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Albert Campion #10
The Fashion in Shrouds
There is a skeleton in a dinner jacket. A corpse in a golden aeroplane. When another body turns up Albert Campion worries he may soon be number four…
The deaths have been suspiciously convenient for Georgia Wells, femme fatale, charming actress, and the monstrous leader of a raffish entourage including Campion’s sister Valentine.
Desperate to protect his sister, Campion is drawn into a world of high fashion and low morals. Before long he’s navigating glamour, lies, and blackmail to solve a three year old murder and prevent a fourth.
The Fashion in Shrouds was first published in 1938.
“Dancers in Mourning and The Fashion in Shrouds were published in 1937 and 1938, and are the best examples of Allingham’s capacity to create the atmosphere, and machinery, and ideology, of enclosed worlds – the stage and the musical in Dancers in Mourning; the world of haute couture in The Fashion in Shrouds.“ — AS Byatt, The Telegraph
“To Albert Campion has fallen the honour of being the first detective to figure in a story which is also a distinguished novel.“ — The Observer
“Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light.“ — Agatha Christie
“My very favourite of the four Queens of crime is Allingham“ — JK Rowling
“Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered.“ — PD James
“Spending an evening with Campion is one of life’s pure pleasures“ — The Sunday Times
The deaths have been suspiciously convenient for Georgia Wells, femme fatale, charming actress, and the monstrous leader of a raffish entourage including Campion’s sister Valentine.
Desperate to protect his sister, Campion is drawn into a world of high fashion and low morals. Before long he’s navigating glamour, lies, and blackmail to solve a three year old murder and prevent a fourth.
The Fashion in Shrouds was first published in 1938.
“Dancers in Mourning and The Fashion in Shrouds were published in 1937 and 1938, and are the best examples of Allingham’s capacity to create the atmosphere, and machinery, and ideology, of enclosed worlds – the stage and the musical in Dancers in Mourning; the world of haute couture in The Fashion in Shrouds.“ — AS Byatt, The Telegraph
“To Albert Campion has fallen the honour of being the first detective to figure in a story which is also a distinguished novel.“ — The Observer
“Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light.“ — Agatha Christie
“My very favourite of the four Queens of crime is Allingham“ — JK Rowling
“Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered.“ — PD James
“Spending an evening with Campion is one of life’s pure pleasures“ — The Sunday Times
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1938
313 people are currently reading
1051 people want to read
About the author
Margery Allingham
269 books599 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 248 reviews
February 28, 2014
Somehow I've gotten onto a string of misogynistic women authors. Compared to this the last one, Christie's Blue Train, seems quite mild. At least its sexism is of a more paternal tone -- oh, you women are so silly and unable to control your feelings --rather than truly hateful. The women here are not just irrational, but also vicious, selfish, dishonest, and amoral. And this despite the fact that the male characters do all the murdering and most of the other crimes. When women commit their sordid little crimes it is at the behest of men, but that still makes them worse than men because they are stupider as well.
This book contains the most repulsive proposal I have read, to date:
Will you marry me and give up to me your independence, the enthusiasm which you give your career, your time and your thought? ...In return, mind you (I consider it an obligation), I should assume full responsibility for you. I would pay your bills to any amount which my income might afford. I would make all the decisions which were not directly your province, although on the other hand I would like to feel I might discuss everything with you if I wanted to; but only because I wanted to, mind you; not as your right. ...You would be my care, my mate... my possession... It means the other half of my life to me, but the whole of yours.
This is totally serious. It is not meant as a satire. Also, it comes right after the guy has had a very public affair with a married women, and there hasn't been a big talk or reconciliation scene or anything of that nature. But I guess poor Val has low standards. After all, earlier in the story when she was admitting how upset she was about Alan's betrayal, she was told, "This is damned silly introspective rot. What you need, my girl, is a good cry or a nice rape." And that's from her brother! The protagonist/detective/hero of the story! This is book ten in Campion's series. I really thought I had read an earlier installment and not hated it or him, but I sure did here. In fact, I found most of the characters pretty repellent. The only person I found sympathetic was Amanda, the young aircraft engineer. Well, and the kid Sinclair, but he only existed as a plot device and disappeared as soon as he had conveyed the crucial information.
Allingham's writing is decent and often clever. It's a pity her characters ruin it.
[Added after a reread 02/26/14, which was unfortunately necessitated by starting [book:Traitor's Purse|383181] and realizing that I couldn't remember what had happened with the Campion/Amanda plot arc.
I think what bothered me so much about the misogyny was both how universal it was -- every female character conforms to stereotypes of women as irrational, emotional, catty, and focused on men (except for to some degree Amanda, who is always described as "innocent," "childlike," "trusting" and also is unfeminine and a mechanic) -- and how ultimately unnecessary to the plot. Which sucks because the plot is actually reasonably strong in terms of the mystery, but I couldn't enjoy it because this nasty, insulting bile about women kept coming up over and over, even when it had nothing to do with what else was going on.]
This book contains the most repulsive proposal I have read, to date:
Will you marry me and give up to me your independence, the enthusiasm which you give your career, your time and your thought? ...In return, mind you (I consider it an obligation), I should assume full responsibility for you. I would pay your bills to any amount which my income might afford. I would make all the decisions which were not directly your province, although on the other hand I would like to feel I might discuss everything with you if I wanted to; but only because I wanted to, mind you; not as your right. ...You would be my care, my mate... my possession... It means the other half of my life to me, but the whole of yours.
This is totally serious. It is not meant as a satire. Also, it comes right after the guy has had a very public affair with a married women, and there hasn't been a big talk or reconciliation scene or anything of that nature. But I guess poor Val has low standards. After all, earlier in the story when she was admitting how upset she was about Alan's betrayal, she was told, "This is damned silly introspective rot. What you need, my girl, is a good cry or a nice rape." And that's from her brother! The protagonist/detective/hero of the story! This is book ten in Campion's series. I really thought I had read an earlier installment and not hated it or him, but I sure did here. In fact, I found most of the characters pretty repellent. The only person I found sympathetic was Amanda, the young aircraft engineer. Well, and the kid Sinclair, but he only existed as a plot device and disappeared as soon as he had conveyed the crucial information.
Allingham's writing is decent and often clever. It's a pity her characters ruin it.
[Added after a reread 02/26/14, which was unfortunately necessitated by starting [book:Traitor's Purse|383181] and realizing that I couldn't remember what had happened with the Campion/Amanda plot arc.
I think what bothered me so much about the misogyny was both how universal it was -- every female character conforms to stereotypes of women as irrational, emotional, catty, and focused on men (except for to some degree Amanda, who is always described as "innocent," "childlike," "trusting" and also is unfeminine and a mechanic) -- and how ultimately unnecessary to the plot. Which sucks because the plot is actually reasonably strong in terms of the mystery, but I couldn't enjoy it because this nasty, insulting bile about women kept coming up over and over, even when it had nothing to do with what else was going on.]
November 23, 2019
This book is a challenge for many of today's fans of Margery Allingham. It is a great mystery, complex and beautifully written, with many twists and a rich cast of suspects. Allingham generally plays fair with her clues while distracting the reader from the truth with her sometimes enigmatic but always insightful descriptions of the intricacies of human interaction. Her characters are mostly vivid and original, and she has a gift for getting her sleuth, Campion, emotionally entangled in the action (a type of mystery I greatly prefer to the procedural or the detached observer type of story).
BUT--the "buts" loom pretty large in this book, and as readers' sensibilities change with the passage of time, this book becomes increasingly difficult to enjoy. Minorities and immigrants are referred to in distasteful ways, even by our hero. Foreignness seems to give the author an opportunity for stereotyping, which is all the more jarring because her British characters are so individualized. And sexism is rampant--I might even say gratuitous, especially when I compare this book to those of Dorothy Sayers. There is one marriage proposal that is second in horribleness only to Mr. Darcy's grande betise at Hunsford in all my reading days. I nearly threw the book across the room to see an admirable female character throw herself, her career (and those of others), and her dignity so blissfully away.
I tried to shut out all the squeam-inducing bits and admire the rest of the gifts Allingham so bountifully displays, and for the most part succeeded. But the content warning has to stand.
I did figure out the perpetrator quite early on, but the hows still absorbed me and the suspense of bringing the wicked one to justice kept me on the edge of my seat.
BUT--the "buts" loom pretty large in this book, and as readers' sensibilities change with the passage of time, this book becomes increasingly difficult to enjoy. Minorities and immigrants are referred to in distasteful ways, even by our hero. Foreignness seems to give the author an opportunity for stereotyping, which is all the more jarring because her British characters are so individualized. And sexism is rampant--I might even say gratuitous, especially when I compare this book to those of Dorothy Sayers. There is one marriage proposal that is second in horribleness only to Mr. Darcy's grande betise at Hunsford in all my reading days. I nearly threw the book across the room to see an admirable female character throw herself, her career (and those of others), and her dignity so blissfully away.
I tried to shut out all the squeam-inducing bits and admire the rest of the gifts Allingham so bountifully displays, and for the most part succeeded. But the content warning has to stand.
I did figure out the perpetrator quite early on, but the hows still absorbed me and the suspense of bringing the wicked one to justice kept me on the edge of my seat.
February 6, 2012
The sexism in this book was utterly appalling to me. It ruined a decent detective story. It's easy to say "oh, it was written in 1938, it's just of it's time", but that's a terrible argument considering that three years earlier Dorothy L. Sayers had written the intelligent, feminist detective story Gaudy Night.
April 23, 2018
This book could essentially be renamed "A Tale of Four Career Women". Written 'between the wars', you can almost see the author wrestling with old and new conceptions of what it is to be male and female - sometimes using statements which are teeth-grindingly appalling. Some of these statements come out of Campion's mouth (including the memorable suggestion that what his sister wanted to cheer her up was a "good cry or a nice rape" - there's a word used in a way we don't usually use it!).
The first woman is Georgia, an accomplished and completely self-absorbed actress. Furtherance of her career is one of the pivots this story turns upon, but it is more Georgia's self-indulgence rather than her career which drives her to go through husbands (and painfully neglect her sadly-situated child Sinclair).
The second woman is Val - Campion's sister - an extremely successful couturier discovering love rather later than usual and suffering for it.
The third is Amanda Fitton - aircraft mechanic, inventor, brilliant, valiant, cheerfully playing partner to Campion's detective endeavours.
The fourth hovers in the background, the devoted, unattractive secretary.
The mystery itself is intriguing and complex, but it is the way these women deal with romantic possibility which is what the book appears to be about.
Along with the embedded sexism of a bygone age, there's also a sour dash of racism to stumble over. But, numerous wincing aside, it's a clever story and Amanda Fitton makes up for the rest.
The first woman is Georgia, an accomplished and completely self-absorbed actress. Furtherance of her career is one of the pivots this story turns upon, but it is more Georgia's self-indulgence rather than her career which drives her to go through husbands (and painfully neglect her sadly-situated child Sinclair).
The second woman is Val - Campion's sister - an extremely successful couturier discovering love rather later than usual and suffering for it.
The third is Amanda Fitton - aircraft mechanic, inventor, brilliant, valiant, cheerfully playing partner to Campion's detective endeavours.
The fourth hovers in the background, the devoted, unattractive secretary.
The mystery itself is intriguing and complex, but it is the way these women deal with romantic possibility which is what the book appears to be about.
Along with the embedded sexism of a bygone age, there's also a sour dash of racism to stumble over. But, numerous wincing aside, it's a clever story and Amanda Fitton makes up for the rest.
April 11, 2012
I do like Allingham's books; even their vices, such as quite a dense style that could be understandably considered awkward at times, and plots that depend on fanciful characters and coincidences, appeal to me. But I've come to realise that I don't actually like her detective, Campion, that much, and that was particularly the case here. Most of all, this is one of those weird misogynistic novels women write sometimes, when you get the sense they would like to believe women weren't inferior, because the thought, and the implication for human life in general, is crashingly depressing when anyone really thinks about it, but can't manage it. Campion thinks weird misogynistic thoughts about his own sister, Valentine, because, I think, if only she wasn't a woman she'd be as good as him, and he kind of likes her and she's his relative so this inferiority depresses him. And then Valentine receives the most chilling proposal I've ever read, in which he informs her not only that she'd have to give up her business and he'd be making all the decisions, and that she'd be his mate as in plumber's mate, his possession, but that while he'd like to feel he could discuss things with her, that would be just as and when he chose, not as her right. Sometimes you see things that make you suddenly realise fully just how impossibly twisted and cramped and false inequality makes life.
November 15, 2019
Published in 1938, this is the tenth mystery featuring Albert Campion. In this book we get to meet his sister, Val, a fashion designer, as well as becoming reacquainted with Amanda Fitton from an earlier mystery and who, I believe, he marries later in the series.
Campion is involved in the discovery of the remains of a man, lawyer Richard Portland-Smith, once involved with the actress, Georgia Wells. Georgia is a friend of Val and now remarried to Raymond Ramillies. Like so many Golden Age novels, Georgia, as an actress, gets fairly short shrift. Indiscreet, unable to resist taking the attention of any man (including plane designer, Alan Wells, who Val is in love with), prone to gossip and self-obsessive, she finds herself surrounded by murder and intrigue and, soon, Val is implicated. It is up to Campion to unravel the mystery and remove the scandal of gossip from Val.
I am becoming fond of Campion, although it has taken me a while to enjoy the series. I will continue and hope that Amanda becomes more involved in future mysteries.
Campion is involved in the discovery of the remains of a man, lawyer Richard Portland-Smith, once involved with the actress, Georgia Wells. Georgia is a friend of Val and now remarried to Raymond Ramillies. Like so many Golden Age novels, Georgia, as an actress, gets fairly short shrift. Indiscreet, unable to resist taking the attention of any man (including plane designer, Alan Wells, who Val is in love with), prone to gossip and self-obsessive, she finds herself surrounded by murder and intrigue and, soon, Val is implicated. It is up to Campion to unravel the mystery and remove the scandal of gossip from Val.
I am becoming fond of Campion, although it has taken me a while to enjoy the series. I will continue and hope that Amanda becomes more involved in future mysteries.
August 3, 2022
This is the tenth Albert Campion novel, and was first published in 1938.
Interestingly, the reader is introduced to Campion’s hitherto unknown sister, Val, a successful dressmaker to the rich and famous, and there is the return of the intrepid Lady Amanda Fitton, an old friend with whom he becomes more intimately involved. Indeed, Campion has his hands altogether full with the fairer sex in this tale.
The plot holds water as a murder mystery, and together with the period antics of London high society it was a sufficiently satisfying ride; I was always pleased to pick up with the journey wherever I had left off.
Margery Allingham is in a league of her own when it comes to literacy, and the prose is entertaining in its own right. The downside of this, however, is slow progress at times, and there were certain characters whom I confused or struggled to place. (This may be down to my erratic reading habits.)
If there is a flaw, I would return to the plot. It is not a spoiler to say there is more than one death, and what is never quite apparent is the motive that underlies these events. The corollary is an underlying feeling of sailing with no rudder, and of wondering just where it is all heading.
Interestingly, the reader is introduced to Campion’s hitherto unknown sister, Val, a successful dressmaker to the rich and famous, and there is the return of the intrepid Lady Amanda Fitton, an old friend with whom he becomes more intimately involved. Indeed, Campion has his hands altogether full with the fairer sex in this tale.
The plot holds water as a murder mystery, and together with the period antics of London high society it was a sufficiently satisfying ride; I was always pleased to pick up with the journey wherever I had left off.
Margery Allingham is in a league of her own when it comes to literacy, and the prose is entertaining in its own right. The downside of this, however, is slow progress at times, and there were certain characters whom I confused or struggled to place. (This may be down to my erratic reading habits.)
If there is a flaw, I would return to the plot. It is not a spoiler to say there is more than one death, and what is never quite apparent is the motive that underlies these events. The corollary is an underlying feeling of sailing with no rudder, and of wondering just where it is all heading.
November 15, 2019
3.5 stars - I listened for this reread, knocked down from the 4 stars I gave it years ago on a first read when I first discovered Allingham. I’ve decided after reading Ngaio Marsh, and rereading Allingham, Christie and Sayers, that I prefer the writing styles of the last two. I don’t know if it’s the passage of time, or personal taste, but with Marsh and Allingham, as clever as they are, I often reread passages trying to figure out what they are trying to say.
This story starts out with the discovery of a body, and our hero, Albert Campion, trying to figure out which of the self-centered, wealthy, shallow suspects (including his sister, fashion designer Valentine), may have been responsible. Two more deaths follow, and almost a murder disguised as suicide of Campion himself, before the bad guy is uncovered - an exciting ending. I think the fun and exciting twist of an ending may have sucked me in years ago, and earned four stars!
This time, however, after more years spent reading and rereading mysteries, the ending didn’t quite make up for all the time spent among the truly awful band of suspects - I could cheerfully strangle the obnoxious actress for the misery she single-handedly causes to several characters! - but it did give an interesting look at the Bright Young Things among the wealthy London elite of the 1930s.
I also truly enjoyed, as always, time spent with Lugg, the dogged Inspector Oates, and the delightful Amanda - I may reread the earlier books where we first meet the young Fittons, they were fun.
Here, everyone is terribly sophisticated and blasé about open infidelity, drugs and self-centered society types like the obnoxious actress, Georgia - I’m no prude, but it was annoying. And the proposal received at the end, from a character who had been courting the woman receiving the proposal, until he openly and very publicly dumped her for a selfish, married man-eater, was truly sickening. I know it’s another time and all, but ick!
I prefer a more straightforward murder mystery a la Christie, or shadowing ECR Lorac’s Inspector Macdonald as he hunts down clues in rural England or war torn London! But the audiobook was enjoyably narrated and well acted, and helped convey Allingham’s meaning more than the passages I read in my paperback copy, so I think I’ll stick with audiobooks for future Allingham reads.
This story starts out with the discovery of a body, and our hero, Albert Campion, trying to figure out which of the self-centered, wealthy, shallow suspects (including his sister, fashion designer Valentine), may have been responsible. Two more deaths follow, and almost a murder disguised as suicide of Campion himself, before the bad guy is uncovered - an exciting ending. I think the fun and exciting twist of an ending may have sucked me in years ago, and earned four stars!
This time, however, after more years spent reading and rereading mysteries, the ending didn’t quite make up for all the time spent among the truly awful band of suspects - I could cheerfully strangle the obnoxious actress for the misery she single-handedly causes to several characters! - but it did give an interesting look at the Bright Young Things among the wealthy London elite of the 1930s.
I also truly enjoyed, as always, time spent with Lugg, the dogged Inspector Oates, and the delightful Amanda - I may reread the earlier books where we first meet the young Fittons, they were fun.
Here, everyone is terribly sophisticated and blasé about open infidelity, drugs and self-centered society types like the obnoxious actress, Georgia - I’m no prude, but it was annoying. And the proposal received at the end, from a character who had been courting the woman receiving the proposal, until he openly and very publicly dumped her for a selfish, married man-eater, was truly sickening. I know it’s another time and all, but ick!
I prefer a more straightforward murder mystery a la Christie, or shadowing ECR Lorac’s Inspector Macdonald as he hunts down clues in rural England or war torn London! But the audiobook was enjoyably narrated and well acted, and helped convey Allingham’s meaning more than the passages I read in my paperback copy, so I think I’ll stick with audiobooks for future Allingham reads.
September 18, 2013
Lovely, mysterious, and peaceful ( for a murder mystery). That said, anyone whining about the cultural milieu needs to realize that time is linear and novels are pinned to when they are written. You don't like the characters, the language, or what the author says? Fine, stick to reading last week's NYT best sellers--they're obviously for you. Oh, and one more thing: it's FICTION folks-- not the flaming Constitution.
Whew. I didn't realize how annoyed I was at the reviewers with modern axes to grind on a 1938 novel. If you aren't one of them, go read it, it's a wonderfully crafted mystery.
Whew. I didn't realize how annoyed I was at the reviewers with modern axes to grind on a 1938 novel. If you aren't one of them, go read it, it's a wonderfully crafted mystery.
August 17, 2010
This is a dreadful book with no redeeming qualities. Campion is a sneering, contemptuous jerk; his sister is unbalanced, and not in an entertaining fashion; Lugg is cringeworthy; the secondary characters are as unlike real people as you'll ever see. It's horrendously badly written - good luck figuring out what's going on in the first three chapters - and there is no mystery.
Reviewers who think that the astonishing racism and misogyny that permeates this book is somehow historical need to think again. Allingham was decades behind the times. When Christie looks progressive in comparison...
If this were sent to a publisher today, they'd use it for toilet paper. Deservedly.
Reviewers who think that the astonishing racism and misogyny that permeates this book is somehow historical need to think again. Allingham was decades behind the times. When Christie looks progressive in comparison...
If this were sent to a publisher today, they'd use it for toilet paper. Deservedly.
August 18, 2008
The only thing that really hurts this book is that you have to take it in the context of its time. There is blatant racist and sexist content, but it *was* written in 1938, when the world was still ignoring what Hitler was doing in Europe, so that's not really surprising. I'm not saying that should be ignored, but don't throw out the good with the bad because aside from that the book is *very* good (in fact, if not for that I would've given it five stars).
Now, I'll be honest, this is Albert's long-awaited (by me) reunion with Amanda Fitton from Sweet Danger, which is why I read it. But the book is enjoyable for reasons above and beyond the delightfully in-denial nature of their relationship: we meet Campion's sister for the first time and the mystery is tricky enough that, while I called a couple of plot twists, I didn't figure out the whodunnit until Allingham allowed the reader to. Agatha Christie may be the Queen of Crime, but surely Allingham deserves at least a princess tiara? *g*
It's a pity the BBC Campion series didn't go long enough to tackle this one--I would have loved to see how they handled it. :-)
Now, I'll be honest, this is Albert's long-awaited (by me) reunion with Amanda Fitton from Sweet Danger, which is why I read it. But the book is enjoyable for reasons above and beyond the delightfully in-denial nature of their relationship: we meet Campion's sister for the first time and the mystery is tricky enough that, while I called a couple of plot twists, I didn't figure out the whodunnit until Allingham allowed the reader to. Agatha Christie may be the Queen of Crime, but surely Allingham deserves at least a princess tiara? *g*
It's a pity the BBC Campion series didn't go long enough to tackle this one--I would have loved to see how they handled it. :-)
May 28, 2014
I did not like this book. Things I did not like:
The writing style
The characters
The plot
The datedness (couldn't forgive the racism and misogyny no matter how contemporaneous they are)
The beginning
The end
The middle
No.
The writing style
The characters
The plot
The datedness (couldn't forgive the racism and misogyny no matter how contemporaneous they are)
The beginning
The end
The middle
No.
March 6, 2011
The Fashion in Shrouds (1938) is another entry in the annals of Margery Allingham's detective, Albert Campion. This time, as the back of the book tells us, we have homicide with style. Fashion is the by-word of the circle where murder strikes. Among these people, the suicide of Richard Portland-Smith [not George Wells as he is identified in the blurb] is old news. But Campion has refused to accept it as passe...and, in fact, has been asked by the man's father to get to the bottom of it. As Campion begins to follow the trail among politicians and the theatre, plane designers and fashion designers, he discovers secrets that may affect his own sister. More deaths follow and soon it becomes a question of which secrets have led to these bizarre murders. Is it adultery? Drugs? Blackmail? Espionage? Or a nice little recipe requiring all those ingredients? Campion takes a bold step in the finale to bring the perpetrator out into the open.
It may just be the state I've been in the last couple days (not feeling well)...but this particular Campion mystery seems just a bit more convoluted than most. And I have to say that I detested (yes, detested) Georgia Wells, the actress, from the moment she stepped into the scene. Someone really needed to slap her a good one early on. The mystery did hold my attention....I just barely got it solved before Campion's final scene. And some of the character interactions were very good. Overall, though, not one of Allingham's best. Good solid mystery. Mostly good characters. A decent, solid read for a three star rating.
It may just be the state I've been in the last couple days (not feeling well)...but this particular Campion mystery seems just a bit more convoluted than most. And I have to say that I detested (yes, detested) Georgia Wells, the actress, from the moment she stepped into the scene. Someone really needed to slap her a good one early on. The mystery did hold my attention....I just barely got it solved before Campion's final scene. And some of the character interactions were very good. Overall, though, not one of Allingham's best. Good solid mystery. Mostly good characters. A decent, solid read for a three star rating.
March 12, 2011
I am usually an Albert Campion fan but this book just irritated me. The characters were so damn affected, hysterical, and just plain ridiculous that I had trouble getting through it. I hoped that every one of the group of suspects was guilty since I disliked them so much. Even Campion came across as a vacuous fool. Another complaint I have is that if you have not read Dancers in Mourning (which I have) you have no idea to what some of the characters are referring when they bring up, for no particular reason, names and incidents from that story.
The story here revolves around the fashion industry in which Campion's sister is a major player. Mix in drugs, suicide, murder, money, and silly asses and there you have it. I was very disappointed in this entry in the Campion series......but I'll get over it.
The story here revolves around the fashion industry in which Campion's sister is a major player. Mix in drugs, suicide, murder, money, and silly asses and there you have it. I was very disappointed in this entry in the Campion series......but I'll get over it.
May 3, 2014
I found nothing offensive in this book. I feel that those who see it are the ones who create it.
October 22, 2020
"What's that?" she demanded. "A nightgown?"
Val ran a pencil through the design. She looked up, her cheeks red and her eyes laughning.
"A tidy little shroud," she said. "It should be made in something rather heavy and expensive. Berthe's new corded chine-chine, I think.
"Morbid and silly," said Lady Papendeik. "I like the little bows. What's the pocket for?"
"Indulgences," said Val cheerfully. "They're always in fashion."
January 12, 2020
Re-reading Margery Allingham, an old favorite. She was precocious, publishing a first novel in her teens; the immaturity showed. Her first couple of Albert Campion mysteries are lightweight stuff, nothing to get excited about. But she kept getting better. By the time she wrote The Fashion in Shrouds, she was using the mystery framework to produce sophisticated novels about intelligent people and their professional and emotional travails, full of keen observation and deft prose.
Campion's sister Val is a top fashion designer who has revived an old firm with her brilliant creations. Hard-headed and professional, she has nonetheless succumbed to the weakness of falling in love. The problem is that Val's top client, the glamorous and narcissistic actress Georgia Wells, has poached the object of her affections, high-flying aircraft designer Alan Dell. Dell is trailing around after Georgia like a sick puppy, as Val bites her lip and hides her loathing for Georgia. Georgia's husband, an obnoxious ex-soldier with a reputation for brutality, is not pleased either. Meanwhile, Campion has been hired to find out why Georgia's last lover disappeared; what's left of him has just been found in a remote spot, evidently a suicide.
This tangle of professional and personal relationships, seething with ambitions and jealousies, underlies the mystery, which bursts into scandal when Georgia's husband turns up dead of mysterious causes. An unambiguous murder follows; Campion has to find the malevolent hand behind the deaths before the affair destroys his sister. The cast of characters is large and colorful, drawn from the London theatrical world and Dell's cutting-edge technology company (airplanes were high tech in 1938).
It's wonderfully drawn, with vivid and distinct characters, clever dialogue and a keen feel for complex personalities. N0t the least of its virtues is that the main female characters are smart, capable professional women making their way in what was still very much a man's world. It may irk some people that Allingham, while very much a promoter of female strength and emancipation, still showed a glimmer of attitudes that most would consider pre-feminist: "She was a clever woman who would not or could not relinquish her femininity, and femininity unpossessed is femininity unprotected from itself, a weakness and not a charm."
Make of that what you will; Margery Allingham's mature novels remain classics of the genre and a reader's delight.
Campion's sister Val is a top fashion designer who has revived an old firm with her brilliant creations. Hard-headed and professional, she has nonetheless succumbed to the weakness of falling in love. The problem is that Val's top client, the glamorous and narcissistic actress Georgia Wells, has poached the object of her affections, high-flying aircraft designer Alan Dell. Dell is trailing around after Georgia like a sick puppy, as Val bites her lip and hides her loathing for Georgia. Georgia's husband, an obnoxious ex-soldier with a reputation for brutality, is not pleased either. Meanwhile, Campion has been hired to find out why Georgia's last lover disappeared; what's left of him has just been found in a remote spot, evidently a suicide.
This tangle of professional and personal relationships, seething with ambitions and jealousies, underlies the mystery, which bursts into scandal when Georgia's husband turns up dead of mysterious causes. An unambiguous murder follows; Campion has to find the malevolent hand behind the deaths before the affair destroys his sister. The cast of characters is large and colorful, drawn from the London theatrical world and Dell's cutting-edge technology company (airplanes were high tech in 1938).
It's wonderfully drawn, with vivid and distinct characters, clever dialogue and a keen feel for complex personalities. N0t the least of its virtues is that the main female characters are smart, capable professional women making their way in what was still very much a man's world. It may irk some people that Allingham, while very much a promoter of female strength and emancipation, still showed a glimmer of attitudes that most would consider pre-feminist: "She was a clever woman who would not or could not relinquish her femininity, and femininity unpossessed is femininity unprotected from itself, a weakness and not a charm."
Make of that what you will; Margery Allingham's mature novels remain classics of the genre and a reader's delight.
August 19, 2017
A deceptively bad, unbearably anti-woman book, this one sneaks up on you just as you settle in to enjoy a good deep psychological detective story. A poor imitator of both Christie and Sayers, Allingham had a bare-faced crush on her cripplingly boring detective that apparently blinded her to his utter uninterestingness for everyone else.
To begin with, I liked the analytical nature of the conversations that were going on. It was interesting to see each sentence, each movement, each facial expression, pulled apart and put neatly into its own descriptive box ('feminine', 'hysteric', 'fallible and human') by the completely infallible, extremely masculine, utterly un-hysterical Campion, he of the blank-slate mind that can coldly analyse each person who comes into his sphere, including his own sister, and draw a wise and disengaged conclusion. As you may be able to tell, my enjoyment of this conversational habit did not linger.
After a few chapters of this describe-everything-in-great-psychological-import-detail style of storytelling, I started to wonder when the story would actually get going. Campion had admirably proved himself to be both smarter and more emotionally stable than everyone else around him (ever) and the only death had been one that happened some years earlier, apparently unsuspicious.
Furthermore, it was becoming uncomfortably apparent that Allingham was oddly preoccupied with the state of the modern woman. For a little while I hoped she might land on the side of 'difficult but worth pursuing', ie. that women were learning how to be professionals and managers and in charge in a world that was still uncomfortable with that role, but alas. As we chased the rabbit further and further down the rabbithole, even the professional and intelligent women faltered and stumbled, and of course this was because of their sex. 'This is what happens when you breed a creature for captivity for a thousand years and then set it free,' thought Campion, not verbatim, somewhere in this hot mess of ugly internalised misogyny.
The problem with this ridiculous attitude became twofold: not only was it strangely insistent and quite at odds with what the modern reader wants to hear (not her fault, admittedly), but it completely overtook the actual story. Allingham clearly admired Sayers, and I think she tried to emulate her cerebral style of writing here, but she missed the truth of Sayers' brilliance: kindness, and balance. This book is neither kind nor balanced. In fact it starts to read as slightly hysterically fixated on this subject, which I suppose is because the author is a woman and therefore cannot ever hope to achieve the true enlightenment of mind that is the sole lot of a man in the world.
The actual whodunnit got entirely lost in the wordy, obsessive psychology of the characters, and besides which the reader was never given a proper opportunity to solve the mystery. As we discover, a drug administered to the murdered man was easily accessible by Our Murderer, but for a Very Specific Medical Reason that was not revealed until we learned his identity and his dastardly plan. Poirot would have been very disappointed.
And so Allingham fails here on both fronts: inferior to Sayers in human understanding and subtlety, and sub-Christie because she forgot plotting in favour of proselytising, red herrings in favour of ranting, and clues in favour of clunky commentary. This is a bad detective novel and a bad novel in general.
To begin with, I liked the analytical nature of the conversations that were going on. It was interesting to see each sentence, each movement, each facial expression, pulled apart and put neatly into its own descriptive box ('feminine', 'hysteric', 'fallible and human') by the completely infallible, extremely masculine, utterly un-hysterical Campion, he of the blank-slate mind that can coldly analyse each person who comes into his sphere, including his own sister, and draw a wise and disengaged conclusion. As you may be able to tell, my enjoyment of this conversational habit did not linger.
After a few chapters of this describe-everything-in-great-psychological-import-detail style of storytelling, I started to wonder when the story would actually get going. Campion had admirably proved himself to be both smarter and more emotionally stable than everyone else around him (ever) and the only death had been one that happened some years earlier, apparently unsuspicious.
Furthermore, it was becoming uncomfortably apparent that Allingham was oddly preoccupied with the state of the modern woman. For a little while I hoped she might land on the side of 'difficult but worth pursuing', ie. that women were learning how to be professionals and managers and in charge in a world that was still uncomfortable with that role, but alas. As we chased the rabbit further and further down the rabbithole, even the professional and intelligent women faltered and stumbled, and of course this was because of their sex. 'This is what happens when you breed a creature for captivity for a thousand years and then set it free,' thought Campion, not verbatim, somewhere in this hot mess of ugly internalised misogyny.
The problem with this ridiculous attitude became twofold: not only was it strangely insistent and quite at odds with what the modern reader wants to hear (not her fault, admittedly), but it completely overtook the actual story. Allingham clearly admired Sayers, and I think she tried to emulate her cerebral style of writing here, but she missed the truth of Sayers' brilliance: kindness, and balance. This book is neither kind nor balanced. In fact it starts to read as slightly hysterically fixated on this subject, which I suppose is because the author is a woman and therefore cannot ever hope to achieve the true enlightenment of mind that is the sole lot of a man in the world.
The actual whodunnit got entirely lost in the wordy, obsessive psychology of the characters, and besides which the reader was never given a proper opportunity to solve the mystery. As we discover, a drug administered to the murdered man was easily accessible by Our Murderer, but for a Very Specific Medical Reason that was not revealed until we learned his identity and his dastardly plan. Poirot would have been very disappointed.
And so Allingham fails here on both fronts: inferior to Sayers in human understanding and subtlety, and sub-Christie because she forgot plotting in favour of proselytising, red herrings in favour of ranting, and clues in favour of clunky commentary. This is a bad detective novel and a bad novel in general.
March 8, 2017
There were many things I liked and enjoyed about this book and almost as many things I found abhorrent. Allingham and Christie both had a nasty habit of throwing out racism and sexism as if they were nothing. Yea, yea, I know, they were “products of their time” but that does not make it any less jarring or irritating to read today. I’m not sure it’s even a valid excuse since there were authors, writing during that general time period, who did not have as much propensity for that sort of thing. In spite of all that, this book is an important part of the series. Amanda Fritton (from Sweet Danger) returns. There are three strong, independent female characters, Amanda, Val and Tante Marthe. The climax scene near the end that takes place at Amanda’s cottage is one of the most atmospheric and well-written I’ve come across in ages. Campion develops as a character although at times in this book he fades into the background. These books don’t rely completely on each other and can be read as stand-alone but the character of Albert Campion develops more with each book. By this point in the series Campion has become such a human hero. His faults are not hidden, they’re part of who he is and perhaps he’s more likable for it. Reading this book alone will not give the reader a complete sense of him. I think they are best read in order.
April 19, 2018
Better than average 1930s English drawing-room mystery that mostly takes place outside the drawing room. Several strong female characters are paraded before the reader, but are they good/bad/ugly, or a murderer? Or none of the above?
November 5, 2015
I can't praise this book highly enough. Utterly fabulous. My favourite detective in his most fiendish case yet. A perfect example of the golden age of detective fiction.
December 20, 2020
So many thoughts.. and conflicted feelings on this one.
First, I did enjoy this one more than the other collection of three I've read.. though some of that enjoyment may come from yelling at the main character? It was a little more suspenseful, especially towards the end (though it felt very similar to Death of a ghost). Also, I thought the way the story was written was interesting/clever. For example, one chapter is made up of different phone conversations which is interesting because it was towards the end so it sort of was giving an overview of different characters perspectives. I also really liked Amanda, and how Campion seemed to become more alive when he was with her. Finally some emotion!!
There were a few negatives, including some racial slurs.. they were spoken by characters who weren't the main characters/not very nice characters to begin with... but there wasn't any clear demonstration either in words or actions that the main characters felt any differently.
Also.. Campion... he still annoyed me for at least half of the book. There were several moments where he would be surprised that his sister would have something insightful to say... I kept wanting to yell "You're not the only clever one!!"
Some interesting comments were made about femininity, especially with Val... how being feminine without protection (of a male/marriage) was a weakness. Or at least that was how I interpreted "femininity unpossessed is femininity unprotected from itself, a weakness and not a charm. " I don't think I agree with this... it almost sounds like it's saying that I as a female can't be (or shouldnt be?) fully feminine without being married... hmmmmmmmm anyway... I do relate to the desire for marriage.. and would love to have a husband who would be Christ-like in his leadership and love... but I also don't think that I am incomplete if I never get married, or that as a female I'm dysfunctional simply because I'm female.. maybe I'm reading too much into this..
Overall I did enjoy the mystery (I did guess the murderer correctly... you aren't the only clever one, Campion!) And Amanda and Campion together. Enough so that I am considering maybe reading one more Campion mystery XD
First, I did enjoy this one more than the other collection of three I've read.. though some of that enjoyment may come from yelling at the main character? It was a little more suspenseful, especially towards the end (though it felt very similar to Death of a ghost). Also, I thought the way the story was written was interesting/clever. For example, one chapter is made up of different phone conversations which is interesting because it was towards the end so it sort of was giving an overview of different characters perspectives. I also really liked Amanda, and how Campion seemed to become more alive when he was with her. Finally some emotion!!
There were a few negatives, including some racial slurs.. they were spoken by characters who weren't the main characters/not very nice characters to begin with... but there wasn't any clear demonstration either in words or actions that the main characters felt any differently.
Also.. Campion... he still annoyed me for at least half of the book. There were several moments where he would be surprised that his sister would have something insightful to say... I kept wanting to yell "You're not the only clever one!!"
Some interesting comments were made about femininity, especially with Val... how being feminine without protection (of a male/marriage) was a weakness. Or at least that was how I interpreted "femininity unpossessed is femininity unprotected from itself, a weakness and not a charm. " I don't think I agree with this... it almost sounds like it's saying that I as a female can't be (or shouldnt be?) fully feminine without being married... hmmmmmmmm anyway... I do relate to the desire for marriage.. and would love to have a husband who would be Christ-like in his leadership and love... but I also don't think that I am incomplete if I never get married, or that as a female I'm dysfunctional simply because I'm female.. maybe I'm reading too much into this..
Overall I did enjoy the mystery (I did guess the murderer correctly... you aren't the only clever one, Campion!) And Amanda and Campion together. Enough so that I am considering maybe reading one more Campion mystery XD
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2023
Infatuation is a malady that is ludicrous, sad, excruciating and above all, instantly diagnosable, and this is what afflicts Alan Dell upon meeting seductive actress Georgia Wells, who attracts men like flies and who seems to leave a trail of death in her wake. After a suicide and a suspicious death, Campion's investigation centers on Georgia's circle of friends which was complicated by his own sister's involvement along with affairs, blackmail and backstabbings, as he faces a culprit who is a master at manipulation. I'm not really a fan of Allingham's writing but I think this is one of her strongest.
January 25, 2017
I am such a fan of Allingham’s books, and it is always a pleasure to read one. But it
is not so easy to write a review, as I find myself feeling inadequate to do her writing the justice it deserves. Once I’ve said her writing is masterful, what can I add?
This book is notable for the return of Amanda Fitton, previously met as a flame-haired teenager in Sweet Danger. It is six years later; she is now Lady Amanda, she has completed her education and she is an engineer at Alandel aeroplane company. Quite a strong identity for a young woman at the time this book was written.
Besides Amanda and Albert Campion, there is a host of memorable characters in this story. Albert’s sister Valentine is a prominent fashion designer with the very successful firm of Papendeik. There is the beautiful Georgia Wells, a gifted actress who is very self-absorbed and has some difficulty distinguishing her stage world from real life.
We enter the world of fashion with a luncheon at the Papdendeik establishment, with Albert, Val, and Georgia Wells in attendance, along with Georgia’s larger-than-life husband Sir Raymond Ramillies, her leading man, and entertainment entrepreneur, Ferdie Paul, and Alan Dell, a genius at aeronautics.
The drama unfolds slowly but relentlessly as the web of relationships and life events unfolds. Center stage, as befits her, is Georgia (Lady Ramillies) and her complicated story of marriages and romantic alliances. Campion, it transpires, has been hired by the father of Richard Portland-Smith to find out what happened to his son, who was engaged to Georgia and then vanished without a trace. Subsequently, Georgia married Ramillies. When Portland-Smith’s body is finally discovered, his death is ruled as a suicide. But before too long, Ramillies is also dead under suspicious circumstances. From there, the ramifications of these two deaths have impacted most of the central characters in the story.
Albert Campion is challenged to unravel these mysteries and untangle the complex relationships here. In the process, the romantic lives of Valentine, Georgia, Alan Dell, Campion, and Amanda are also on view. This is an intriguing tale, a puzzling mystery, and a very satisfying read despite the negative events encountered by the players.
My thanks to Camilla of the Allingham Estate for providing an advance copy to read and review.
is not so easy to write a review, as I find myself feeling inadequate to do her writing the justice it deserves. Once I’ve said her writing is masterful, what can I add?
This book is notable for the return of Amanda Fitton, previously met as a flame-haired teenager in Sweet Danger. It is six years later; she is now Lady Amanda, she has completed her education and she is an engineer at Alandel aeroplane company. Quite a strong identity for a young woman at the time this book was written.
Besides Amanda and Albert Campion, there is a host of memorable characters in this story. Albert’s sister Valentine is a prominent fashion designer with the very successful firm of Papendeik. There is the beautiful Georgia Wells, a gifted actress who is very self-absorbed and has some difficulty distinguishing her stage world from real life.
We enter the world of fashion with a luncheon at the Papdendeik establishment, with Albert, Val, and Georgia Wells in attendance, along with Georgia’s larger-than-life husband Sir Raymond Ramillies, her leading man, and entertainment entrepreneur, Ferdie Paul, and Alan Dell, a genius at aeronautics.
The drama unfolds slowly but relentlessly as the web of relationships and life events unfolds. Center stage, as befits her, is Georgia (Lady Ramillies) and her complicated story of marriages and romantic alliances. Campion, it transpires, has been hired by the father of Richard Portland-Smith to find out what happened to his son, who was engaged to Georgia and then vanished without a trace. Subsequently, Georgia married Ramillies. When Portland-Smith’s body is finally discovered, his death is ruled as a suicide. But before too long, Ramillies is also dead under suspicious circumstances. From there, the ramifications of these two deaths have impacted most of the central characters in the story.
Albert Campion is challenged to unravel these mysteries and untangle the complex relationships here. In the process, the romantic lives of Valentine, Georgia, Alan Dell, Campion, and Amanda are also on view. This is an intriguing tale, a puzzling mystery, and a very satisfying read despite the negative events encountered by the players.
My thanks to Camilla of the Allingham Estate for providing an advance copy to read and review.
July 19, 2016
It is very interesting to see the mix of reviews on this book. Sadly, I am with the folks who did not like it as much as, well any of the other Campion books before it in the series. I can't comment on the ones after [yet]. I'll leave it to others to summarize the plot.
I like this series for the historical detail, the characters and the mystery in that order. I love Lugg. I was also looking forward to this installment because of the return of Amanda.
I found this book to be populated by way too many characters who were indistinguishable from each other. Sometimes in cases where books have a lot of characters I write their names down and create a little "cheat sheet". It is usually quite helpful and after a little while I don't need it any more. Not so in this case. It didn't help and I didn't care.
Most of the characters were inter-changable and not likable.
I am fine with making allowances for differences in time period morals and modes of thought. I did find the one reference to a woman needing "a good rape" to be offensive and a little puzzling given that the book was written by a woman (no matter what the era).
I also found myself puzzling over a lot of dialog. It seemed to go off on tangents and was frequently incomprehensable. I re-read many sentences several times and could still not make heads nor tails of them.
Finally, I was disapointed with the relationship between Campion and Amanda. Won't say any more about that so as not to spoil.
My plan is to read the next book in the series and see how it goes. I've enjoyed all the previous ones. If I don't like the next one, I'll be putting this series aside, at least for now.
I like this series for the historical detail, the characters and the mystery in that order. I love Lugg. I was also looking forward to this installment because of the return of Amanda.
I found this book to be populated by way too many characters who were indistinguishable from each other. Sometimes in cases where books have a lot of characters I write their names down and create a little "cheat sheet". It is usually quite helpful and after a little while I don't need it any more. Not so in this case. It didn't help and I didn't care.
Most of the characters were inter-changable and not likable.
I am fine with making allowances for differences in time period morals and modes of thought. I did find the one reference to a woman needing "a good rape" to be offensive and a little puzzling given that the book was written by a woman (no matter what the era).
I also found myself puzzling over a lot of dialog. It seemed to go off on tangents and was frequently incomprehensable. I re-read many sentences several times and could still not make heads nor tails of them.
Finally, I was disapointed with the relationship between Campion and Amanda. Won't say any more about that so as not to spoil.
My plan is to read the next book in the series and see how it goes. I've enjoyed all the previous ones. If I don't like the next one, I'll be putting this series aside, at least for now.
April 11, 2023
I haven't read a ' classic crime era ' for ages and not familiar with this writer at all. I appreciate everything is of its time but found this hard to keep reading. It seemed to take ages to get going with a murder, I found all the characters annoying and Campion ghost like in his presence, very boring and just as annoying as all the others. I really didn't care if they all got slaughtered. I'm not a sensitive woke type but the language at times is horrible and attitudes shocking even , I feel, for a dated old mystery.
September 14, 2013
Wow, it is hard to know where to start with this. Have the previous books I've read by Margery Allingham been edited for racial slurs, homophobic remarks, and other offensive language? And don't tell me it was just normal for the 1930s because Dorothy L. Sayers was writing earlier with a far more enlightened mind and refined language. I really found a lot of things about this book appalling.
And then we have the most anti-feminist (and completely stupid) marriage proposal EVER; this man proposing has spent most of the book completely unable to take care of himself or his business, he has been weak and stupid and really annoying... but he shows up and asks a brilliant successful independent woman:
"Will you marry me and give up to me your independence, the enthusiasm which you give your career, your time and your thought? ... I would like to feel that I might discuss anything with you if I wanted to; but only because I wanted to, mind you; not as your right."
Seriously?
Here again: Dorothy L. Sayers talking about equality of the sexes and equally valued work in 1935, and Margery Allingham setting women back decades in 1938.
The story wasn't terrible, and not every single characters was throwing around ugly racial slurs... and maybe not all the successful/interesting women are willing to give up their lives to unworthy men.
*shudder*
And then we have the most anti-feminist (and completely stupid) marriage proposal EVER; this man proposing has spent most of the book completely unable to take care of himself or his business, he has been weak and stupid and really annoying... but he shows up and asks a brilliant successful independent woman:
"Will you marry me and give up to me your independence, the enthusiasm which you give your career, your time and your thought? ... I would like to feel that I might discuss anything with you if I wanted to; but only because I wanted to, mind you; not as your right."
Seriously?
Here again: Dorothy L. Sayers talking about equality of the sexes and equally valued work in 1935, and Margery Allingham setting women back decades in 1938.
The story wasn't terrible, and not every single characters was throwing around ugly racial slurs... and maybe not all the successful/interesting women are willing to give up their lives to unworthy men.
*shudder*
November 17, 2019
This mystery sees Albert Campion visiting his sister, Val, who happens to be the top designer at a fashion house. She has been working on dresses for the actress Georgia Wells. When a skeleton is found in the gardens nearby, and another death follows, both deaths are connected to Georgia, and threaten to drag Val into scandal. Campion must unravel the clues to get to the root of the mystery.
I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the plot is strong and the characters engaging - particularly those who we have met in previous books, such as Amanda Fitton and her brother Hal, Lugg and Oates. Campion's investigations are clever and entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns.
On the other hand, the misogyny that underlies much of the novel is excessive even for a Golden Age novel and proves an unpleasant distraction from events. "femininity unpossessed is femininity unprotected from itself, a weakness and not a charm." That sums up the attitude of this book, I'm afraid, and it comes to the forefront on too many occasions to be easily ignored.
This is one of my favourite Golden Age series, which I'm really enjoying rediscovering - this book hasn't stood the test of time too well in some respects, but I'm still looking forward to carrying on with the next in the series.
I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the plot is strong and the characters engaging - particularly those who we have met in previous books, such as Amanda Fitton and her brother Hal, Lugg and Oates. Campion's investigations are clever and entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns.
On the other hand, the misogyny that underlies much of the novel is excessive even for a Golden Age novel and proves an unpleasant distraction from events. "femininity unpossessed is femininity unprotected from itself, a weakness and not a charm." That sums up the attitude of this book, I'm afraid, and it comes to the forefront on too many occasions to be easily ignored.
This is one of my favourite Golden Age series, which I'm really enjoying rediscovering - this book hasn't stood the test of time too well in some respects, but I'm still looking forward to carrying on with the next in the series.
October 15, 2011
Most certainly one of the best written mystery novels I've ever encountered, both in style and form. I was writing down favorite bits of exposition the whole time I was reading. It can be a bit off-putting in its treatment of women. Ms Allingham seemed very conflicted over her ideas of how "modern" women should behave, and it came across as very angry and almost downright ugly a few times. Maybe it was her reactionary attitude to the times in which she wrote or maybe it was her self-consciously overcompensating writing as herself a successful modern women, especially given the setting of this book - fashion, with lots of strong, central female characters. Like I said, a bit off-putting, but it actually adds a layer that makes me want to re-examine the whole thing and see what she was getting at exactly. It's my first novel length of hers (aside from some Campion short stories), so I will continue and see if it pervades all of her writing. As for the story itself, character development, tone and style, really great.
August 4, 2017
A period piece, written in 1938, featuring detective Albert Campion - subsequently a TV series in Britain. So that's why I read it, and in some ways it's a good solid mystery, marred only by the use of the 'n' word in casual dialogue, and its attitude to women. Though I will say that one of the main women characters runs a successful fashion business and another works for an aircraft engineering firm, which is pretty advanced for the period. Trouble is, they end up preferring marriage...
If only the publishers had been allowed to edit out the unnecessary language. It wasn't necessary to the plot or for character definition. It was simply OK at the time. God knows, when I was at school in England in the mid 60s, our dark brown uniform cardigan was described as 'n' brown, subsequently changed to Congo brown, so you can see it took a while. PS I didn't guess who the murderer was, which was a plus.
If only the publishers had been allowed to edit out the unnecessary language. It wasn't necessary to the plot or for character definition. It was simply OK at the time. God knows, when I was at school in England in the mid 60s, our dark brown uniform cardigan was described as 'n' brown, subsequently changed to Congo brown, so you can see it took a while. PS I didn't guess who the murderer was, which was a plus.
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