Not her best

I found I couldn’t get lost in this Campion story unlike many of the series.

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Two twists in the tail.

As beautifully narrated, as always, The Beckoning Lady is matched, as always, by the exceptionally beautiful (if aged) writing of its time. Allingham produces some of the most vivacious characters in literature, not least the sublime Campion and Lugg. All of Margery Allingham's novels make me laugh out loud amidst the murder and mayhem because of the central part played by her magnificent double act. This novel came to a not completely unexpected twist ending followed by a fully unexpected twist atop it! Wonderful.

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fantastic

loved it all campion series is so good .brilliantly penned. golden age authors are great

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1 person found this helpful

Classic crime from a great

Great story in a classic setting. Satisfying plot, interesting characters, beautifully written. Well read. A delight

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A good old Whodunnit

I remember Campion from my childhood. The story is a bit dated now with the slang of the time, but in essence it could be brought up to date into a good television production.

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A relaxing listen

My favourite of all the Campion books. No violence, much dry humour and an abundance of somewhat dotty characters all make for a pleasurable time. Recommended for those who enjoy Christie, Allingham and their ilk. Enjoy!

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A fairly loony, joyous party.

So many odd characters, cross currents and twists, with Minnie and Tonka at the heart of the chaos, stirring up the rich brew! Allingham's at her most exuberant here, in a world she obviously knows well. It says a lot about her nature that her own horrible struggles with the hell hounds of the inland revenue and treated with such humour and charm, even though the tax man is the unfortunate corpse. Joyous.

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Perfect - Wonderfully crime writer - beautifully read

Full of character and humour - one of Margery Allingham's best.
David Thorpe's characterisation is brilliant. Definitely recommend. The voice of Campion takes a little getting used to - but I think he actually has the voice and character perfect - and his ability to change characters and inflect personality into each one is excellent.

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4 people found this helpful

Midsummer madness in Suffolk

The Beckoning Lady is a beautiful old house in Pontisbright, where Minnie (a painter) and Tonka (an ideas man) are about to host a Midsummer's Night party for everyone they've ever met. In spite of the recent death of Uncle William (an old buffer) and the more disturbing discovery of a week-old corpse in nearby fields. Legend has it the house is always owned by a woman, and men will do anything to possess it. Mr Albert Campion is disturbed and must solve several mysteries before enjoying a party.

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3 people found this helpful

Good Story marred by narrator's characterisations

Diffident ex secret service sleuth Campion is portrayed almost as Bertie Wooster and panther like police hero Charlie Luke as a hapless East End barrow boy solving crimes by dumb luck. A shame because other characters are fine and it's only with these two main characters that the narrator has relied on overly stereotypical or 'stock' 1930s 'types' thus marring but not completely ruining what is essentially a good yarn. One or two non PC notes indicative of the times in which the author was writing also jar in todays world .

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3 people found this helpful