Mystery Mile

Consumed a couple of audiobooks on my daily commute in the last 3 weeks. One, Death of a Celebrity, was another in M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series which I always enjoy. The other was by Marjorie Allingham, one of the British mystery dames I had heard a lot about but never actually connected with. Her protagonist, Albert Campion, is a complex and fairly bizarre character. His career is obviously one I have not been privy to follow as this book finds him well-ensconced in a flat above a police station, in the good regard of Scotland Yard, with a well-developed network of small-time and big-time criminal contacts. That all takes time to nurture. But his presentation is as a fop, for lack of a better word. He is frequently described as having a vacuous expression, engaging in the most meaningless and banal chatter, and yet underneath has a creative, calculating, and lightning fast mind that keeps him miles ahead of the really bad guys--at least most of the time. In this novel, he is hired to protect an American judge who appears to have evidence that would help identify the head of a major crime ring. Campion initially tries to hide him in the long-time home of a couple friends on a small isthmus in Suffolk, thinking that the small village is not only off the beaten path but also that villagers are likely to be acutely aware of any unwanted strangers in the vicinity. Nevertheless, it is only hours after their arrival that the first death takes place and plans must change. This is a satisfying mix: country cozy setting, a large cast of characters, some romance, and a fairly challenging plot. And of course very British. I'm not sure Allingham will replace PD James or Ngaio Marsh at the top of my list of British mystery writers, but I wouldn't mind meeting Mr. Campion again. There is a competent plot summary in Wikipedia.