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annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Mr Campion's Seance is the 7th book in the Mr. Campion series homage to Margery Allingham's Albert Campion. Released 4th Aug 2020 by Severn House, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Author Mike Ripley has written several books featuring Campion (this is the 7th) as well as other fiction and nonfiction. The point is, he's an experienced and capable author. I've been a fan of golden age mystery (especially British) as long as I've been reading, more or less, and I'm always on the lookout for more golden age fiction since the original authors are sadly long gone. My "acid test" is that there is more than a token effort to channel the original author's voice. Mr. Ripley manages to a preternatural degree. There were a number of places where it really felt like Allingham herself could've written the text: from Campion's affably dotty facade, to his self deprecating humor, to the convoluted plots which resolve in several varying denouements with a twist at the end which leaves the reader really *thinking*; it's all pitch perfect.
This was a very well written and engaging standalone mystery in its own right. The addition of the perennially delightful Campion, Superintendent Oates, Amanda, and the others, made it irresistible. This book really cemented the series in my "must read" pile. I sincerely hope that the author has more in store.
Four stars. Very strong addition.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Mr Campion's Seance is the 7th book in the Mr. Campion series homage to Margery Allingham's Albert Campion. Released 4th Aug 2020 by Severn House, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Author Mike Ripley has written several books featuring Campion (this is the 7th) as well as other fiction and nonfiction. The point is, he's an experienced and capable author. I've been a fan of golden age mystery (especially British) as long as I've been reading, more or less, and I'm always on the lookout for more golden age fiction since the original authors are sadly long gone. My "acid test" is that there is more than a token effort to channel the original author's voice. Mr. Ripley manages to a preternatural degree. There were a number of places where it really felt like Allingham herself could've written the text: from Campion's affably dotty facade, to his self deprecating humor, to the convoluted plots which resolve in several varying denouements with a twist at the end which leaves the reader really *thinking*; it's all pitch perfect.
This was a very well written and engaging standalone mystery in its own right. The addition of the perennially delightful Campion, Superintendent Oates, Amanda, and the others, made it irresistible. This book really cemented the series in my "must read" pile. I sincerely hope that the author has more in store.
Four stars. Very strong addition.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘You’ve finished it? The new book?’
Told over five parts, the novel starts in 1940 with Albert Campion meeting the famous author Evadne Childe at a police shooting range. Miss Childe is seeking advice on firearms: not research for the detective novels she writes, but as preparation for self-defence when she moves to East Anglia to look after her ageing mother.
She and Albert Campion meet again when he delivers two temporary house guests (two Belgian soldier refugees) to her in East Anglia. She advises him that she is using her married name these days: Mrs Walker-Pyne. Her husband, Edmund was killed in 1939 during a U-Boat raid, and while she hasn’t abandoned writing fiction, she’s set it to one side for the moment. Albert Campion tells her that as they share a godmother, they are godsiblings.
In 1946, with the war over, Evadne Childe’s new detective novel ‘The Bottle Party Murders’ is successful. It catches the attention of Superintendent Stanislaus Oates because it bears similarities to a recent unsolved murder at the Grafton Club in Soho. The book was written before the murder: how can Evadne Childe have described the events before they occurred?
It will take fifteen years to answer this question and will involve several different people and some quite intriguing situations. This is a clever murder mystery, with some unexpected elements and the suspense builds towards the end.
This is the seventh novel in Mike Ripley’s continuation of Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion novels. It isn’t necessary to have read other books in the series to enjoy this instalment, but Albert Campion is such an interesting character that I want to read them all. While I’ve only read two so far, the others are on my reading list.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Told over five parts, the novel starts in 1940 with Albert Campion meeting the famous author Evadne Childe at a police shooting range. Miss Childe is seeking advice on firearms: not research for the detective novels she writes, but as preparation for self-defence when she moves to East Anglia to look after her ageing mother.
She and Albert Campion meet again when he delivers two temporary house guests (two Belgian soldier refugees) to her in East Anglia. She advises him that she is using her married name these days: Mrs Walker-Pyne. Her husband, Edmund was killed in 1939 during a U-Boat raid, and while she hasn’t abandoned writing fiction, she’s set it to one side for the moment. Albert Campion tells her that as they share a godmother, they are godsiblings.
In 1946, with the war over, Evadne Childe’s new detective novel ‘The Bottle Party Murders’ is successful. It catches the attention of Superintendent Stanislaus Oates because it bears similarities to a recent unsolved murder at the Grafton Club in Soho. The book was written before the murder: how can Evadne Childe have described the events before they occurred?
It will take fifteen years to answer this question and will involve several different people and some quite intriguing situations. This is a clever murder mystery, with some unexpected elements and the suspense builds towards the end.
This is the seventh novel in Mike Ripley’s continuation of Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion novels. It isn’t necessary to have read other books in the series to enjoy this instalment, but Albert Campion is such an interesting character that I want to read them all. While I’ve only read two so far, the others are on my reading list.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent addition to this series, it was gripping and entertaining.
The plot is well written and it was interesting to read how it describes and develops the characters over 3 decades.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing.
It was an excellent read and i strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The plot is well written and it was interesting to read how it describes and develops the characters over 3 decades.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing.
It was an excellent read and i strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
vesper1931's review against another edition
4.0
1940 Evadne Walker-Pyne nee Childe, war widow, has just delivered her latest murder mystery book to her publishers before she travels to Essex to stay with her elderly mother.
Campion and Evadne, share a god-mother, which she discovers when he delivers two Belgian army men to stay at her home, the Mill House.
1946 Superintendent Oates informs Campion that the latest Childe novel - The Bottle Party Murder - depicts the Grafton Club murders of December 1945, which occurred after the book was written. But this is only the first time. When the plots are kept secret how is it possible.
A well-written and interesting crime mystery which spans the years from 1940 to 1962
A NetGalley Book
Campion and Evadne, share a god-mother, which she discovers when he delivers two Belgian army men to stay at her home, the Mill House.
1946 Superintendent Oates informs Campion that the latest Childe novel - The Bottle Party Murder - depicts the Grafton Club murders of December 1945, which occurred after the book was written. But this is only the first time. When the plots are kept secret how is it possible.
A well-written and interesting crime mystery which spans the years from 1940 to 1962
A NetGalley Book
annarella's review
5.0
An excellent addition to this series, it was gripping and entertaining.
The plot is well written and it was interesting to read how it describes and develops the characters over 3 decades.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing.
It was an excellent read and i strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The plot is well written and it was interesting to read how it describes and develops the characters over 3 decades.
The mystery is solid, full of twists and turns, and it kept me guessing.
It was an excellent read and i strongly recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
melissadeemcdaniel's review
5.0
I’m usually somewhat dubious when one of my favorite detectives is “resurrected” for a new generation of readers by a modern author. Mike Ripley,however, gets Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion as perfectly as if he were taking spirit dictation from beyond the grave. Lugg, Amanda, Officers Yeo, Oates and Luke are all ear-perfect as well. The lively banter among them is straight from the golden age, and Campion’s essential decency and kindness shines through with entire authenticity.
Mr Campion’s Seance spans the years immediately following WWII through the early 60’s (and how old is Campion, exactly by then???)
Like Amanda, I was itching to get a two month start on all the other fans of my favorite detective. My sincere thanks to Mike Ripley and Severn House for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mr Campion’s Seance spans the years immediately following WWII through the early 60’s (and how old is Campion, exactly by then???)
Like Amanda, I was itching to get a two month start on all the other fans of my favorite detective. My sincere thanks to Mike Ripley and Severn House for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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