Traitor's Purse

Allingham is one of the greatest mystery writers. However, it takes some patience with the Englishness and the time period. Campion is just fetching. He begins as a young sleuth with a strong resemblance to Bertie Wooster. As time goes by, he gets harder, deeper, more slippery. Allingham started writing mysteries at a young age. She and her graphic artist husband co-wrote the Campion mysteries, but they were published under her name. Two of them were published--and perhaps written--after her death, by her husband. The Campion novels begin with the 1920s/1930s "silly season" for English society. He first appears in Crime at Black Dudley. British men were overwhelmingly shell-shocked and scarred by WWI. Women were liberated. Rules had been tossed aside. The Lord Peter Wimsey novels make this changing status more openly affecting the characters. Allingham lets it go unstated. She also kept writing and kept Campion up with the times, so he "lives" until the 1970s, with adult children. This book is probably the easiest to pick up and read all on its own, since Campion is so isolated in this book and the WWII setting is better known. This is a really great thriller and it is great to see it back IN PRINT.

Margery Allingham's TRAITOR'S PURSE is a great mystery. Francis Matthews does the reading, and he is very good at maintaining the different English voices needed for the array of characters in this story. A good reader is vital to the enjoyment of an audiobook. Albert Campion wakes up in a hospital, not remembering who he is, nor does his memory come back for most of the story. He's constantly on the run, which keeps it exciting, but he doesn't know exactly what he's running from. Campion doesn't want to reveal his ignorance of the facts, so he plays along with the people who know him, gathering bits of background information. Lucky for him, he remembers all in the end, and saves Great Britain from a terrible conspiracy to bring it down. I highly recommend this audiobook!

A stranger wakes up in a hospital with no memory of his identity. He overhears a nurse talking to a policeman and discovers he is wanted for murder. He escapes down the hall, dresses himself in some fire protection gear and makes for the exit. In the confusion of the alarm he sets off, he manages to escape, steals a car, and heads off into the night...to a formal dinner.And so begins "Traitor's Purse," another in the long series of Albert Campion adventure/mystery stories. Campion, handicapped by a memory that is only partially functional, must discover what horrible plot he had uncovered and how to stop it. All he remembers is that it involves the august Bridge Institute where some of England's most important war research is done. When the first person he meets with is promptly murdered and the second, a beautiful woman named Amanda, tells him she wants to break of their engagement, Campion finds himself facing insurmountable odds.But face them he does. With a bit of fakery and the aid of the beautiful Amanda, Campion gradually makes headway. Leaving a trail of brutalized policemen and baffled menservants Campion manages to hide from his pursuit while uncovering the mystery. In doing so, he must face everything from muscle to madness, and live to talk about it.I am not generally a fan of the 'lost memory' plot device. While "Traitor's Purse" is not my favorite Allingham tale, she manages make good use of Campion's disability and keeps the action and mystery churning. In addition, Amanda (who originally appeared in "The Fear Sign") provides a unique romantic twist that is unusual in a Campion story. Lugg does a fine job in his appearances as well. In truth, my only issue is that a Campion who doesn't remember who he is, isn't quite as much fun as one who does. In truth, there's nothing to be grumpy about. "Traitor's Purse" is actually a finely crafted tale, with many twists and turns. Because Campion's character is somewhat suppressed, Allingham spends more time than usual developing the other denizens of the institute and it's surroundings, much to the reader's delight.

For Campion lovers everywhere, this book is an A+. Campion finds himself with no memory, a mystery to solve that he doesn't remeber, and a foreboding feeling that he is wanted by the police. His antics keep the reader going as he tries to figure out who he is and who to trust that make this a great book to read.

As with all of Margery Allingham's books, _Traitor's Purse_ combines clear, crisp characters with wry bursts of insight as she spins out a tasteful plot. This book is a cut above the usual "from-the-end-to-the-beginning" story line found in mysteries. The reader is taken strictly from the main character's point of view, from the fog of amnesia through the gloom of nimble guesswork where the faintest patches of light illumine a conflict of extreme urgency. The emotional content of this book is very charged and tantalizing in its poignancy. Margery Allingham weaves a mesmerizing story from a difficult point of view without tipping her hand. The reader is taken along for a breathtaking ride to a triumphant conclusion, with consistent enjoyment along the way. This book is the finest of its genre, and characteristic of the high quality of Margery Allingham's Albert Campion books