The Tiger in the Smoke

The Tiger was that rarity, a genuinely wicked man. He was no lunatic, no unfortunate betrayed by disease or circumstance, but a much more scarce and dangerous beast, the rogue which every herd throws up from time to time. Lingering about him was the ancient smell of Evil, acrid and potent as the stench of fever. His face looked like a design for tragedy. Grief and torture and the furies were all there naked, and the eye was repelled even while it was violently attracted. The fog was like a saffron blanket soaked in ice water. It had hung over London all day and at last was beginning to descend. The sky was yellow as a duster and the rest was a granular black, overprinted in gray and lightened by occasional slivers of bright fish color as a policeman turned in his wet cape.

For excellent plot summaries, read the longer reviews in this string. I won't rehash what others have said so well... Allingham does in this book what Sayers and sometimes Christie did. They take a break from routine or just lighthearted mysteries & get a bit (dare I say) theological. But don't get scared off. The heart of good drama is...meaningful conflict. And the theological concept from Judaism/Christianity ...is the war between good versus evil--- ...personified in Canon Avril (I know his "kin"--those who handwrestle evil regularly) .......and in "Havoc". Can't tell too much here to give "Havoc" away. If you are a real postmodern & laugh at the idea of evil, be thrilled by a retro book like this one nonetheless. This story just "itches" to be remade...as a "period" thriller with British consultants who can get the post World War II London right.

Meg Eginbrodde has cause to be upset. On the eve of her wedding to Geoffrey Levett photographs of her first husband, who died in the war, suddenly start turning up. Someone wants her to think Martin Elginbrodde is still alive, and she doesn't know what to do. At a loss, Meg and Geoffrey turn to Albert Campion and Charlie Luke to help solve the problem. Campion and Luke are sure that Martin is dead, but they don't understand why someone is bent on proving otherwise. First an actor dies, then Geoffrey disappears, then a series of brutal killings points to someone who is desperately seeking information that Martin left for his wife before he died. The police discover that the killer is escaped convict Jack Havoc, a sociopath who believes in the science of luck; heartless, intelligent and deadly. Havoc is assisted by a motley crew of war veterans, who are every bit as terrifying as Havoc himself. The investigation becomes a desperate race against time, as Campion tries to outwit a criminal who is every bit as sharp as he is. "The Tiger in the Smoke" is an entirely different Margery Allingham story than we are used to. In the ever-present fog, the genial good humor and comedic sense of other Campion stories evaporate. Instead, we find ourselves confronting larger issues of good and evil, personified by Canon Hubert Avril (Campion's uncle) and the diabolic Mr. Havoc. One cannot help but compare Havoc's artificial family of ex-soldiers welded together by fear and distrust with the easy interplay amongst the characters that stand with Canon Avril, a man who refuses to lie.Avril, Luke and, for that matter, Havoc have larger roles than Campion does, which has not happened since "Crime at the Black Dudley." But the key character is Margery Allingham herself, whose own character and beliefs are the moving force behind the story. In "The Tiger in the Smoke" she demonstrates a great deal of depth that has hitherto been disguised. Expect something different and unnerving. This is a far cry from her previous work, and will always stand out as one of the most exceptional works of an exceptional writer.

"The Smoke" is fogbound post-WWII London. "The Tiger" is the truly evil Jack Havoc, who has escaped from prison by feigning mental illness to get sent to a psychiatrist, whom he fools and then murders. In his quest to get hold of a priceless hidden treasure, he doesn't care how many people he kills. This thriller, one of the best I've ever read, is notable for its graphic contrast of good, personified in the saintly Canon Avril (Albert Campion's uncle), and evil, personified in Havoc. There's also a most entertaining Dickensian cast of cockney characters. "The Tiger in the Smoke" is well worth reading and re-reading.

I am just thrilled this has finally been reprinted in America. I treasure a first edition acquired many years ago. I agree completely with the first reviewer - this is Ms. Allingham's best thriller. The characters are beautifully drawn and the action is like a symphony. Fabulous!