Mystery Mile

Mystery Mile . This is a wonderful mystery which keeps your attention right to the end. The only drawback for me was the use of various British dialects and slang of that period, which was distracting. Ms Allingham has a real gift for creating a menacing atmosphere. She also is a master of character description; Mr. Campion, Lugg and the other main players are very easy to visualize. The BBC Mystery series of a few years ago which featured some of her books, faithfully brought her characters to life.

This is technically the second Campion mystery, he was a secondary character in THE BLACK DUDLEY but here he steps up to center stage. As the story opens Campion is abroad a trans Atlantic liner headed to London from New York. He manages to avert a tragic accident with a magic act and strike up an acquaintance with a rather overbearing Turkish art dealer. These two seemingly unrelated incidents lead Campion to the role of bodyguard to a retired American judge and his family who are being threatened by a Master Criminal and his gang. Campion calls on old friends who live in an out of the way country village to shelter his charges but trouble soon follows, or was it waiting? Campion finds himself surrounded by death and destruction before he remerges bloodied but of course, triumphant. This is a mystery thriller very typical of the late 1920 and '30's period complete with lovely damsel in distress, plucky girl sidekick, loyal companion, sinister master criminal complete with far flung network. The hero is always just a bit ahead of everyone else and of course knows just the right people to get the job done but not before he demonstrates his driving skill and great courage overcoming pain. If you are a fan of the early Saint novels, or Lord Peter Wimsey then you will enjoy this series, Campion has a lot in common with both. He has a mysterious past like the Saint but has a rather loose working relationship with the police like Lord Peter. Like both he keeps up a lightheated banter and shows a mischevious sense of humor. The flaws of this series are that it is rather dated at times. Some of Campions quips fall flat simply because today's readers just don't understand the 80 year old references. It is also obvious that Allingham is getting to know Campion here, he is very like Sayers' Lord Peter in this one, a resemblence that will diminish in time. Still the plot, while fantastic is clever, the clues to the mysteries are all present but challenging to the reader. The characters do all come to life, even the secondary ones, and the setting is described quite well. All of this comes together to make this a fun read and a great place to begin this series.

In the Black Dudley Murder, Allingham's first book, Albert Campion is one of an ensemble cast. In Mystery Mile, Campion emerges as the clear star - abet a somewhat mysterious and charmingly quirky one. I think I'm going to like Albert a great deal. He's already showing a wicked sense of humor and irony. He's clever but hardly perfect. And there is a real sense of mystery about him - what is his real identity? This mystery is a solid example of a pre-Depression mystery with a family of swaggering Americans, a mysterious "oriental" (definately a pre-political correctness book), an English country house and a wonderful villian - Simister. Albert meets the Americans on ship when he saves the father's life. It turns out that it was the fifth attempt on the man's life - he's a judge who has a lead on Simister's identity. The book revolves around Albert's efforts to both protect the judge and track down Simister.Bottom-line: a very pleasant read with enough twists and turns to keep a reader interested. The late 1920 atmosphere is particularly wonderful.

One year after his initial appearance in Crime at the Black Dudley, Albert Campion is back. And what a difference a year makes. This Campion is completely fleshed out. He is now, officially the Universal Aunt (`your adventures undertaken for a fee'). Also present are his regular compatriots Lugg (his man) and Stanislaus Oates of Scotland Yard. And let's not forget Autolycus the Jackdaw (who lays an egg). It is as if Campion has been reinvented out of whole cloth. And it's just wonderful. Campion keeps up a steady patter of nonsense, bad jokes and horrible puns, interspersed with the plants and plots the keep him and his fellow characters alive.American judge Crowdy Lobbett is saved from one of a series of attempts on his life by Albert's timely intercession with a mouse. As a result Campion is taken on to save the judge from an early demise at the hands of Simister (see The Black Dudley). Lobbett has a clue to Simister's true identity and the evil mastermind intends to remove this threat.In a stroke of brilliance Campion convinces the Judge to move himself and his family to Mystery Mile at the residence of his two friends Biddy and Giles Paget. This has an inauspicious start when Swithin Cush, the vicar, commits suicide after a session with a palm reader. In short order the Judge disappears and Biddy is kidnapped. The Judge's children Marlowe and Isopel get entangled with the Pagets and typical Allingham version of a Chinese fire drill comes to pass. Allingham's books rarely lack for action, and Mystery Mile is no exception.Campion often loses in love, but Mystery Mile proves he can win our hearts. He lacks the brilliance of Sayer's Lord Peter Whimsey, but he is by far the cleverer. Bit players like Thomas Knapp and his terrifying mother never fail to enchant, as Allingham shows off a knack at capturing British dialects. This volume spells the establishment of one of mysteries most loved series. One that you will enjoy for many years to come.

Mystery Mile was the first Albert Campion mystery that I read. It is an enjoyable, well paced and often thrilling story. Campion is on the trail of a murderer and together with some friends and allies lures the criminal to the Essex marshes and a breath-taking denouement. One of Allingham's best.