This was my first Marjorie Allingham and it was a fun Blitz era romp set in a London worn down by the war. Published in 1945, it would have been bang up to date when it came out!
This is the 12th book that features her hero, Albert Campion, so there’s already a well established ecosystem around this weary detective. Campion just wants to get home, but he gets waylaid with the murder drama of his old drinking buddies.
The tone of the book is quite sarcastic and there’s also a nostalgia that runs through it. These are a group of people who have been friends since before the war, and things are changing.
The actual murder itself is a very intriguing set up. There’s a body in a bed and it’s a woman nobody purports to know… And, she’s been moved from where she’s first found by the mother of the main suspect!
There are lords and ladies, American soldiers, ambulance wardens, restaurant owners, a wartime pig living in the square, plus some police sergeants all hanging around together. Throw in some dodgy pubs and London cabs and you get the picture!
The plot seems a little convoluted at times as there are multiple layers to the story with lots of things happening concurrently. Suddenly we’re looking at art thiefs? There’s definitely a whiff of organised crime and the criminal underworld of London. The way the plot is resolved is not that satisfying.
It’s an entertaining read and I would definitely read some of the these Campion stories again.
One word: romp.
Leave a Comment