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Albert Campion #short stories
Mr Campion & Others
An old-time baker’s dozen of stories, in which Mr Albert Campion—with or without the help of the lugubrious Superintendent Oates—relieves friends and acquaintances from the inconveniences of assault, blackmail, confidence tricks and the like. As the Superintendent remarked at the close of a short, sharp case of espionage: ‘Campion, you frighten me. Something looks after you.’ Something does, and it’s generally Campion’s legion of disreputable friends
Contents: The widow — The name on the wrapper — The hat trick — The question mark — The old man in the window — The white elephant — The Frenchman’s gloves — The longer view — Safe as houses — The definite article — The meaning of the act — A matter of form — The danger point
Contents: The widow — The name on the wrapper — The hat trick — The question mark — The old man in the window — The white elephant — The Frenchman’s gloves — The longer view — Safe as houses — The definite article — The meaning of the act — A matter of form — The danger point
289 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1939
22 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Margery Allingham
246 books606 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 55 reviews
May 21, 2017
MR CAMPION AND OTHERS, Margery Allingham
1950, title used twice, first in 1939; the first eight stories in this collection are also in the 1939 collection but this edition also has five different stories. Nice, but not great. Three-and-one-half stars.
Note: The "others" in the title actually refer to the stories in the 1939 edition that were not in this edition (they were NOT Campion stories); this 1950 edition appears to have taken all the Campion stories from the 1939 edition, and added several more Campion stories, most from MR. CAMPION, CRIMINOLOGIST. The title is, therefore, misleading, at least in this edition, since this has *only* Campion stories.
In both the 1939 and 1950 editions: (date= when first published)
1937 04 The Widow
— neat little scam tale involving some brandy, A Reputable Firm, and a lonely hotel; rather sweet in spots and somewhat predictable, but smooth, really smooooth.... Reminded me a bit of a very early Wimsey tale.
1938 03 The Name on the Wrapper
— a classy crook, a big jewel robbery, and a Maiden In Distress
1938 10 (The Case of) The Hat Trick, apa (The Case of) The Magic Hat
— lovely con job starring an insufferable snob and a socially inept wealthy man
1938 01 (The Case of) The Question Mark apa Return of Mr. Campion. 1989
— yet another robbery, this time very old silver, an odd wannabe detective with persistence (and talent), and yet another lovely young lady of Campion's acquaintance, lots of fun.
1936 10 (The Case of) The Old Man in the Window
— a classic "Is he dead, or isn't he?" story, with beautiful characterizations and really good pacing; similar to one of Sayers' most famous novels, though.
1938 07 (The Case of) The Frenchman's Gloves
— starts out similar to a Holmes story (Man with the Twisted Lip), maneuvers itself almost into a Christie story (The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim), and then resolves into a neat little con job all Allingham's own.
1950 (The Case of) The Longer View apa The Crimson Letters in casebook 1947; this is an abridged version of The Crimson
Letters 1938, which was apa in 1939 edition of Others
— nifty tale about a kidnaping, with some nicely dark edges but, as (mostly) usual with Allingham, a nearly perfectly happy ending. Note: long version appears to only be in the 1939 edition or EQMM 10/1946
1936 08 (The Case of) The White Elephant
— Deluxe jewel thieves, a beautiful scam, a haughty Countess, and a Sweet Young Thing; not at all as predictable as it sounds - pacing is excellent and the working out of the plot is too
Only in the 1950 edition:
1940 01 Safe as Houses
— One of Campion's odd elderly relatives does an extremely odd thing, resulting in a lot of "difficulty", and poor Albert has to get him and his redoubtable Mamma out of it (without telling Mamma...). Classic plot (Christie did a nice variation on it too) beautifully worked out, and although the humor is at first rather forced, the ending is entertaining.
1937 10 The Definite Article
— Campion vs. society blackmailer, who's targeted a Sweet Young Thing; longer and rather different version written 1937 but only this shorter variant published then and also in 1947 and 1950; original long version finally published 1987 as `The Black Tent' which was a far superior story, smoother and sweeter and vastly better plotted, available in The Return of Mr. Campion, 1989
1939 09 The Meaning of the Act
— an eminent Egyptologist exhibiting extremely unusual behavior, a worried daughter who asks Campion for help, a talkative pickpocket, an artist and a copper - a nice menage in a snappy story with a beautifully twisted ending. Oh, and the title is a joke, a rather funny joke, actually.
1940 05 A Matter of Form
— neat little scam tale set in London during early days of Battle of Britain, where obscure governmental rules and regs trip up a burglar; nicely smooth, but there is, unfortunately, yet another pair of lovers including a not-too-bright young man (this time in uniform) and another of the seemingly innumerable Pretty Young Things (sigggh) of Allingham's acquaintance.
1937 06 The Danger Point
— yet another Pretty Young Thing in distress, and another jewel robbery - sort of - amongst the rich'n'famous'n'peculiar, with Campion fixing things up behind the scenes. But this one is rather richer in texture and mood than some of them, with beautiful characterizations and nice twists.
1950, title used twice, first in 1939; the first eight stories in this collection are also in the 1939 collection but this edition also has five different stories. Nice, but not great. Three-and-one-half stars.
Note: The "others" in the title actually refer to the stories in the 1939 edition that were not in this edition (they were NOT Campion stories); this 1950 edition appears to have taken all the Campion stories from the 1939 edition, and added several more Campion stories, most from MR. CAMPION, CRIMINOLOGIST. The title is, therefore, misleading, at least in this edition, since this has *only* Campion stories.
In both the 1939 and 1950 editions: (date= when first published)
1937 04 The Widow
— neat little scam tale involving some brandy, A Reputable Firm, and a lonely hotel; rather sweet in spots and somewhat predictable, but smooth, really smooooth.... Reminded me a bit of a very early Wimsey tale.
1938 03 The Name on the Wrapper
— a classy crook, a big jewel robbery, and a Maiden In Distress
1938 10 (The Case of) The Hat Trick, apa (The Case of) The Magic Hat
— lovely con job starring an insufferable snob and a socially inept wealthy man
1938 01 (The Case of) The Question Mark apa Return of Mr. Campion. 1989
— yet another robbery, this time very old silver, an odd wannabe detective with persistence (and talent), and yet another lovely young lady of Campion's acquaintance, lots of fun.
1936 10 (The Case of) The Old Man in the Window
— a classic "Is he dead, or isn't he?" story, with beautiful characterizations and really good pacing; similar to one of Sayers' most famous novels, though.
1938 07 (The Case of) The Frenchman's Gloves
— starts out similar to a Holmes story (Man with the Twisted Lip), maneuvers itself almost into a Christie story (The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim), and then resolves into a neat little con job all Allingham's own.
1950 (The Case of) The Longer View apa The Crimson Letters in casebook 1947; this is an abridged version of The Crimson
Letters 1938, which was apa in 1939 edition of Others
— nifty tale about a kidnaping, with some nicely dark edges but, as (mostly) usual with Allingham, a nearly perfectly happy ending. Note: long version appears to only be in the 1939 edition or EQMM 10/1946
1936 08 (The Case of) The White Elephant
— Deluxe jewel thieves, a beautiful scam, a haughty Countess, and a Sweet Young Thing; not at all as predictable as it sounds - pacing is excellent and the working out of the plot is too
Only in the 1950 edition:
1940 01 Safe as Houses
— One of Campion's odd elderly relatives does an extremely odd thing, resulting in a lot of "difficulty", and poor Albert has to get him and his redoubtable Mamma out of it (without telling Mamma...). Classic plot (Christie did a nice variation on it too) beautifully worked out, and although the humor is at first rather forced, the ending is entertaining.
1937 10 The Definite Article
— Campion vs. society blackmailer, who's targeted a Sweet Young Thing; longer and rather different version written 1937 but only this shorter variant published then and also in 1947 and 1950; original long version finally published 1987 as `The Black Tent' which was a far superior story, smoother and sweeter and vastly better plotted, available in The Return of Mr. Campion, 1989
1939 09 The Meaning of the Act
— an eminent Egyptologist exhibiting extremely unusual behavior, a worried daughter who asks Campion for help, a talkative pickpocket, an artist and a copper - a nice menage in a snappy story with a beautifully twisted ending. Oh, and the title is a joke, a rather funny joke, actually.
1940 05 A Matter of Form
— neat little scam tale set in London during early days of Battle of Britain, where obscure governmental rules and regs trip up a burglar; nicely smooth, but there is, unfortunately, yet another pair of lovers including a not-too-bright young man (this time in uniform) and another of the seemingly innumerable Pretty Young Things (sigggh) of Allingham's acquaintance.
1937 06 The Danger Point
— yet another Pretty Young Thing in distress, and another jewel robbery - sort of - amongst the rich'n'famous'n'peculiar, with Campion fixing things up behind the scenes. But this one is rather richer in texture and mood than some of them, with beautiful characterizations and nice twists.
September 22, 2020
Not a big fan of short stories but I love the Albert Campion mysteries so it all works out. Most were published in the 1940's in various magazines. Like all short stories, some are stronger than others but on the whole a solid collection of mysteries.
Read
January 19, 2014A fun little set of mystery stories, mostly from the 1930s. They prompt some ruminations on the genre and period. First off, I think Margery Allingham was (at her best) an excellent writer, albeit not one whose solutions to mysteries always follow the rules. Second, I think Allingham and Dorothy Sayers generally wrote more memorable novels than short stories; their novels have more depth and complexity, generally succeeding as both genre fiction and lasting literature, while their short stories show much more evidence of having been written to please a magazine audience. The stories here, in fact, don't bear an enormous resemblance to Allingham's novels apart from the use of Albert Campion and Stanislaus Oates. Despite the use of these characters, the tales actually make me think of Wodehouse, in that Campion is as well-connected as Bertie Wooster and constantly helping out some foolish but pretty young woman and/or her lovesick young suitor. Campion, however, has no Jeeves in these stories--merely an anonymous "man," which is jarring to anyone who knows the novels because in the novels Lugg is a major (if un-Jeeves-like) character. As in the novels, Campion is slender, over thirty, and wears horn-rimmed glasses, but here he is repeatedly described as having the kind of deceptively vacant look that Sayers's Peter Wimsey is so well known for. As the two writers evolved their detectives, Campion and Wimsey grew more individual, although they always retained some common features.
In addition to these thoughts about Campion and short story versus novel, I definitely had the feeling that Allingham was really playing to her readers' expectations of stereotype here--again not something the novels generally do. The young society women in the stories are invariably "charming" and good-looking but immature and eternally doing stupid things that either cause crimes to occur or to be solved. One can only take so much of that--and fortunately most of the women in the novels aren't like that--so fortunately the stories can be read one or two at a time and enjoyed as lightweight period pieces, literary meringues or baubles or whatnot.
In addition to these thoughts about Campion and short story versus novel, I definitely had the feeling that Allingham was really playing to her readers' expectations of stereotype here--again not something the novels generally do. The young society women in the stories are invariably "charming" and good-looking but immature and eternally doing stupid things that either cause crimes to occur or to be solved. One can only take so much of that--and fortunately most of the women in the novels aren't like that--so fortunately the stories can be read one or two at a time and enjoyed as lightweight period pieces, literary meringues or baubles or whatnot.
February 21, 2019
Wonderful and entertaining.
January 9, 2021
Margery Allingham is one of the true & proper greats of mystery fiction whom I had NEVER read until now. Fortunately this selection remedied the situation to some extent.
It contained the following stories:
1. The Widow
2. The Name on the Wrapper
3. The Hat Trick
4. The Question Mark
5. The Old Man in the Window
6. The White Elephant
7. The Frenchman's Gloves
8. The Longer View
9. Safe as Houses
10. The Definite Article
11. The Meaning of the Act
12. A Matter of Form
13. The Danger Point
This was a truly deceptive book.
While it was rather slimmish, the stories therein built worlds of their own.
The setting described in the stories might appear as typically 'cozy'. They seemed to belong to that variety of detective stories which is despised by hardboiled writers as artificial and 'artsy'. But the reality was sharply different. Instead of murders in highbrow locations and highbrow people mixing together, we come across a series of witty stories containing deep pools of darkness within. There are nasty people doing nasty things, apparently rich and powerful people breaking apart due to their simplicity and honesty, and police proceeding methodically towards the criminals once the picture has become clear.
There comes our deceptive hero. Campion is a witty and dry person who fits the role of middle-aged brother of the protagonist or his lawyer friend neatly. He doesn't indulge in heroics. We don't find women swooning over him. BUT he delivers the goods— with observation, logic, lots of earthly experience and (one must admit) luck.
And the writing! It was so perfectly British that one can almost hear the words being delivered in clipped, dry and yet humorous accent.
Yes, this is one book that a mystery-lover MUST read. Highly recommended.
It contained the following stories:
1. The Widow
2. The Name on the Wrapper
3. The Hat Trick
4. The Question Mark
5. The Old Man in the Window
6. The White Elephant
7. The Frenchman's Gloves
8. The Longer View
9. Safe as Houses
10. The Definite Article
11. The Meaning of the Act
12. A Matter of Form
13. The Danger Point
This was a truly deceptive book.
While it was rather slimmish, the stories therein built worlds of their own.
The setting described in the stories might appear as typically 'cozy'. They seemed to belong to that variety of detective stories which is despised by hardboiled writers as artificial and 'artsy'. But the reality was sharply different. Instead of murders in highbrow locations and highbrow people mixing together, we come across a series of witty stories containing deep pools of darkness within. There are nasty people doing nasty things, apparently rich and powerful people breaking apart due to their simplicity and honesty, and police proceeding methodically towards the criminals once the picture has become clear.
There comes our deceptive hero. Campion is a witty and dry person who fits the role of middle-aged brother of the protagonist or his lawyer friend neatly. He doesn't indulge in heroics. We don't find women swooning over him. BUT he delivers the goods— with observation, logic, lots of earthly experience and (one must admit) luck.
And the writing! It was so perfectly British that one can almost hear the words being delivered in clipped, dry and yet humorous accent.
Yes, this is one book that a mystery-lover MUST read. Highly recommended.
February 18, 2021
This is a collection of 13 short stories concerning the adventures of Mr. Albert Campion, gentleman detective, solving cases and resolving issues to the amazement and distraction of Scotland Yard’s own Stanislaus Oates.
It is thought that Albert Campion was originally a spoof on Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey, but by the time these stories were written, Campion had already gained a great level of respectability and real sophistication so that Lord Peter had the “noble” niche back as his own. Most of the action takes place in London, but the countryside is also brought in for backdrops, too.
Written in the 1930’s (published in 1938), the stories are somewhat dated in terms of satisfactory outcomes. Today we usually demand that justice be served by hard time or worse, but in several of the stories the “crook” is allowed freedom as long as scandal is avoided. Is this so English, or is Campion just a real gentleman in a polite society? Also, several of the stories revolve around non-violent, still deplorable episodes of crime, but not murder. The stories give us a minute sliver of a peek into the life of aristocratic British in the last days of peace before WW II.
It is thought that Albert Campion was originally a spoof on Dorothy Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey, but by the time these stories were written, Campion had already gained a great level of respectability and real sophistication so that Lord Peter had the “noble” niche back as his own. Most of the action takes place in London, but the countryside is also brought in for backdrops, too.
Written in the 1930’s (published in 1938), the stories are somewhat dated in terms of satisfactory outcomes. Today we usually demand that justice be served by hard time or worse, but in several of the stories the “crook” is allowed freedom as long as scandal is avoided. Is this so English, or is Campion just a real gentleman in a polite society? Also, several of the stories revolve around non-violent, still deplorable episodes of crime, but not murder. The stories give us a minute sliver of a peek into the life of aristocratic British in the last days of peace before WW II.
September 6, 2015
A frivolous collection of mostly early (1930s) Albert Campion stories that would have originally appeared in publications like The Strand Magazine. The stories are filled with authentic period flavor and are well written and great fun— a treat for Allingham enthusiasts and fans of golden age British detective stories— but they're not very substantive. However, unlike some of the other Allingham short story collections with Mr Campion's name in the title that actually have little to do with that gentleman, this one really is mostly Campion.
April 12, 2020
Perfection. Ideal for a lazy Sunday afternoon's reading. If Dorothy L. Sayers and P.G. Wodehouse had a literary baby this would be it.
December 11, 2025
Mr. Campion, blandly affable, astutely observant, features in 13 entertaining tales. Murder is a rarity here, rather Campion, with the assistance of his good friend Chief Inspector/Superintendent Oates keeps the gullible from being gulled, metes out justice to kidnappers, finds the jewels, generally cleans up old London town, and even deals a moment with espionage.
If the atmosphere of 1800's London and England contributes to the Sherlock Holmes stories, then the rather different atmosphere of the monied, aristocratic class of the 1920s-'30s lends a Jazz Age pizzazz to most of these stories, all written deftly, with wit and a light-touch. A few of the stories are more serious, especially some of the later ones because the 1940s and WWII play in their background.
Clever and erudite, these still are the literary equivalent of bon-bons, and perfect for when a fan of mysteries needs something light and amusing.
If the atmosphere of 1800's London and England contributes to the Sherlock Holmes stories, then the rather different atmosphere of the monied, aristocratic class of the 1920s-'30s lends a Jazz Age pizzazz to most of these stories, all written deftly, with wit and a light-touch. A few of the stories are more serious, especially some of the later ones because the 1940s and WWII play in their background.
Clever and erudite, these still are the literary equivalent of bon-bons, and perfect for when a fan of mysteries needs something light and amusing.
May 23, 2021
Maybe it’s a poor idea to start into a new mystery writer with a collection of short stories, but these were thin and uneven.
April 30, 2022
Enjoyable but I like her novels better than her short stories.
September 24, 2016
Campion at his best. Really well crafted and enjoyable.
Excellent set of Campion stories. They're a decent length and I was kept reading into the early hours. I read all the Campion novels a while back but missed this collection. I'm very pleased to have found it and surprised that it hasn't made it into audio format with the other Campion books. Neat set of problems with a quiet flair. Deceptively simple but rich character depictions and yesteryear so poignant you could buy a souvenir whilst you're there.
Excellent set of Campion stories. They're a decent length and I was kept reading into the early hours. I read all the Campion novels a while back but missed this collection. I'm very pleased to have found it and surprised that it hasn't made it into audio format with the other Campion books. Neat set of problems with a quiet flair. Deceptively simple but rich character depictions and yesteryear so poignant you could buy a souvenir whilst you're there.
October 24, 2023
MY RATING GUIDE: 4 Stars.
This is a quick reading and enjoyable collection of 13 Short Mysteries featuring “favorite family friend” and amateur detective Albert Campion born into High Society, equally at ease with the rich or the poor.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I LIKED THIS A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
13 Short Mysteries featuring London Society investigator Albert Campion:
(Each mystery reads in about 15-20mins).
1) The Widow - 1939. with a Superintendent Stanislaus Oakes cameo. Campion is asked to give his limited opinion regarding an unknown bottle of brandy.
2) The Name on the Wrapper - 1947. with Oakes. Campion is somewhere older than 34yrs in this one. A bit of action occurs on the road to a Society Hunt Ball.
3) The Hat Trick - 1945. Campion is given a parting gift, a piece of onyx in the shape of a hat.
4) The Question Mark - 1941. w Oakes. Campion shops with a friend for fine silver.
5) The Old Man in the Window - 1939. Campion and Oakes are dining together while celebrating the latter’s recent promotion to Superintendent when they witness an embarrassing Society faux pas.
6) The White Elephant - 1939. w Chief Detective Oakes. Campion is a well known criminologist who occasionally works w the police at this point. An impressive London dowager duchess organizes and sponsors an annual charity White Elephant event which demands donations and support from all Society.
7) The Frenchman's Gloves - 1947. w Superintendent Oakes. Campion takes a rather young lady and family friend out about London and she shares a concern with him about her young friend.
8) The Longer View - 1946. w a Superintendent Oakes cameo. A friend of Campion’s decides to take a walk past memory lane discovering more than mere memories.
9) Safe as Houses - 1944. Has someone has been inside Campion’s aunt’s manor house?
10) The Definite Article - 1942. Superintendent Oakes approaches Campion w a Society crime.
11) The Meaning of the Act - 1943. w Oakes. An acquaintance of Campion’s asks him to attend an uncomfortable affair at a lower class music hall/theatre; and Campion passes Oakes a word about the choosing of his friends.
12) A Matter of Form - 1941. w Oakes. An acquaintance of Campion’s requests help with a lady while Oakes reminisces over past criminals.
13) The Danger Point - 1948. w Oakes. Campion attends a dinner party which introduces an old mystery.
This collection of Short Mysteries reads very quickly. I recommend it to readers of:
1) Allingham’s Albert Campion Mysteries.
2) British Mysteries.
3) Classic Mysteries.
4) Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries by Dorothy Sayers.
READER CAUTION ~ Suitable for most mystery readers.
PROFANITY - Minimal, if any.
VIOLENCE - None.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
This is a quick reading and enjoyable collection of 13 Short Mysteries featuring “favorite family friend” and amateur detective Albert Campion born into High Society, equally at ease with the rich or the poor.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I LIKED THIS A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
13 Short Mysteries featuring London Society investigator Albert Campion:
(Each mystery reads in about 15-20mins).
1) The Widow - 1939. with a Superintendent Stanislaus Oakes cameo. Campion is asked to give his limited opinion regarding an unknown bottle of brandy.
2) The Name on the Wrapper - 1947. with Oakes. Campion is somewhere older than 34yrs in this one. A bit of action occurs on the road to a Society Hunt Ball.
3) The Hat Trick - 1945. Campion is given a parting gift, a piece of onyx in the shape of a hat.
4) The Question Mark - 1941. w Oakes. Campion shops with a friend for fine silver.
5) The Old Man in the Window - 1939. Campion and Oakes are dining together while celebrating the latter’s recent promotion to Superintendent when they witness an embarrassing Society faux pas.
6) The White Elephant - 1939. w Chief Detective Oakes. Campion is a well known criminologist who occasionally works w the police at this point. An impressive London dowager duchess organizes and sponsors an annual charity White Elephant event which demands donations and support from all Society.
7) The Frenchman's Gloves - 1947. w Superintendent Oakes. Campion takes a rather young lady and family friend out about London and she shares a concern with him about her young friend.
8) The Longer View - 1946. w a Superintendent Oakes cameo. A friend of Campion’s decides to take a walk past memory lane discovering more than mere memories.
9) Safe as Houses - 1944. Has someone has been inside Campion’s aunt’s manor house?
10) The Definite Article - 1942. Superintendent Oakes approaches Campion w a Society crime.
11) The Meaning of the Act - 1943. w Oakes. An acquaintance of Campion’s asks him to attend an uncomfortable affair at a lower class music hall/theatre; and Campion passes Oakes a word about the choosing of his friends.
12) A Matter of Form - 1941. w Oakes. An acquaintance of Campion’s requests help with a lady while Oakes reminisces over past criminals.
13) The Danger Point - 1948. w Oakes. Campion attends a dinner party which introduces an old mystery.
This collection of Short Mysteries reads very quickly. I recommend it to readers of:
1) Allingham’s Albert Campion Mysteries.
2) British Mysteries.
3) Classic Mysteries.
4) Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries by Dorothy Sayers.
READER CAUTION ~ Suitable for most mystery readers.
PROFANITY - Minimal, if any.
VIOLENCE - None.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
May 23, 2018
A very solid collection of a Baker's dozen (means 13! never knew it)of mr. Campions exploits.These were more meaty (unpardonable expression ,I am sure ) than other Campion short stories I read in other collections.Most rely on Mr. Campions not so respectable associations made in his youth but all are very enjoyable all the same and contains very neat twists and con tricks .
While the stories do not have the multilayered needlework of the longer novels ,they still contain the same engaging witticism and interesting characterization.
Since I have already read all but 3 of her Campion novels,I can't help but notice certain reusage of ideas used in these stories later on in her novels as subplots.There is one story here (The Definite Article), that has an alter ego (The Black Tent) but to be fair,that version was part of a posthumous make do collection named The return of Mr. Campion and probably was a discarded embryo of this more polished version.
While a couple of stories are a bit far-fetched as deductions go, some others stand out because of the ingeniousness of the puzzle."The widow","The hat trick","Safe as houses" ,"The white elephant","A matter of form" are very nice for one reason or another.Most of the stories have young society couples as client and mr.Campion saves them from scandals or misunderstandings by subtly handling the conmen who have a neat trick all figured out...well almost.A few stories also have very strong old and wily Victorian grand dames in the mode of Mrs. Caroline Faraday and they are not at all foolish .In one of the other reviews here someone has complained about the young women in these stories being foolish ,but has not mentioned the old ones. The times and the society these stories are set in,young women were supposed to be protected and cared for by their Beau's and not be workwomanlike like modern times.The first eight stories are from before 1937 and Mr. Champion has his vacuous expression going and Stanislaus Oates is still not 100% sure about Mr. Campion.No mr. Lugg either and some unnamed "man" does the part.Even so, the society and times are really well sketched but as a warning note: The author was not bothering about the view point of 21 st century foolish young women(That is not too say all young women are foolish,they are mostly as matter of fact and intelligent about their own interests as young men).
All in all ,a very satisfactory collection!!! 4.5 stars rounded out to 5 .
While the stories do not have the multilayered needlework of the longer novels ,they still contain the same engaging witticism and interesting characterization.
Since I have already read all but 3 of her Campion novels,I can't help but notice certain reusage of ideas used in these stories later on in her novels as subplots.There is one story here (The Definite Article), that has an alter ego (The Black Tent) but to be fair,that version was part of a posthumous make do collection named The return of Mr. Campion and probably was a discarded embryo of this more polished version.
While a couple of stories are a bit far-fetched as deductions go, some others stand out because of the ingeniousness of the puzzle."The widow","The hat trick","Safe as houses" ,"The white elephant","A matter of form" are very nice for one reason or another.Most of the stories have young society couples as client and mr.Campion saves them from scandals or misunderstandings by subtly handling the conmen who have a neat trick all figured out...well almost.A few stories also have very strong old and wily Victorian grand dames in the mode of Mrs. Caroline Faraday and they are not at all foolish .In one of the other reviews here someone has complained about the young women in these stories being foolish ,but has not mentioned the old ones. The times and the society these stories are set in,young women were supposed to be protected and cared for by their Beau's and not be workwomanlike like modern times.The first eight stories are from before 1937 and Mr. Champion has his vacuous expression going and Stanislaus Oates is still not 100% sure about Mr. Campion.No mr. Lugg either and some unnamed "man" does the part.Even so, the society and times are really well sketched but as a warning note: The author was not bothering about the view point of 21 st century foolish young women(That is not too say all young women are foolish,they are mostly as matter of fact and intelligent about their own interests as young men).
All in all ,a very satisfactory collection!!! 4.5 stars rounded out to 5 .
December 28, 2025
I've so far only read the first Campion novel, but plan to read the series, so I picked up this collection of short stories to check what it was like. They're mostly light, fairly amusing pieces. Most of them are not murder mysteries (though there are one or two) but kidnappings, blackmail, con jobs, jewel thefts and the like.
In all of them, Campion works with his Scotland Yard contact and friend, Stanislaus Oates, who holds several different ranks in the different stories. The stories are not arranged in order of internal chronology, so Oates can be a superintendent in one story and then a chief inspector in the next. Because they appeared in several different magazines, and the readers might not have read other stories or indeed any Campion at all, they are all standalones, and apart from Oates being promoted there's no development or change in the characters, including Campion.
Where his age is mentioned, Campion is generally around late thirties to early forties, unmarried and apparently unattached, and conscious of the age gap between him and the naive young women who sometimes seek his help as if he was an honorary uncle. They're all of his own class; he's upper class, which is a big part of his expertise and his usefulness to the middle-class Oates, though of course Campion is also a skilled amateur detective. He has casual entree to circles that would be closed to the official police, at least without some concrete evidence of a crime, and even then, they would stand out as he does not.
The crimes and their unwinding are clever ones, though the short format limits how complicated they can be, and overall it's a solid collection of enjoyable mysteries. I look forward to reading more of the novels so that I can see how Allingham takes advantage of the longer format to develop more depth and complexity.
In all of them, Campion works with his Scotland Yard contact and friend, Stanislaus Oates, who holds several different ranks in the different stories. The stories are not arranged in order of internal chronology, so Oates can be a superintendent in one story and then a chief inspector in the next. Because they appeared in several different magazines, and the readers might not have read other stories or indeed any Campion at all, they are all standalones, and apart from Oates being promoted there's no development or change in the characters, including Campion.
Where his age is mentioned, Campion is generally around late thirties to early forties, unmarried and apparently unattached, and conscious of the age gap between him and the naive young women who sometimes seek his help as if he was an honorary uncle. They're all of his own class; he's upper class, which is a big part of his expertise and his usefulness to the middle-class Oates, though of course Campion is also a skilled amateur detective. He has casual entree to circles that would be closed to the official police, at least without some concrete evidence of a crime, and even then, they would stand out as he does not.
The crimes and their unwinding are clever ones, though the short format limits how complicated they can be, and overall it's a solid collection of enjoyable mysteries. I look forward to reading more of the novels so that I can see how Allingham takes advantage of the longer format to develop more depth and complexity.
December 31, 2020
A compendium of short stories of the authors amateur detective Albert Campion and his adventures with the criminal world and the upper class. Set in and around London in the 1930s the stories probably appeared in quality magazines and are well crafted for those with leisure time on their hands. The characters whilst mainly from the rich and/or titled are much of a sameness with the women in trouble mainly being young and beautiful and the men young and lacking sense or much intellectual dexterity. Having said that they are mostly the supporting cast and everything appears to hover around Campion, Superintendent Oates and the criminal/bad guy(s). Margery Allingham spins good short scenarios and most of the stories have one or two twists that Campion has worked out from those small or insignificant details littered in the stories. None of the stories would survive a full novel but they are in themselves quick enjoyable reads as long as you can put up with the upper class and 1930s society but they are the people that have the wealth and resources to lose to criminal intent!
One wonders how we managed to lose the amateur detectives after the 2nd World War!
One wonders how we managed to lose the amateur detectives after the 2nd World War!
March 1, 2019
In spite of the stories' repetitiveness, I enjoyed this collection more than the two Campion novels I read. Allingham is enjoyable to read--her prose fluid, her characters likeable--but she is simply not very good at writing mysteries. Each of these stories relies on an insanely improbable coincidence (Campion happens to have seen something related to the crime the night before, or happens to know someone involved), and none of them gives you enough information to come even close to figuring out the mystery on your own. Somehow this is less problematic for me in short-story format, however. This is also from a bit later in her career, so perhaps she had also more fully fleshed out her characterization of Campion and I responded to that. I do plan to keep going with the series, as I have--alas and alack--read all of Sayers's Wimsy books and found nothing that comes close to repairing the void in my heart.
March 26, 2025
Margery is my least favourite golden age crime author so far I've got to be honest. These stories were pretty good but got very repetitive. They all contained a beautiful young girl who also has a fine character and excellent morals that you wouldn't necessarily expect from how beautiful they are, but they then perform some small action that expresses their beautiful nature and this "makes" Albert the detective "like them". It's always "makes him like them" like the exact turn of phrase, he wasn't going to like them necessarily but how can you argue with how nicely she talked to the waiter! All these stories were published separately in different magazines over the course of a few years so it's understandable that there is some repetition in phrasing, but their collection into this book made the repetitions really obvious. I never noticed Agatha repeating herself excessively when I read her short story collections! Took me a zillion years to read this for this reason.
January 31, 2025
3.5 stars
This was a delightful read and a great introduction to Margery Allingham’s version of the seedy underbelly of 1930s and 1940s London!
This collection of thirteen short stories all feature around Allingham’s famed detective Mr. Campion and his various escapades around the city. From jewel heists to overturned cars to sign language delivered via dance…I had a great time with them all! I particularly enjoyed just following Campion around. His attempts to find love, his friendship with Superintendent Oates, he was just a delight from start to finish.
While the mysteries weren’t groundbreaking and I found a lot of them a bit bland as a whole, Campion and his author’s delightful writing style really ground you and make reading about them all the better. I can’t wait to read more of Allingham’s work now! I think I’m in for a treat.
This was a delightful read and a great introduction to Margery Allingham’s version of the seedy underbelly of 1930s and 1940s London!
This collection of thirteen short stories all feature around Allingham’s famed detective Mr. Campion and his various escapades around the city. From jewel heists to overturned cars to sign language delivered via dance…I had a great time with them all! I particularly enjoyed just following Campion around. His attempts to find love, his friendship with Superintendent Oates, he was just a delight from start to finish.
While the mysteries weren’t groundbreaking and I found a lot of them a bit bland as a whole, Campion and his author’s delightful writing style really ground you and make reading about them all the better. I can’t wait to read more of Allingham’s work now! I think I’m in for a treat.
January 15, 2021
wonderful clever little campion mysteries, very sparkly fun charming clever diverse and well written. the "others" that the title refers to are two non campion short stories. i read the first one and was so impressed with what a good writer allingham is, great with dialogue and description and bringing other worlds to life. but the ending of the story was very moving and sad, and so i didnt read the other short story. its a tribute to allingham's skill that she got me to care so much in such a short space.
shes really like georges simenon as a writer.
i read this at fadedpage.com.
shes really like georges simenon as a writer.
i read this at fadedpage.com.
October 21, 2022
A solid collection of Campion stories, featuring him in the role of Universal Uncle to the distressed, akin to that which he plays in the earliest novels accompanied by the standard retinue of quirky teenage girls, love smitten male aristos and domineering aged females. Most of them deal with jewel robbery, with just one containing a murder mystery. The first 7-8 stories are the most ingenious plot wise, with the remainder feeling a bit bland. MY TOP FIVE WOULD BE:
1) The Old Man in the Window
2) The Question Mark
3) The White Elephant
4) The Hat Trick
5) The Frenchman's Glove
1) The Old Man in the Window
2) The Question Mark
3) The White Elephant
4) The Hat Trick
5) The Frenchman's Glove
October 31, 2024
This set of stories was first published in 1939. And they are from a different era. I love them, as you may have guessed from my rating. 13 stories in 284 pages may give you an idea that none of the stories go into a great deal of depth, but that is part of their charm.
There is no Lugg in these stories, a manservant is mentioned but not names, and it doesn't feel like he's Lugg, so the stories have a different feel to the ones with Lugg.
Yes light and frothy might be a way of describing them, providing you think that's a good thing. I do.
There is no Lugg in these stories, a manservant is mentioned but not names, and it doesn't feel like he's Lugg, so the stories have a different feel to the ones with Lugg.
Yes light and frothy might be a way of describing them, providing you think that's a good thing. I do.
September 8, 2024
This publication is a mix of stories from the original edition, published in 1939 and from The Casebook of Mr. Campion, published in the US in 1947.
The stories are okay but not memorable. They all feature Campion and Stanislaus Oates and quite a few of them involve young women in need of help and stolen jewels.
My favourite story was "The Longer View", a bit more sinister about a kidnapped child.
The stories are okay but not memorable. They all feature Campion and Stanislaus Oates and quite a few of them involve young women in need of help and stolen jewels.
My favourite story was "The Longer View", a bit more sinister about a kidnapped child.
October 18, 2024
All short stories in which Campion features and most of them also have Oates, generally in their younger years, the plots are short and sweet. There is no time to build up a lot of tension, so that they are relaxing to read. Because they are short stories, it is easy to stop without the reader's brain worrying about what is going to happen next so he/she can't sleep. Wonderful way to while away the time in brief spurts.
September 16, 2025
A collection of Campion short stories, first published in 1939, many of which had appeared in the Strand magazine etc. Outrageous coincidence rears its helpful head quite frequently, to aid Mr C in his deductions, but no complaints from me. The writing is simply lovely, the dialogue exquisite, and the plots ingenious. My Folio edition, second-hand, was also well worth crossing the bookseller's palm with a modest amount of silver ...
January 17, 2021
Nice collection of short stories. Light and enjoyable.
1. The Widow
2. The Name on the Wrapper
3. The Hat Trick
4. The Question Mark
5. The Old Man in the Window
6. The White Elephant
7. The Frenchman's Gloves
8. The Longer View
9. Safe as Houses
10. The Definite Article
11. The Meaning of the Act
12. A Matter of Form
13. The Danger Point
1. The Widow
2. The Name on the Wrapper
3. The Hat Trick
4. The Question Mark
5. The Old Man in the Window
6. The White Elephant
7. The Frenchman's Gloves
8. The Longer View
9. Safe as Houses
10. The Definite Article
11. The Meaning of the Act
12. A Matter of Form
13. The Danger Point
February 22, 2021
I'm not a fan of short stories but I am a fan of Margery Allingham. These are more like little studies of human nature rather than genuine 'whodunnits' but enjoyable nonetheless. I much prefer her full-length novels. I recently reviewed a similar anthology of Miss Marple short stories by the mistress of the genre, Agatha Christie. If I had to chose between the two, I would go for Miss Marple.
May 23, 2023
A collection of Campion short stories that all follow the same pattern of a young woman (upperclass) with a puzzling or dangerous problem/situation that threatens her engagement. A grumpy male relative is often involved. Campion's knowledge of society allows him to solve the problems with Superintendent Oates.
May 22, 2021
Most of the contained stories abide by a Formula which makes the book overall a slog. But there were some good standouts that made it worth it. Short stories just aren't a flattering format for crime mysteries.
February 10, 2022
I enjoy the writing style, character descriptions, artwork and the depiction of London in the mid 1900's, but the story lines in this collection of short-stories has far too many unbelievable coincidences and deductions from detective Campion.
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