Mr. Albert Campion
Coups neatly executed
Nothing sordid, vulgar or plebeian
Deserving cases preferred
Police no object
That's the business card our hero hands out, and it pretty much all applies to the case related in Mystery Mile.
Judge Crowder is the target of the so-called Misfire Murders, in which four other people are murdered, presumably in attempts to kill the judge. Judge Crowder has earned the ire of the Simister gang, and has a clue as to its anonymous leader, though he's not entirely sure what he's got. He heads to England with the idea that being away from the gang's main base of operations will make him safer; but he's unwilling to hide or much change his life, and leaving New York is all he's willing to do. The novel starts when a fifth attempt on his life is made shipboard and is foiled (by accident?) by Campion.
Since the judge won't put up with police protection, his son hires Campion to do what he can.
This is more adventure than mystery; after those first four murders that occur offstage, as it were, there are no others, though there is a kidnapping; the judge survives; the identity of Simister is only thinly hidden, I thought.
I've only read a few of the Campion stories. This is the second in which he appears, but the first where he's the major figure. Campion is famous for his non-sequiturs, his distracted conversational style. I have the feeling that gets tamed as the series goes along, but he's in full inscrutability here, babbling (or is he?) about his pet mouse's birthday in the first chapter. The world around Campion is still being built: this is the first appearance of his formerly criminal assistant, but now his butler, Magersfontein Lugg. It's also the first appearance of that useful thing, a friend at Scotland Yard, Stanislas Oates.
Anyway, very entertaining, I thought. Made me wonder why I hadn't read more Allingham.
Anyway, very entertaining, I thought. Made me wonder why I hadn't read more Allingham.
A twofer! Congratulations. :D
ReplyDeleteThe distracted conversational style makes me think of Columbo, my favorite T.V. detective by far. I think I commented on another of your posts that I would like to try some Allingham. I am so Christie obsessed with occasional forays into Josephine Tey. I need to break out of my self-imposed rut.
A butler who was a former criminal seems like a perfect sidekick for a detective by the way.
Columbo is great, isn't he? And he was great in Wings of Desire, too. The class difference between Columbo & Campion (Campion's a toff) meant I didn't think of that comparison at all, but it kind of works.
DeleteAw, this sounds like a fun read! The distracted style sounds unique. Have you seen the BBC version of it. I wonder how close the TV character is to the book character ...??
ReplyDeleteI've always meant to read some Campion ..... and Peter Wimsey .... and some of Ngiao Marsh's mysteries. Sigh! So many mysteries so little time!
I haven't seen the BBC, but I was just looking at it and I'm inclined to try it. It's Peter Davison, who I think of as the Fifth Doctor, and in some ways a Doctor Who is not so different from Campion.
DeleteI do like Campion. He's fun, and every so often Allingham would break out into a really odd fairy-tale of a story. I was just thinking of re-reading Mystery Mile...it's the one set near the Thames estuary, right? All flat and tidey.
ReplyDeleteThis one is all flat and tidey (and involves quicksand at the end.) It took me a while to warm up to Campion, but I have done so now...
DeleteI have rarely seen a Green Penguin IRL. And, when I have, it's not been a book I've wanted to read myself. But this one would have tickled my fancy too: I've only read one Allingham but I quite enjoyed it. Great pick!
ReplyDeleteOh, I have a few green Penguins--my fondness for cheesy mysteries--hmm, green, cheese, is there a connection? Though all the lines on the cover of this one just seem a bit odd.
DeleteI think Campion was a little too much in the Lord Peter Wimsey mold in the early stories. Campion evolves – mercifully, to my mind - to become not so quirky at all, but human and plausible. From a family of professional writers, Allingham was a better writer than Cristie and Sayers, able to evoke convincingly the worlds of high fashion (Fashion in Shrouds) and entertainment (Dancers in Mourning).
ReplyDeleteI've only read a couple of others myself, but I did have the sense that Campion becomes a little less off the wall as the series goes on.
DeleteI hadn't known about her background, but I agree she does fell like a better stylist than Sayers or even Christie.
This was the first Allingham I've read - out of only two. Good fun, and must read more, though I always lunge for a Christie when I'm in that mood...
ReplyDeleteI'm not much better read in Allingham, but this one did encourage to try some more. But based on my small sample size, they do seem to be more adventure and less puzzle.
DeleteInscrutable is a good way to describe Campion. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Deletegreat post and informative intro to Campion's world! i've read most of his adventures i believe and while some are better than others, they're all quite readable... small resources for those of us who find current reality unpalatable, haha...
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely going to be reading more than I have, and yes, the times are definitely calling for it now since 'escape stopped being comically obscene,' as another book introduction has it...
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