story and a portrait of her leading man, Albert Campion, to classic capers and the traditional British mystery, Allingham displays her wit, her humour, and her prowess not just as a Mystery writer but as a storyteller.
Published thirty years after it’s first publication, The Return of Mr Campion proves that both The Mystery and Allingham are still everywhere.
The Return of Mr Campion was first published in 1989 and contains the following short stories:
The case is altered -- Mr friend Mr. Campion -- The dog day -- The wind glass -- The beauty king -- The black tent -- Sweet and low --Once in a lifetime -- The kernel of truth -- Happy Christmas -- The wisdom of Esdras -- The curious affair in Nut Row -- What to do with an ageing detective
MY THOUGHTS: This was a mixed bag of short stories, many of which didn't actually feature Mr Campion. But there is plenty to keep the reader interested, with tales of crime, blackmail, romance and even a ghost story.
Of great interest to me is the lack of political correctness that was very evident at the time this collection was written. Very strict social mores are also in evidence. People talk of living in simpler times, but it seems to me that the difficulties were just different.
3.5
THE AUTHOR: Margery Louise Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for women's magazines. Margery's aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunt's magazine.
Soon after Margery's birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was her collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.
Margery's breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, The Crime at Black Dudley . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for Mystery Mile and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.
After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, A Cargo of Eagles at her request, and published it in 1968.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Agora Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Return of Mr Campion by Margery Allingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT THIS BOOK: In this fantastic collection of thirteen short stories, Margery Allingham explores both the Mystery and the other genres it has allowed her to write.
From a Christmastime story and a portrait of her leading man, Albert Campion, to classic capers and the traditional British mystery, Allingham displays her wit, her humour, and her prowess not just as a Mystery writer but as a storyteller.
Published thirty years after it’s first publication, The Return of Mr Campion proves that both The Mystery and Allingham are still everywhere.
The Return of Mr Campion was first published in 1989 and contains the following short stories:
The case is altered -- Mr friend Mr. Campion -- The dog day -- The wind glass -- The beauty king -- The black tent -- Sweet and low --Once in a lifetime -- The kernel of truth -- Happy Christmas -- The wisdom of Esdras -- The curious affair in Nut Row -- What to do with an ageing detective
MY THOUGHTS: This was a mixed bag of short stories, many of which didn't actually feature Mr Campion. But there is plenty to keep the reader interested, with tales of crime, blackmail, romance and even a ghost story.
Of great interest to me is the lack of political correctness that was very evident at the time this collection was written. Very strict social mores are also in evidence. People talk of living in simpler times, but it seems to me that the difficulties were just different.
3.5
THE AUTHOR: Margery Louise Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for women's magazines. Margery's aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunt's magazine.
Soon after Margery's birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was her collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.
Margery's breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, The Crime at Black Dudley . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for Mystery Mile and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.
After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, A Cargo of Eagles at her request, and published it in 1968.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Agora Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Return of Mr Campion by Margery Allingham for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 6, 2022
Despite what the title might suggest, not all these stories involve Albert Campion.
These short stories are a collection from throughout the career of Margery Allingham. Some were published in such diverse publications as Woman's Own, Strand Magazine, and The Daily Mail while others were previously unpublished or unknown until after the author's death.
All the stories do show Allingham's gift for great storytelling and are a great introduction to her work. I enjoyed the The Wind Glass in particular as it is very creepy and not the sort of tale I would have associated with Margery Allingham - isn't it great to have surprises?
These short stories are a collection from throughout the career of Margery Allingham. Some were published in such diverse publications as Woman's Own, Strand Magazine, and The Daily Mail while others were previously unpublished or unknown until after the author's death.
All the stories do show Allingham's gift for great storytelling and are a great introduction to her work. I enjoyed the The Wind Glass in particular as it is very creepy and not the sort of tale I would have associated with Margery Allingham - isn't it great to have surprises?
March 30, 2019
This 2019 release of Margery Allingham's The Return of Mr. Campion contains 13 short stories and one from The Allingham Casebook. Out of the 14 total stories seven feature Albert Campion with two of those being told by Inspector Charlie Luke while he's with Campion at his club, the Platelayers' Arms. Allingham's interest for me has always been her novels because I feel the Albert Campion character needs a longer time to have his character revealed to readers. Short stories don't always give readers a sense of Campion's quirky character as well as other slightly off-kilter characters he seems to gravitate toward, with Magersfontein Lugg being a prime example. If you already know this author's work and like it, you might be more prone to enjoying this short story collection.
One example of the interesting stories included in this collection is "What To Do With An Ageing Detective". Allingham, the author, visits Campion, her character invention, to discuss what to do about his future. From there the story goes a little strange. This was a fun collection to read, but the stories which don't include Campion are just interesting, not necessarily the author's best or most enjoyable work. I'm always surprised to learn that an author can be such a favorite for me when they stay within the parameters of their series and yet not interest me much when they write outside that series. Probably this one is best for true Margery Allingham and Albert Campion fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for an e-Galley of this short story collection.
One example of the interesting stories included in this collection is "What To Do With An Ageing Detective". Allingham, the author, visits Campion, her character invention, to discuss what to do about his future. From there the story goes a little strange. This was a fun collection to read, but the stories which don't include Campion are just interesting, not necessarily the author's best or most enjoyable work. I'm always surprised to learn that an author can be such a favorite for me when they stay within the parameters of their series and yet not interest me much when they write outside that series. Probably this one is best for true Margery Allingham and Albert Campion fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for an e-Galley of this short story collection.
May 3, 2019
Hmmm...
I do not know how I feel about this collection of stories. Some of them were entertaining; others were quite uninteresting.
I do not know how I feel about this collection of stories. Some of them were entertaining; others were quite uninteresting.
April 11, 2019
The Return of Mr. Campion is a collection of short mystery stories starring gentleman detective Mr. Albert Campion through various adventures in mid-20th-century Britain. This edition, published by Agora Books and released on April 11, 2019, includes The Tall Man, which was not in the original Return of Mr. Campion, as well as an excellent forward by Margery Allingham titled Mystery Writer in the Box that I found extremely interesting about both her work and the genre of mystery fiction in general. Born in 1904, Ms. Allingham wrote British mystery stories, many of which included Mr. Campion, for many many years. And her mysteries are very involved and the solution well hidden.
I am pleased to see these novels being re-issued. They are timeless, and an excellent way to calm the world around you if only for a few hours. I look forward to many more, Agora. Thank you.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Margery Allingham, and Agora Books.
I have read and reviewed this book on my own volition. This is my honest opinion of this work.
Reviewed April 11, 2019, at Goodreads, Netgalley, Amazon, and B&N. Not yet available at Kobo and BookBub.
I am pleased to see these novels being re-issued. They are timeless, and an excellent way to calm the world around you if only for a few hours. I look forward to many more, Agora. Thank you.
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Margery Allingham, and Agora Books.
I have read and reviewed this book on my own volition. This is my honest opinion of this work.
Reviewed April 11, 2019, at Goodreads, Netgalley, Amazon, and B&N. Not yet available at Kobo and BookBub.
April 11, 2019
For me none of these short stories, and some were really short, stood out as a wonderful story. Considering the title of the book I did expect all the stories to be about Campion and his investigations but this was not the case. Two stars because I did read all the stories but I was left with the feeling of disappointment.
A NetGalley Book
A NetGalley Book
April 11, 2019
“The Return of Mr. Campion” is a collection of essays and short stories. The best of the short stories involve Margery Allingham’s long-running character Albert Campion. There are a several non-Campion stories included in the collection as well.
Allingham’s opening essay tells the story of her writing career. I’m a long-time Allingham fan, and have read most of the full length Campion stories. Although I’m not always sure I want to see the puppet master behind the scenes, the essay fleshed out parts of Allingham’s history, and her philosophy of the mystery that I found interesting. Her opinions about the mystery genre are revealing about the golden age of crime novels in which she wrote. I wonder what she would make of the unreliable narrator mystery so popular these days.
My favorite piece is a short essay in which Allingham introduces her "friend Mr. Campion.” Her fondness for her character and his eccentricities is charming, and very like my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Allingham’s opening essay tells the story of her writing career. I’m a long-time Allingham fan, and have read most of the full length Campion stories. Although I’m not always sure I want to see the puppet master behind the scenes, the essay fleshed out parts of Allingham’s history, and her philosophy of the mystery that I found interesting. Her opinions about the mystery genre are revealing about the golden age of crime novels in which she wrote. I wonder what she would make of the unreliable narrator mystery so popular these days.
My favorite piece is a short essay in which Allingham introduces her "friend Mr. Campion.” Her fondness for her character and his eccentricities is charming, and very like my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 4, 2019
Unexpected.
I had hoped for a collection of Albert Campion short stories but instead there is a mixture of some of him but the majority of the stories are not. Instead they are a bundle of intriguing short works; some eerie, some intriguing but all worth reading and enjoyable.
I had hoped for a collection of Albert Campion short stories but instead there is a mixture of some of him but the majority of the stories are not. Instead they are a bundle of intriguing short works; some eerie, some intriguing but all worth reading and enjoyable.
May 11, 2014
It is easy to forget that Margery Allingham wrote anything other than the Albert Campion stories, and this collection demonstrates why.
Allingham herself seems to have recognized this essential division in the quality of her writing by referring to her "left-handed' (her mainstream fiction) and 'right-handed' (her detective genre fiction) efforts, and like most posthumous collections that are peppered with "never-before published" stories, mostly we find out why the story never made it out of the drawer of an author who could, by reputation alone, get anything they wrote into print.
This book operates best as a working biography of the author, where one can see the development of her ideas and style over four decades alongside indulgent commentary by the editor explaining why this story only appears to be drab and stupid and half-hearted. This editorial interjection is a little silly and misleading. After all, Allingham was a professional writer for the pulps at a time when that meant the best strategy was 80% hack production writing and 10% best effort, the rest being backfill and self-promotion work. The thing that is admirable about Allingham is that she eventually shifted that balance to more than 50% best effort.
Highlights of this volume include a nastily racist bit of work of the Fu Manchu school of orientalism, entitled The Windglass, several lazy romance stories that attempt to turn on an O. Henry-esque plot shift, a couple of short "Allingham talks about Campion" clips that tell us essentially nothing we didn't already know, a quartet of sketchy Campion stories, and a treacly mess of Christmas cheer that is so contrived and weepy that Dickens would throw this book to the wall upon reading it.
Because of Allingham's skill as a writer there is nothing absolutely bad about this collection (excepting the misleading title, since stories and pieces including Mr Campion are not even a half of the volume), yet this is an indulgence not a necessity for the average reader who likes the Albert Campion stories and wants more.
Allingham herself seems to have recognized this essential division in the quality of her writing by referring to her "left-handed' (her mainstream fiction) and 'right-handed' (her detective genre fiction) efforts, and like most posthumous collections that are peppered with "never-before published" stories, mostly we find out why the story never made it out of the drawer of an author who could, by reputation alone, get anything they wrote into print.
This book operates best as a working biography of the author, where one can see the development of her ideas and style over four decades alongside indulgent commentary by the editor explaining why this story only appears to be drab and stupid and half-hearted. This editorial interjection is a little silly and misleading. After all, Allingham was a professional writer for the pulps at a time when that meant the best strategy was 80% hack production writing and 10% best effort, the rest being backfill and self-promotion work. The thing that is admirable about Allingham is that she eventually shifted that balance to more than 50% best effort.
Highlights of this volume include a nastily racist bit of work of the Fu Manchu school of orientalism, entitled The Windglass, several lazy romance stories that attempt to turn on an O. Henry-esque plot shift, a couple of short "Allingham talks about Campion" clips that tell us essentially nothing we didn't already know, a quartet of sketchy Campion stories, and a treacly mess of Christmas cheer that is so contrived and weepy that Dickens would throw this book to the wall upon reading it.
Because of Allingham's skill as a writer there is nothing absolutely bad about this collection (excepting the misleading title, since stories and pieces including Mr Campion are not even a half of the volume), yet this is an indulgence not a necessity for the average reader who likes the Albert Campion stories and wants more.
December 13, 2020
"The Return of Mr. Campion" by Margery Allingham features the titular detective, but only in a few stories. Many of the stories were either "look of love"-themed romances or non-Campion mysteries.
The Campion stories are, naturally, the strongest entries in the book, along with an essay about writing. I've always enjoyed Allingham's short Campion fiction more than her full-length novels, perhaps because Campion has less time to dither in the short stories. I find him somewhat irritating if I have to spend a lot of time with him.
While I enjoyed the Campion stories, I found most of the rest to be well-written, but of little interest. Maybe if the title had read, "Campion and Others," my expectations would have been better fulfilled. I was prepared for, and wanting, a volume of Campion stories, and got instead a hodgepodge of musings, mysteries, and light romance.
Fans of Allingham will probably enjoy this, but other readers should start with "Police at the Funeral" or one of the other short fiction collections.
I received a copy from Crime Classics Review Club and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Campion stories are, naturally, the strongest entries in the book, along with an essay about writing. I've always enjoyed Allingham's short Campion fiction more than her full-length novels, perhaps because Campion has less time to dither in the short stories. I find him somewhat irritating if I have to spend a lot of time with him.
While I enjoyed the Campion stories, I found most of the rest to be well-written, but of little interest. Maybe if the title had read, "Campion and Others," my expectations would have been better fulfilled. I was prepared for, and wanting, a volume of Campion stories, and got instead a hodgepodge of musings, mysteries, and light romance.
Fans of Allingham will probably enjoy this, but other readers should start with "Police at the Funeral" or one of the other short fiction collections.
I received a copy from Crime Classics Review Club and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 20, 2020
This is a funny collection because it's such a hodgepodge. Only about half actually feature Campion, and in only two ("The Case is Altered" and "The Black Tent") is he the central character actually engaged in detection. There are a couple of sketches that are particularly amusing from a writer's point of view where Allingham reminisces about her invention of the Campion character and his development through the years; and a pair of stories where he makes essentially a cameo appearance listening to a policeman friend relate stories of past cases ("The Curious Affair in Nut Row" and "Tall Story," both entertaining).
The rest of the collection is made up of a couple stories I guess you'd describe as magical realism ("The Beauty King," "The Kernel of Truth"), a couple of supernatural/ghost stories I skipped, and a handful of no genre in particular. One of these was a delightful surprise and my favorite out of the whole collection: "Sweet and Low," a charming horse-related story involving an attempt at matchmaking and a show jumper with a hidden quirk.
The rest of the collection is made up of a couple stories I guess you'd describe as magical realism ("The Beauty King," "The Kernel of Truth"), a couple of supernatural/ghost stories I skipped, and a handful of no genre in particular. One of these was a delightful surprise and my favorite out of the whole collection: "Sweet and Low," a charming horse-related story involving an attempt at matchmaking and a show jumper with a hidden quirk.
October 3, 2024
MY RATING GUIDE: Unfortunately, 2.5-3 Stars from me, but other readers of Allingham’s writing may enjoy this collection. I had hoped for much more “Campion and Friends” mysteries/cases and less “fluff.” Allingham does include a few new-to-me nuggets of information about Campion and his history for which I bumped my rating from a 2 to 3 stars. I appreciated the included backstory more than most of the included stories.
I read Margery Allingham’s Campion 21 book series for the first time during the 1970’s (or earlier). I have been rereading the novels and now have just one or 2 remaining. The Collections are among the last. Usually I enjoy this Classic Mystery series (this was an exception) and recommend it to readers of British Mysteries, the Classics or Sayers, Christie, Ngaio Marsh, etc. (Previous titles have been reviewed separately).
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= NOPE; NOT FOR ME; 3= This was okay/fairly good; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved this; it was great! (I SELDOM give 5 Stars).
Allingham’s lead character Mr Campion is:
> an amateur detective hired or interested enough to investigate discretely private affairs.
> He was “born” in 1900, into High Society as the younger son and later brother to a Duke.
> He is equally at ease with the rich and upper classes as with the poor (similar to Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey).
> He has a very unassuming nature, therefore often being overlooked.
> He lives and works off Bottle St, a cul-de-sac off Piccadilly St. London.
> Unknown to most, during the war Campion worked for the Spec Branch, Foreign Affairs Department.
> Allingham states in THE RETURN OF CAMPION, that she planned Campion to age with the actual date of her books, (ie., in 1933 he is 33, and 1945, 45yrs, etc).
Comments ~
I thought THE RETURN OF MR CAMPION would be a collection of 13 new-to-me short mysteries/cases featuring Campion & his friends (Chief Inspector Luke, Lugg, etc). But that isn’t the case. Only 7 stories in this collection mention “Campion characters” and of these, some only very slightly. I felt this collection consisted mainly of rejected odds and ends - ideas discarded from any serious consideration elsewhere - “ghost” stories, etc. While certain readers (who enjoy owning complete collections of their favorite authors’ works) may enjoy such a collection as THE RETURN OF MR CAMPION, sadly, I can’t recommend it (although Allingham did include background information on Campion that I had not read elsewhere).
I do recommend the Campion series, overall, and a separate collection, MR CAMPION AND OTHERS. Each story in MR CAMPION AND OTHERS does involve Campion and his colleagues (unlike THE RETURN). I enjoyed reading it much more.
THE RETURN OF MR CAMPION ~
1) The Case is Altered - a Campion case.
2) My Friend Mr Campion - Allingham’s character description of Campion.
Born 1900, Rugby, Cambridge grad, invest in 1924, offices above police station, Bottle St, Piccadilly.
3) The Dog Day - a Campion story, not truly a case.
4) The Wind Glass - no Campion. Like a ghost story.
5) The Beauty King - no Campion. An odd story about a beauty treatment dev for women. Odd.
6) The Black Tent - a very brief investigation w Campion & Super Stanislaus Oates.
7) Sweet & Low - no Campion but a decent story about horse jumping.
8) Once in a Lifetime - no Campion. A rather sad story about a first & lost love.
9) The Kernel of Truth - no Campion. A story about an elusive recipe ingredient.
10) Happy CMAS - no Campion. A story about Cmas.
11) The Widom of Esdras - no Campion. A ghost story.
12) The Curious Affair of Nut Row - Divisional Detective Chief Inspector Luke shares a story from his past as a police Constable.
13) What to do w an Aging Detective - no Campion but a brief talk/interview with Lugg, his valet.
Extra - The Allingham’s Casebook:
Tall Story - Campion. Div. Detective Chief Inspector Luke relates a story of how he was promoted from a Constable on Horse Patrol to work for Scotland Yard as a detective in training.
READER CAUTIONS ~ None.
PROFANITY - None.
VIOLENCE - PG.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
I read Margery Allingham’s Campion 21 book series for the first time during the 1970’s (or earlier). I have been rereading the novels and now have just one or 2 remaining. The Collections are among the last. Usually I enjoy this Classic Mystery series (this was an exception) and recommend it to readers of British Mysteries, the Classics or Sayers, Christie, Ngaio Marsh, etc. (Previous titles have been reviewed separately).
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= NOPE; NOT FOR ME; 3= This was okay/fairly good; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved this; it was great! (I SELDOM give 5 Stars).
Allingham’s lead character Mr Campion is:
> an amateur detective hired or interested enough to investigate discretely private affairs.
> He was “born” in 1900, into High Society as the younger son and later brother to a Duke.
> He is equally at ease with the rich and upper classes as with the poor (similar to Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey).
> He has a very unassuming nature, therefore often being overlooked.
> He lives and works off Bottle St, a cul-de-sac off Piccadilly St. London.
> Unknown to most, during the war Campion worked for the Spec Branch, Foreign Affairs Department.
> Allingham states in THE RETURN OF CAMPION, that she planned Campion to age with the actual date of her books, (ie., in 1933 he is 33, and 1945, 45yrs, etc).
Comments ~
I thought THE RETURN OF MR CAMPION would be a collection of 13 new-to-me short mysteries/cases featuring Campion & his friends (Chief Inspector Luke, Lugg, etc). But that isn’t the case. Only 7 stories in this collection mention “Campion characters” and of these, some only very slightly. I felt this collection consisted mainly of rejected odds and ends - ideas discarded from any serious consideration elsewhere - “ghost” stories, etc. While certain readers (who enjoy owning complete collections of their favorite authors’ works) may enjoy such a collection as THE RETURN OF MR CAMPION, sadly, I can’t recommend it (although Allingham did include background information on Campion that I had not read elsewhere).
I do recommend the Campion series, overall, and a separate collection, MR CAMPION AND OTHERS. Each story in MR CAMPION AND OTHERS does involve Campion and his colleagues (unlike THE RETURN). I enjoyed reading it much more.
THE RETURN OF MR CAMPION ~
1) The Case is Altered - a Campion case.
2) My Friend Mr Campion - Allingham’s character description of Campion.
Born 1900, Rugby, Cambridge grad, invest in 1924, offices above police station, Bottle St, Piccadilly.
3) The Dog Day - a Campion story, not truly a case.
4) The Wind Glass - no Campion. Like a ghost story.
5) The Beauty King - no Campion. An odd story about a beauty treatment dev for women. Odd.
6) The Black Tent - a very brief investigation w Campion & Super Stanislaus Oates.
7) Sweet & Low - no Campion but a decent story about horse jumping.
8) Once in a Lifetime - no Campion. A rather sad story about a first & lost love.
9) The Kernel of Truth - no Campion. A story about an elusive recipe ingredient.
10) Happy CMAS - no Campion. A story about Cmas.
11) The Widom of Esdras - no Campion. A ghost story.
12) The Curious Affair of Nut Row - Divisional Detective Chief Inspector Luke shares a story from his past as a police Constable.
13) What to do w an Aging Detective - no Campion but a brief talk/interview with Lugg, his valet.
Extra - The Allingham’s Casebook:
Tall Story - Campion. Div. Detective Chief Inspector Luke relates a story of how he was promoted from a Constable on Horse Patrol to work for Scotland Yard as a detective in training.
READER CAUTIONS ~ None.
PROFANITY - None.
VIOLENCE - PG.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
June 19, 2020
Like all Golden Era mystery writers, Margery Allingham wrote short stories for magazines like The Strand. She published three collections of her short stories during her life. It was a favorite trick of mystery writers then to get paid twice for the same piece of work. Agatha Christie not only published collections of stories first printed in magazines, she then rearranged the stories and printed them in new collections. Old Dame Agatha was a businesswoman.
After Allingham's death in 1966, three more collections of short stories were published. This was the last one published and appeared in 1989. Being a suspicious sort, I figured that the stories in it would be reprinted from earlier collections, but I was wrong. In the three collections published during the author's life, there's some duplication of stories, but the collections published after her death (including this one) are all new stories. Allingham's Albert Campion mysteries were wildly popular from the start. How could it be that thirteen of her short stories went uncollected until twenty-three years after her death?
If there's an answer to that question, it's not contained in this book. Nor is there a table of contents or a section telling when and where the stories were first printed. Was this omitted when the print version was transformed into an e-book? No idea.
I'm an Allingham fan and I love short stories, so I was delighted to find this book on sale and I devoured it in one sitting. To me the best part is the introduction in which the author tells about her parents and early childhood and explains how she was almost FATED to become a writer. Sadly, Allingham didn't leave an autobiography, so her fans have to search for clues about her. This introduction is gold.
i also love "My Friend Mr Campion" and "What to Do With an Ageing Detective" which are Allingham's witty explanation of how her famous detective and his wonderful sidekick Lugg came into her life. She took no credit for their creation, claiming that both of them wormed their way into her books and refused to leave. Some mystery writers allow their detectives to skip the ageing process, but between 1929 and 1966, Albert Campion aged just like the rest of us and was greatly improved by doing so. He certainly doesn't need to be concerned at the absurdity of a 60-something detective solving crimes. Both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple tottered happily into senility still catching criminals.
From the title, you might expect this book to be all Campion, all the time, but it's not. Campion only appears in four of the stories, but they're good ones. I was happy to see Chief Inspector Stanislaus Oates of Scotland Yard and the lesser-known Divisional Detective Chief Inspector Luke. Luke is a dramatic story-teller whose specialty is entertaining the drinkers at his local pub with tales of mysteries he's solved. Albert Campion is always his most appreciative listener. Allingham created two memorable professional coppers. I love the books that feature Inspector Oates and I wish there were more stories with Inspector Luke.
The other stories are a mixed bag, but I enjoyed all of them. Several have paranormal themes. Spiritualism was popular when Allingham was young and didn't carry the reputation for con-artistry that it has achieved since then. The rest could be called love stories. My favorite is a funny one concerning a group of horse-mad young people and the rivalries between them. It's very convincing, so I assume the author had some knowledge of the horsey set.
Allingham was a superb writer. Thank goodness she came to the early realization that mixing humor and mystery is not only possible, but brilliant. Once she turned that corner, she went on to create characters and plots that are still being enjoyed decades later. I've come late to this series, but perhaps I appreciate it even more than I would have as a younger woman.
After Allingham's death in 1966, three more collections of short stories were published. This was the last one published and appeared in 1989. Being a suspicious sort, I figured that the stories in it would be reprinted from earlier collections, but I was wrong. In the three collections published during the author's life, there's some duplication of stories, but the collections published after her death (including this one) are all new stories. Allingham's Albert Campion mysteries were wildly popular from the start. How could it be that thirteen of her short stories went uncollected until twenty-three years after her death?
If there's an answer to that question, it's not contained in this book. Nor is there a table of contents or a section telling when and where the stories were first printed. Was this omitted when the print version was transformed into an e-book? No idea.
I'm an Allingham fan and I love short stories, so I was delighted to find this book on sale and I devoured it in one sitting. To me the best part is the introduction in which the author tells about her parents and early childhood and explains how she was almost FATED to become a writer. Sadly, Allingham didn't leave an autobiography, so her fans have to search for clues about her. This introduction is gold.
i also love "My Friend Mr Campion" and "What to Do With an Ageing Detective" which are Allingham's witty explanation of how her famous detective and his wonderful sidekick Lugg came into her life. She took no credit for their creation, claiming that both of them wormed their way into her books and refused to leave. Some mystery writers allow their detectives to skip the ageing process, but between 1929 and 1966, Albert Campion aged just like the rest of us and was greatly improved by doing so. He certainly doesn't need to be concerned at the absurdity of a 60-something detective solving crimes. Both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple tottered happily into senility still catching criminals.
From the title, you might expect this book to be all Campion, all the time, but it's not. Campion only appears in four of the stories, but they're good ones. I was happy to see Chief Inspector Stanislaus Oates of Scotland Yard and the lesser-known Divisional Detective Chief Inspector Luke. Luke is a dramatic story-teller whose specialty is entertaining the drinkers at his local pub with tales of mysteries he's solved. Albert Campion is always his most appreciative listener. Allingham created two memorable professional coppers. I love the books that feature Inspector Oates and I wish there were more stories with Inspector Luke.
The other stories are a mixed bag, but I enjoyed all of them. Several have paranormal themes. Spiritualism was popular when Allingham was young and didn't carry the reputation for con-artistry that it has achieved since then. The rest could be called love stories. My favorite is a funny one concerning a group of horse-mad young people and the rivalries between them. It's very convincing, so I assume the author had some knowledge of the horsey set.
Allingham was a superb writer. Thank goodness she came to the early realization that mixing humor and mystery is not only possible, but brilliant. Once she turned that corner, she went on to create characters and plots that are still being enjoyed decades later. I've come late to this series, but perhaps I appreciate it even more than I would have as a younger woman.
April 11, 2019
This book was first published in 1989. Now it has been reissued by Agora Books on 11.04.2019. The new reprint, in addition to the 13 stories of the original edition, contains an additional story from The Allingham Casebook titled: Tall Story.
There is also an article by the author in the beginning titled “Mystery Writer In The Box” where she muses on her writings and how she came to be a writer. This article is not available in the original edition.
Of the 14 stories, only 7 involve Campion, the remaining 7 being non-Campion. Thus the title is misleading.
Also, not all stories are mysteries. Other genres are included such as thriller, romance, fantasy, horror and supernatural.
I give below a brief description of each story with my rating.
First, the 7 pieces in which Campion is present:
1. The Case Is Altered *** An entertaining spy tale involving a comedy of errors.
2. My Friend Mr. Campion ** This is an article rather than a story. Here the author muses on her detective Campion.
3. The Dog Day **** An amusing tale of an unusual dog, Campion being on holiday at a resort.
4. The Black Tent **** Here Campion manages to nab a blackmailer with an unusual verbal clue. Well-plotted.
5. The Curious Affair In Nut Row **** The protagonist is actually Chief Inspector Luke. Though Campion is present, he is merely a listener as Luke relates the tale at the club. It concerns a seemingly mad man who claims to have seen aliens. Luke solves the mystery by the chance remarks of a woman.
6. What To Do With An Ageing Detective ** This is more an article than a story. The author visits the elderly Campion to discuss his future. She then meets the much older Lugg, manservant of Campion.
7. Tall Story **** This also involves Chief Inspector Luke rather than Campion who is a mere listener. A trap is set for a master thief. But when he is apprehended, he has neither a weapon nor the loot. Where he has hidden them ?
Now for the non-Campion stories:
1. The Wind Glass **** A young girl refuses the hand of a Japanese gentleman. He takes revenge through occult means. The atmosphere of fear created is superb.
2. The Beauty King *** When a hair-dresser invents a miraculous beauty treatment, he uses it selfishly especially in regard to a girl in love with him. But there is a happy ending.
3. Sweet And Low ** A romance story involving horses
4. Once In A Lifetime **** A 35 year old unmarried actress meets her first and only love of the past in a train, but he apparently does not recognise her.
5. The Kernel Of Truth ** A restaurateur finds a very special recipe for a punch. This considerably affects his married life.
6. Happy Christmas *** A tale of celebration of Christmas with family and friends.
7. The Wisdom Of Esdras ***** A lodger claims he saw a lady crying in the middle of the night. The owner’s wife informs him that she is a ghost. The lodger decides to help the ghost.
Thus as regards quality, it is a mixed bag. Some stories are really good and delightful while others are just average. The average of my ratings comes to 3.2 Hence I give 3 stars for the book as a whole.
There is also an article by the author in the beginning titled “Mystery Writer In The Box” where she muses on her writings and how she came to be a writer. This article is not available in the original edition.
Of the 14 stories, only 7 involve Campion, the remaining 7 being non-Campion. Thus the title is misleading.
Also, not all stories are mysteries. Other genres are included such as thriller, romance, fantasy, horror and supernatural.
I give below a brief description of each story with my rating.
First, the 7 pieces in which Campion is present:
1. The Case Is Altered *** An entertaining spy tale involving a comedy of errors.
2. My Friend Mr. Campion ** This is an article rather than a story. Here the author muses on her detective Campion.
3. The Dog Day **** An amusing tale of an unusual dog, Campion being on holiday at a resort.
4. The Black Tent **** Here Campion manages to nab a blackmailer with an unusual verbal clue. Well-plotted.
5. The Curious Affair In Nut Row **** The protagonist is actually Chief Inspector Luke. Though Campion is present, he is merely a listener as Luke relates the tale at the club. It concerns a seemingly mad man who claims to have seen aliens. Luke solves the mystery by the chance remarks of a woman.
6. What To Do With An Ageing Detective ** This is more an article than a story. The author visits the elderly Campion to discuss his future. She then meets the much older Lugg, manservant of Campion.
7. Tall Story **** This also involves Chief Inspector Luke rather than Campion who is a mere listener. A trap is set for a master thief. But when he is apprehended, he has neither a weapon nor the loot. Where he has hidden them ?
Now for the non-Campion stories:
1. The Wind Glass **** A young girl refuses the hand of a Japanese gentleman. He takes revenge through occult means. The atmosphere of fear created is superb.
2. The Beauty King *** When a hair-dresser invents a miraculous beauty treatment, he uses it selfishly especially in regard to a girl in love with him. But there is a happy ending.
3. Sweet And Low ** A romance story involving horses
4. Once In A Lifetime **** A 35 year old unmarried actress meets her first and only love of the past in a train, but he apparently does not recognise her.
5. The Kernel Of Truth ** A restaurateur finds a very special recipe for a punch. This considerably affects his married life.
6. Happy Christmas *** A tale of celebration of Christmas with family and friends.
7. The Wisdom Of Esdras ***** A lodger claims he saw a lady crying in the middle of the night. The owner’s wife informs him that she is a ghost. The lodger decides to help the ghost.
Thus as regards quality, it is a mixed bag. Some stories are really good and delightful while others are just average. The average of my ratings comes to 3.2 Hence I give 3 stars for the book as a whole.
March 7, 2020
This book was first published in 1989. Now it has been reissued by Agora Books on 11.04.2019. The new reprint, in addition to the 13 stories of the original edition, contains an additional story from The Allingham Casebook titled: Tall Story.
There is also an article by the author in the beginning titled “Mystery Writer In The Box” where she muses on her writings and how she came to be a writer. This article is not available in the original edition.
Of the 14 stories, only 7 involve Campion, the remaining 7 being non-Campion. Thus the title is misleading.
Also, not all stories are mysteries. Other genres are included such as thriller, romance, fantasy, horror and supernatural.
I give below a brief description of each story with my rating.
First, the 7 pieces in which Campion is present:
1. The Case Is Altered *** An entertaining spy tale involving a comedy of errors.
2. My Friend Mr. Campion ** This is an article rather than a story. Here the author muses on her detective Campion.
3. The Dog Day **** An amusing tale of an unusual dog, Campion being on holiday at a resort.
4. The Black Tent **** Here Campion manages to nab a blackmailer with an unusual verbal clue. Well-plotted.
5. The Curious Affair In Nut Row **** The protagonist is actually Chief Inspector Luke. Though Campion is present, he is merely a listener as Luke relates the tale at the club. It concerns a seemingly mad man who claims to have seen aliens. Luke solves the mystery by the chance remarks of a woman.
6. What To Do With An Ageing Detective ** This is more an article than a story. The author visits the elderly Campion to discuss his future. She then meets the much older Lugg, manservant of Campion.
7. Tall Story **** This also involves Chief Inspector Luke rather than Campion who is a mere listener. A trap is set for a master thief. But when he is apprehended, he has neither a weapon nor the loot. Where he has hidden them ?
Now for the non-Campion stories:
1. The Wind Glass **** A young girl refuses the hand of a Japanese gentleman. He takes revenge through occult means. The atmosphere of fear created is superb.
2. The Beauty King *** When a hair-dresser invents a miraculous beauty treatment, he uses it selfishly especially in regard to a girl in love with him. But there is a happy ending.
3. Sweet And Low ** A romance story involving horses
4. Once In A Lifetime **** A 35 year old unmarried actress meets her first and only love of the past in a train, but he apparently does not recognise her.
5. The Kernel Of Truth ** A restaurateur finds a very special recipe for a punch. This considerably affects his married life.
6. Happy Christmas *** A tale of celebration of Christmas with family and friends.
7. The Wisdom Of Esdras ***** A lodger claims he saw a lady crying in the middle of the night. The owner’s wife informs him that she is a ghost. The lodger decides to help the ghost.
Thus as regards quality, it is a mixed bag. Some stories are really good and delightful while others are just average. The average of my ratings comes to 3.2 Hence I give 3 stars for the book as a whole.
There is also an article by the author in the beginning titled “Mystery Writer In The Box” where she muses on her writings and how she came to be a writer. This article is not available in the original edition.
Of the 14 stories, only 7 involve Campion, the remaining 7 being non-Campion. Thus the title is misleading.
Also, not all stories are mysteries. Other genres are included such as thriller, romance, fantasy, horror and supernatural.
I give below a brief description of each story with my rating.
First, the 7 pieces in which Campion is present:
1. The Case Is Altered *** An entertaining spy tale involving a comedy of errors.
2. My Friend Mr. Campion ** This is an article rather than a story. Here the author muses on her detective Campion.
3. The Dog Day **** An amusing tale of an unusual dog, Campion being on holiday at a resort.
4. The Black Tent **** Here Campion manages to nab a blackmailer with an unusual verbal clue. Well-plotted.
5. The Curious Affair In Nut Row **** The protagonist is actually Chief Inspector Luke. Though Campion is present, he is merely a listener as Luke relates the tale at the club. It concerns a seemingly mad man who claims to have seen aliens. Luke solves the mystery by the chance remarks of a woman.
6. What To Do With An Ageing Detective ** This is more an article than a story. The author visits the elderly Campion to discuss his future. She then meets the much older Lugg, manservant of Campion.
7. Tall Story **** This also involves Chief Inspector Luke rather than Campion who is a mere listener. A trap is set for a master thief. But when he is apprehended, he has neither a weapon nor the loot. Where he has hidden them ?
Now for the non-Campion stories:
1. The Wind Glass **** A young girl refuses the hand of a Japanese gentleman. He takes revenge through occult means. The atmosphere of fear created is superb.
2. The Beauty King *** When a hair-dresser invents a miraculous beauty treatment, he uses it selfishly especially in regard to a girl in love with him. But there is a happy ending.
3. Sweet And Low ** A romance story involving horses
4. Once In A Lifetime **** A 35 year old unmarried actress meets her first and only love of the past in a train, but he apparently does not recognise her.
5. The Kernel Of Truth ** A restaurateur finds a very special recipe for a punch. This considerably affects his married life.
6. Happy Christmas *** A tale of celebration of Christmas with family and friends.
7. The Wisdom Of Esdras ***** A lodger claims he saw a lady crying in the middle of the night. The owner’s wife informs him that she is a ghost. The lodger decides to help the ghost.
Thus as regards quality, it is a mixed bag. Some stories are really good and delightful while others are just average. The average of my ratings comes to 3.2 Hence I give 3 stars for the book as a whole.
April 18, 2019
Thanks to Agora Books for a review copy.
The Return of Mr Campion is a short story anthology by Margery Allingham originally published 23 years after the author's death. This new edition begins with an essay describing how she came to be a writer and why she turned to the mystery stories for which she is best remembered. This is a fascinating read and reveals a good deal about the author's life and her approach to her work.
The stories themselves are a mixed bag not all of which feature Mr Campion. I enjoyed those stories in which he did appear much more than those in which he was not present and often found myself wishing that he would return a bit more often.
The Campion stories are entertaining and we see our hero solving cases of espionage and blackmail alongside a slightly more whimsical encounter with his creator. The character of Campion seems to suit longer novels better than short stories but these tales are enjoyable and the affable intelligence and humanity of the hero shine through.
The other stories are much more varied and seemed, to me anyway, to be much less comprehensible and more suited to an anthology dedicated to the writer's non Campion work rather than one which could reasonably be expected to be of interest to aficionados of crime fiction. We have the story of one man's quest to develop a hair tonic which could make any woman beautiful and another where a girl who has turned down a proposal of marriage finds herself and her family haunted by a cursed wind chime. These stories were interesting but not really to my taste and not what I was expecting from the book. That said they were interesting and would, I am sure, be enjoyed by dedicated Allingham completists.
Overall the book was enjoyable and provided a very varied set of stories but the selection seemed to me to be unsure of its target audience. Campion lovers could always skip the other tales but that would make the book very short. That being said, the introductory essay is excellent and well worth reading and that, coupled with a few outings for Mr Campion and some assorted other tales make an interesting and memorable, if not perhaps stunning, read.
The Return of Mr Campion is a short story anthology by Margery Allingham originally published 23 years after the author's death. This new edition begins with an essay describing how she came to be a writer and why she turned to the mystery stories for which she is best remembered. This is a fascinating read and reveals a good deal about the author's life and her approach to her work.
The stories themselves are a mixed bag not all of which feature Mr Campion. I enjoyed those stories in which he did appear much more than those in which he was not present and often found myself wishing that he would return a bit more often.
The Campion stories are entertaining and we see our hero solving cases of espionage and blackmail alongside a slightly more whimsical encounter with his creator. The character of Campion seems to suit longer novels better than short stories but these tales are enjoyable and the affable intelligence and humanity of the hero shine through.
The other stories are much more varied and seemed, to me anyway, to be much less comprehensible and more suited to an anthology dedicated to the writer's non Campion work rather than one which could reasonably be expected to be of interest to aficionados of crime fiction. We have the story of one man's quest to develop a hair tonic which could make any woman beautiful and another where a girl who has turned down a proposal of marriage finds herself and her family haunted by a cursed wind chime. These stories were interesting but not really to my taste and not what I was expecting from the book. That said they were interesting and would, I am sure, be enjoyed by dedicated Allingham completists.
Overall the book was enjoyable and provided a very varied set of stories but the selection seemed to me to be unsure of its target audience. Campion lovers could always skip the other tales but that would make the book very short. That being said, the introductory essay is excellent and well worth reading and that, coupled with a few outings for Mr Campion and some assorted other tales make an interesting and memorable, if not perhaps stunning, read.
May 9, 2019
As a frequent reader of Margery Allingham, I enjoy discovering uncollected short stories of Albert Campion. "The Return of Mr. Campion" is a mix bag of Campion short stories and other short stories, which Margery Allingham would write periodically write and submit to various magazines.
There are five Campion short stories, plus two short summations of Campion by Margery Allingham. The Campion stories range from good to great, with my favorites, being "The Black Tent" & "The Case is Altered". The book does include a Campion short story from "The Allingham Casebook" short story collection, "Tall Boy", which I find enjoyable, as well.
The seven short stories, which are not about and may not be appealing to Campion readers, I found them to be better than I anticipated. I think it show the creativity and versatility of writer, whom can transcend to different mediums of writing. The true essence of Allingham is apparent in these short stories and the dates range from as early as 1924 to the mid 60's.
The short stories offer a wide range of characters and plots, along with the Campion stories and Margery Allingham has added an essay at the beginning of the book, "Mystery Writer in the Box", which describes the elements of writing and constructing a mystery story. If you enjoy reading Margery Allingham short stories, even those not including Campion, I would highly recommend this book.
There are five Campion short stories, plus two short summations of Campion by Margery Allingham. The Campion stories range from good to great, with my favorites, being "The Black Tent" & "The Case is Altered". The book does include a Campion short story from "The Allingham Casebook" short story collection, "Tall Boy", which I find enjoyable, as well.
The seven short stories, which are not about and may not be appealing to Campion readers, I found them to be better than I anticipated. I think it show the creativity and versatility of writer, whom can transcend to different mediums of writing. The true essence of Allingham is apparent in these short stories and the dates range from as early as 1924 to the mid 60's.
The short stories offer a wide range of characters and plots, along with the Campion stories and Margery Allingham has added an essay at the beginning of the book, "Mystery Writer in the Box", which describes the elements of writing and constructing a mystery story. If you enjoy reading Margery Allingham short stories, even those not including Campion, I would highly recommend this book.
August 16, 2022
Renowned as a writer of mystery novels this book shows Margery Allingham’s versatility in other genres. None of these stories had been published before in a collection of Allingham’s work. Many of them were originally published in magazines and a few of them had never been published at all before their inclusion here.
There is an introduction by the editor, who was Allingham’s friend of many years, and a tribute by Agatha Christy, who much appreciated Allingham’s style and skill as a mystery writer.
But not all of these 13 stories are mysteries and not all feature Albert Campion. There are a few love stories (one notable one featuring horses, another set on a train). There are hair raising stories of the supernatural, and one diabolical blackmailing spiritualist.
Although I liked some of these stories a great deal and others not at all, the writing throughout is masterfully crafted. Allingham chooses her words carefully. Each sentence knows exactly where it is going even when you have to double back and reread it because your mind wandered off in the direction you were thinking so did not at first follow where she was actually going. Likewise her plots can seem complex for such short works, often showing esoteric knowledge of their subject matter.
It is a quirky book, but well worth the trouble if you love language and don’t mind the diverse subject matter.
There is an introduction by the editor, who was Allingham’s friend of many years, and a tribute by Agatha Christy, who much appreciated Allingham’s style and skill as a mystery writer.
But not all of these 13 stories are mysteries and not all feature Albert Campion. There are a few love stories (one notable one featuring horses, another set on a train). There are hair raising stories of the supernatural, and one diabolical blackmailing spiritualist.
Although I liked some of these stories a great deal and others not at all, the writing throughout is masterfully crafted. Allingham chooses her words carefully. Each sentence knows exactly where it is going even when you have to double back and reread it because your mind wandered off in the direction you were thinking so did not at first follow where she was actually going. Likewise her plots can seem complex for such short works, often showing esoteric knowledge of their subject matter.
It is a quirky book, but well worth the trouble if you love language and don’t mind the diverse subject matter.
March 16, 2019
This is a good set of short stories written by a doyen of the mystery genre. I enjoyed them all although it was a shame the festive story was a repeat of one of the four released in a book as recently as last November. Some of the settings and backgrounds seem a little more dated than those of other murder and mystery writers of the past but the further into the book I got the less noticeable it seemed. There was also a tendency for the text to be less PC than would be acceptable from a new author but as this was an advanced copy that may change.
I was able to read the advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and think it would appeal to anyone who enjoys mysteries from yesteryear when life, heroes and villains were all very different to today.
I was able to read the advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and think it would appeal to anyone who enjoys mysteries from yesteryear when life, heroes and villains were all very different to today.
April 11, 2019
This book has 13 short stories (6 of which include Mr. Campion) preceded by an essay called "Mystery writer in the box", which is a description by Allingham about how Mr. Campion came into being.
The stories are very clever, and not quite as complicated as some of the longer books. They are quite varied in subject, and not all mysteries. There is one Christmas story, where a couple who like everything Victorian invite an elderly neighbor to share Christmas. Both the couple and the woman have a better Christmas. There is also a ghost story and a love story. Among my favorites are "The case is altered" and "The Black Tent", both of which are based on blackmail and include Mr. Campion.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars, partly because I am not as fond of short stories as book length mysteries.
The stories are very clever, and not quite as complicated as some of the longer books. They are quite varied in subject, and not all mysteries. There is one Christmas story, where a couple who like everything Victorian invite an elderly neighbor to share Christmas. Both the couple and the woman have a better Christmas. There is also a ghost story and a love story. Among my favorites are "The case is altered" and "The Black Tent", both of which are based on blackmail and include Mr. Campion.
I would rate this book 3.5 stars, partly because I am not as fond of short stories as book length mysteries.
June 4, 2019
Impeccable Subtlety
Here we are presented with a Charming Pastiche of short stories, forewords, and more, many featuring that debonair detective of dubious distinction, Mr Campion. That he is or has been a gentleman is evident by his general acceptance by all the best sorts. The stiffness and rigid expectations of manner and manners is a thing largely lost to time, perhaps even somewhat exaggerated as modern times began to encroach and crumble away the long-held strict class lines of polite Britain. Against this Upstairs Downstairs of rectitude intrude the various social indiscretions whose resolutions require a detective of impeccable subtlety, namely Albert Campion. What can be more Indiscreet than murder? Although most of the stories do not, in fact, deal with death. Perfect little morsels for small bites of time.
Here we are presented with a Charming Pastiche of short stories, forewords, and more, many featuring that debonair detective of dubious distinction, Mr Campion. That he is or has been a gentleman is evident by his general acceptance by all the best sorts. The stiffness and rigid expectations of manner and manners is a thing largely lost to time, perhaps even somewhat exaggerated as modern times began to encroach and crumble away the long-held strict class lines of polite Britain. Against this Upstairs Downstairs of rectitude intrude the various social indiscretions whose resolutions require a detective of impeccable subtlety, namely Albert Campion. What can be more Indiscreet than murder? Although most of the stories do not, in fact, deal with death. Perfect little morsels for small bites of time.
July 15, 2021
A mixture of Albert Campion shorts and unrelated, literary fiction-esque short stories. This was my first introduction to Campion, and the stories about him were interesting enough to pique my interest into perhaps trying a novel in his series. Unfortunately there were also 2 meta pieces, of the author conversing with her characters, something I found nauseatingly twee when it comes to fanfic, much less "real" fiction 🙄
My favorite from this collection was "Once in a Lifetime," a short story about childhood sweethearts rent apart by their families who bump into each other years later on a train. It had a bit of a sliding doors quality, which I enjoyed immensely.
Having now sampled work from all 4 of the "Queens of the Golden Age of Crime" (Sayers, Christie, Marsh, Allingham), I think I'll stick with the first two.
My favorite from this collection was "Once in a Lifetime," a short story about childhood sweethearts rent apart by their families who bump into each other years later on a train. It had a bit of a sliding doors quality, which I enjoyed immensely.
Having now sampled work from all 4 of the "Queens of the Golden Age of Crime" (Sayers, Christie, Marsh, Allingham), I think I'll stick with the first two.
November 7, 2018
I normally enjoy English detective/mystery stories whether in long or short form. This volume says that the Campion character is featured in many never printed or rarely reprinted stories. He is not in all of the short stories included here. Most of the non Campion tales are very English. More so than I have normally encountered and were primarily from English publications. As such they had either no appeal to me or were so 'English' is format or style or structure that I did not like many of them. In addition the Campion short tales all lacked any depth and as such seemed to be filler tales used to fulfill a commitment to a publication or to take advantage of the characters popularity.
March 11, 2019
A rather motley selection of pieces of various lengths, a few featuring Albert Campion. They are very variable in quality. The best is "The Case is Altered", followed by "The Beauty King" which is just too long.
All of them appeared in the 1989 volume of the same title. This latest edition also has "Mystery Writer in the Box", but does not have the Introduction, Appreciation and Notes which the 1989 book contained.
My view is that the stories are very much for Allingham fans, but would not be a good starting point for new readers, as they are far from the best work by the greatest of the Queens of Crime.
Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital review copy.
All of them appeared in the 1989 volume of the same title. This latest edition also has "Mystery Writer in the Box", but does not have the Introduction, Appreciation and Notes which the 1989 book contained.
My view is that the stories are very much for Allingham fans, but would not be a good starting point for new readers, as they are far from the best work by the greatest of the Queens of Crime.
Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital review copy.
November 17, 2019
Another pleasant surprise - an interesting, varied, sometimes strange or thought-provoking collection of short stories, many including Campion. And all featuring unique characters and situations from around that time. Not at all what I expected from the title, and I found the arrangement of stories a little discombobulating: twice, I suddenly and surprisingly realized that the ‘fourth wall’ had been breached, and that the author was speaking directly...ostensibly to me, the reader.
I think anyone who enjoys stories from this period of literature—or mysteries (or slightly weird and wonderful tales of any time), would enjoy this collection.
I think anyone who enjoys stories from this period of literature—or mysteries (or slightly weird and wonderful tales of any time), would enjoy this collection.
July 3, 2020
This was a very enjoyable collection of Allingham stories, some of them featuring one of my favourite amateur detectives, Albert Campion. I'd read one or two elsewhere - they seemed to have been anthologised in various combinations over the years, which is confusing if you're trying to make sure that you've read every little scrap of prose Allingham dedicated to the sometimes enigmatic Mr C, but Agora Press seem to be tidying this up nicely between this book and their Allingham Minibus.
My favourite in this collection was Dog Day, a whimsical little piece, and I loved What to Do With an Ageing Detective.
My favourite in this collection was Dog Day, a whimsical little piece, and I loved What to Do With an Ageing Detective.
September 24, 2020
13 stories that were rejected by publishers, rewritten, or discovered unpublished after her death. Her detective Albert Campion appears in less than half the stories, and only in two does he solve crimes (in the others he meets a dog, listens to someone else tell a story, and complains twice to "his friend" Margery Allingham about how he is being written); the rest of the collection are first drafts of romances or supernatural stories, often written by a very young writer who leaned heavily on ethnic stereotypes. There's a sweet Christmas story, but it's really a collection for Margery Allingham completists only.
March 4, 2021
I have to admit I have read few of the Mr. Albert Campion mysteries. Not sure why. So I electronically grabbed this one of the e-library's shelf to see what the fuss was all about. I am delighted to say that most importantly, Allingham is proven in my mind to be a very literate author.
While the series has become quite a fine antique, I think I'll try another one. She writes the classic mystery/social climate genre and I think that is the savings grace of any of the better mysteries. Such books are hard to find. These were produced later in the life the British mysteries but still holds that elegant and colorful decor of the a changing British society.
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While the series has become quite a fine antique, I think I'll try another one. She writes the classic mystery/social climate genre and I think that is the savings grace of any of the better mysteries. Such books are hard to find. These were produced later in the life the British mysteries but still holds that elegant and colorful decor of the a changing British society.
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April 8, 2019
I thought that this was a bit of a strange one. I liked the Campion stories in this, but the other stories left me a bit cold and a bit confused. The quite meta story about what to do with an aging detective where the author visits Campion is also quite odd. I've only ever read Allingham's detective fiction, and mostly Campion - this hasn't really made me think that I'm missing out, although as a study of an authors development and style it is interesting.
****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****
****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review****
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