Margery Allingham is still regarded as one of the leading "crime queens" who wrote during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, roughly speaking, the years between the two world wars of the 20th century. Her detective, Albert Campion, grew and developed over the years into a most interesting character and a very good detective. But Allingham's books ventured beyond straight detective work into the thriller/adventure category - in fact, the earliest Campion novels were thrillers far more than they were detective stories with puzzles. Her second Campion book, published in 1930, was primarily a thriller - and a very enjoyable one at that - called Mystery Mile. Here's what I said about it on the Classic Mysteries podcast some nine years ago, edited slightly to update some information:
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I’m not quite sure how to characterize today’s book. Is it a mystery? Yes – at least to some degree. Is there a detective? Yes – although he doesn’t really work within the law in this story. Is it a detective story? Yes – but it’s also an adventure saga. The author is Margery Allingham, the detective is Albert Campion and the book is Mystery Mile, the second to feature her detective, Albert Campion. Actually, it’s the first book where Campion played a major role. His earlier appearance, in 1929’s The Crime at Black Dudley, actually featured another character as the centerpiece of the novel; Campion was a relatively minor player. But there was something about Campion’s character that apparently intrigued audiences – including Allingham’s publishers – who asked her for more Campion stories.
And so, Mr. Campion came back in Mystery Mile. In many ways, it’s an interesting curiosity piece, especially if you’re familiar with Campion from her later books, after he has had a chance to mature somewhat. Campion is something of a mystery – we really don’t know very much about his family or background. In Mystery Mile, it is strongly implied that he has some connection to the royal family – and that his real first name is Rupert – but even in later books, Campion’s real identity is not revealed.
One of Campion’s most notable qualities – and it is one designed to annoy those around him – is his affected air of genial idiocy. He wears large glasses, which frequently make his eyes invisible, and he tends to speak in phrases taken from advertisements or reflecting what was then lower-class British entertainment. It is protective coloration, however, and frequently causes his enemies to underestimate his abilities – as they generally learn far too late.
Another feature of Mystery Mile – typical of a great many crime novels of the period – is the presence of a criminal mastermind. Certainly, the mysterious criminal, whose appearance is unknown even to his own henchman, is a staple of detective fiction, from Sherlock Holmes’s arch-enemy Moriarty to James Bond’s Goldfinger (or most of his other opponents, come to think of it). In Mystery Mile, Campion finds himself up against a person named Simister. At least, that is the name he is known by, both to the police and to his own criminal associates. The police aren’t even sure he actually exists; they point out that Simister has been active far longer than any one individual could possibly be active. But the truth about Simister evades just about everyone – with two exceptions.
The first exception is an American judge, Crowdy Lobbett, who does not know Simister’s identity – but who apparently has stumbled upon a clue that is so dangerous to Simister that the criminal has made the judge a prime target for murder. The second exception is Albert Campion, who befriends the judge, manages to save his life on an ocean voyage from New York to London, and becomes involved in trying to protect the judge and his family from Simister. And it is Campion, of course, who will eventually solve the mystery and confront the villain.
Much of the book takes place on a remote near-island called Mystery Mile, a small village connected to the mainland of England by a single, narrow causeway. Campion thinks it is an excellent place to take the Lobbett family, because it should be possible to protect them from any major assault, given police surveillance of the single way on and off the land. Naturally, it is never quite that easy in any self-respecting mystery.
And so, on Mystery Mile, the mysteries begin to pile up. A mysterious fortune teller appears – and shortly after that, the kindly old rector of the village commits suicide, leaving Campion a series of clues that are more mystifying than revealing. Next the judge disappears from a maze at the manor house on Mystery Mile. And, soon after that, another member of Campion’s group is kidnapped. There is also a rather peculiar art dealer, whose principal characteristic appears to be that he is a crashing bore, who insists on hanging around, and who gets drawn into the action. There are love interests. And there is, for a classic mystery novel, a great deal of action.
There are some additional characters who should be mentioned, as they form a kind of circle around Campion. One is Lugg, his servant, obviously a long-time friend and also, it appears, a man with considerable experience on the other side of the law. There is also one Thomas Knapp, who is so disreputable as to shock even Campion – and Knapp’s mother, who is, if anything, even less reputable than her son. All these characters are called upon to play important supporting roles in the rescue of a kidnap victim, orchestrated, of course, by Campion.
In the end, of course, all the twists and turns are resolved. There is a chilling confrontation between Campion and the primary villain – a confrontation, I should add, that Campion barely survives. It brings Mystery Mile to a lively conclusion – and is likely to leave the reader wanting more. It’s a good introduction, both to Albert Campion and to Margery Allingham, another of the giants of Britain’s Golden Age.
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You can listen to the original podcast review by clicking here.
Next week: The Religious Body, by Catherine Aird
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