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cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
One of the later, odder and scarier, but still quite fabulous Campion mysteries. There's a feeling of darkness about this, and about her other late novels that's quite alien to the lighthearted fun of the first couple, or even the more serious but still fun tone of the middle ones. The world changed (World War II and the aftermath, mainly), and Campion grew up, and although these are excellent books, they're set in a much scarier world than the early novels.
rachael_amber's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
katypicken's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
halfcentreader's review against another edition
4.0
Clever short mystery that was just a treat to relax with. Nice juxtaposing between WWII era sensibilities and 1960 modernity.
bookpossum's review against another edition
3.0
A convoluted plot, but all satisfactorily untangled by the end of the book.
verityw's review against another edition
4.0
Margery Allinghams always take me a little longer to get into than some of the other Golden Agers, but once I do, I always really enjoy them, and this was no exception. The mystery was intriguing, the solution ingenious, and I spent much of the book worrying about whether someone I liked had done it. Really lots of fun.
plantybooklover's review against another edition
5.0
Like many Campion mysteries, Allingham starts off with a confusing miss mash of things. In this case, I was almost tempted to stop reading when we got to the history of "the murder cottages" as I felt I might have read this book before...when in fact, I believe that was a different British mystery. By half way through I was hooked and could not stop until I had finished. Easy read after the first few chapters.
cmbohn's review against another edition
5.0
Young Timothy Kinnet is all set to marry the girl of his dreams, when he finds out that he's not who he thought he was. He had always believed that he was an illegitimate relation of the Kinnets, taken in when the Blitz destroyed east London. But he finds out that he was in fact, a foundling. So he sets off to uncover his true identity.
But Allingham's books are never that simple. When Timothy becomes the chief suspect in a housebreaking and later a suspicious death, his fiancee enlists the help of Albert Campion. This is Allingham at her best. Nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems, but the gang is all here--Lugg, Charlie Luke,--only Amanda is missing. But the story goes at a fast pace and is a pleasure to read.
But Allingham's books are never that simple. When Timothy becomes the chief suspect in a housebreaking and later a suspicious death, his fiancee enlists the help of Albert Campion. This is Allingham at her best. Nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems, but the gang is all here--Lugg, Charlie Luke,--only Amanda is missing. But the story goes at a fast pace and is a pleasure to read.
jlmb's review against another edition
2.0
Usually I enjoy Allingham's Campion mysteries but wow, this one was pretty bad. There's not a traditional crime that is being solved. It's all about finding the biological parents of a guy who was adopted into a wealthy family. When he finds out he is adopted, he "can't" marry his fiancee because - gasp - what if his bio family have mental illness!? The horror! Everyone thinks this reason perfectly logical.
Campion and Lugg are barely in the book and don't really do much to solve the very lame mystery that is being presented. What a disappointing read.
Campion and Lugg are barely in the book and don't really do much to solve the very lame mystery that is being presented. What a disappointing read.
frances_ab's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of Allingham's better Campion novels, in my opinion-no criminal gangs, no incomprehensible in-crowd language and jokes, no more than manageable class superiority/mockery of the lower classes, and quite a good mystery. I've been doing a reread of the entire Campion series and I must say that her novels have not aged nearly as well as those of that other Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, but it has been fun to follow Campion, Lugg, and Charlie Luke through the decades.