Death of a Ghost

I'm reading the Campion mysteries in order (I read a few many years ago and didn't really like them, thought they were "Sayers Light"). I realize now how wrong I was - Allingham is a great writer, and Campion in this, his sixth outing, is really maturing. He's no longer just the vacuous "universal uncle", using a well-bred, slightly simple facade to hide his intelligence and slip into the background, observing and solving his mysteries. In this mystery, set among the bohemian artsy set of 1930s London, he's hunting a bold, possibly insane killer; one of the fascinating story angles is that Campion knows fairly early on whodunnit, but Allingham handles the cat-and-mouse between Campion and the increasingly daring and unstable killer masterfully. I see in these reviews some readers were not thrilled with this departure for Campion, but I was really impressed by Allingham's portrayal of the pathos and hypocrisy of aging models, failed artists, and manipulative poseurs who make money off the fruits of the art world.

The late great artist John Lafcadio had left behind twelve crated paintings with instructions that they were to be opened and displayed, one per year, beginning ten years after his death, at a party to be held in his London home/studio. He had a two fold motivation for this scheme, first to keep up demand for his work and second to annoy his chief rival even from the grave. When he made these plans Lafcadio probably never dreamed just how many deaths these arrangements would cause. Albert Campion is attending the eighth posthumous Lafcadio opening. His hostess, Lafcadio's widow, Belle is very much in charge, of the party, her husbands estate, and her very bohemian family - two of her husbands former models, Lisa and Donna Beatrice; his agent, Max Fustian; their granddaughter Linda and her fiance, Thomas Dacre and his wife Rosa-Rosa. During the party the lights went and when they were restored revealed that a murder had been committed. Campion begins to investigate the crime when all fingers point to Linda. Secrets and long held resentments begin to surface, leading to a second murder but of course, Campion triumphs in the end. While DEATH OF A GHOST is listed as a mystery, it is more strictly a thriller. The murderer is revealed long before the end of the book, the remaining few chapters involve Campion proving his case. While there is a certain amount of tension involved in the action scenes and a small challenge for the reader to figure out the culprit this is really more of a straight character driven novel rather than either a mystery or a thriller. Campion has often been compared to Sayers' Lord Peter. In the early novels in particular, Campion bore much in common with Wimsey. The art colony setting for this 1934 novel has a lot in common with Sayers' 1931 FIVE RED HERRINGS. Happily though Campion emerges from Wimsey's shadow and emerges as an interesting character in his own wright.

"Death of a Ghost" finds Albert Campion in attendance while the family of famous artist John Lafcadio prepares for a posthumous exhibit. Lafcadio, irritated at the thought that another artist, Charles Tanqueray, might outlive him, provided a series of paintings to be shown one at a time, after his death. Max Fustian, art dealer and general popinjay, has prepared a lavish event for this year's unveiling. He is aided in this effort by Belle, Lafcadio's wife and a cast of remarkable zanies that reside in and around the Lafcadio residence.No sooner does the party start than Tom Dacre, another artist is murdered when the lights suddenly go out. Campion manages to keep his old friend Stanislaus Oates from arresting Lafcadio's daughter Linda who was Dacre's jilted lover, but now must seek a solution to what appears to be a perfect crime. To make matters worse, another household resident is murdered by poison in mysterious fashion. Campion begins to suspect he is facing an ingenious killer with few, if any, moral compunctions.This is the type of mystery novel I think of as a `set piece.' By that I mean that long before the end the puzzle is completely defined, the rules set out, and it is now up to the detective (and the reader) to fit the pieces together and make it work out. In this case, almost exactly halfway through (shortly after the reader has guessed the killer) Campion half-deduces / half-intuits the criminal. He manages to convince Oates of his conclusion, and it is now up to them to discover motive, means and proof. This is no small task, and before the end Campion must risk his life to bring the case home.This kind of writing always runs the danger of becoming an intellectual exercise or worse, boring. Allingham's skill is such that there is no danger of this. Instead, "Death of a Ghost" comes close to being a tour de force of characterization, which has always been Allingham's strength. Narrative is strong as well, and the novel, while not among Allingham's very best, is a great success and an enjoyable read.

Years after his death salon painter John Lafcadio continues to haunt the art world with the yearly public unveiling - and subsequent auction - of one of a dozen stored masterpieces. At the revelation of the seventh painting the lights suddenly go out - when they come back on, there is a knife sticking out of the back of young watercolorist Dacre, fiance of the great artist's grand-daughter. Albert Campion, the universal uncle, is there, and doubts the police's initial guess of the culprit. He takes upon himself Mrs Lafcadio's charge to put a stop to the crimes - for soon there is a second murder within the artist's enchanted circle.

I had never read anything before by Margery Allingham but had heard about her. After I read Death of a Ghost, I decided to read all of her books....she is great. She puts together an exciting, different and well-ordered mystery with very good character studies. John Lafcadio was a well-known artist, dead now, whose wife had a big celebration once a year and shows a new painting of his. Everyone who is everyone comes. This time the party does not go smoothly.....for death comes! Albert Campion, friend of the family and some-time crime investigator looks into the murder. It's a good thing he does, because soon another body show up.. He and his friend, Insp. Oates take a journey through the art world, the greed, self-centeredness, hunger fame is all around them.. they talk to John Lafcadio's old models who still live at his house with his wife, Belle. She seems to be the only sane one in the house. The story is smooth, even, well-paced, and give just enough clues, but not too many. The ending is a surprise. I can't wait to curl up with tea, scones and another book by Margery Allingham