One of the reasons why I still very much enjoy the books of Margery Allingham is that it is virtually impossible to open one of her books without being surprised, without discovering, for example, that the book you thought would be a fine cerebral detective story was, instead, a charming but engaging thriller. Allingham created her primary character, Albert Campion, as a more-or-less "bright young person," but that's not the way he developed over the years. Sometimes, he'd be right in the thick of the action, while at other times, he'd be outside the central characters' sphere of influence. Looking through the Allingham volumes sitting comfortably within the Classic Mysteries vault, I was struck again by the characters and the situations revealed in Look to the Lady, where you'll find murders (real and avoided), a whiff of something supernatural, an ancient and priceless relic, an equally ancient curse, determined villains, noble defenders, and - to be sure - hints of active royalty lurking discreetly in the background. It seemed like a logical choice this week to bring Look to the Lady back to the podcast and blog for the enjoyment of all the above. I did an audio review for the Classic Mysteries podcast several years ago. Here is a transcript of that review - as always, slightly edited. I hope you enjoy it.
- 0 -
For a millennium or more, the Gyrth family had been the guardians of an ancient and priceless relic on behalf of the British crown – the Gyrth Chalice. Safe in what appeared to be an unassailable fortress, and – according to legend – guarded by some supernatural power, the chalice had been safely preserved since long before the Norman Conquest. But modern criminals, with modern views about such things, were determined to steal the chalice on behalf of a very wealthy and unscrupulous collector. And it was up to the Gyrth family to make certain that didn’t happen. Fortunately, they had an ally – a gentleman named Albert Campion. The story is told in Look to the Lady.
Margery Allingham was one of the gifted writers who dominated English mystery fiction during the Golden Age between the two world wars. Her protagonist – he was not always the detective – her protagonist was Albert Campion, a young man, apparently the second son of a noble British family, who became involved, over the years, in a number of surprising and intricate cases. Not all of Allingham’s books are detective stories; some are out-and-out thrillers, and that certainly was the case with her third book about Campion called Look to the Lady, originally published in 1931.
The plot of this book is complicated, to say the least. Basically, as I said before, it has at its heart the pursuit by unscrupulous and very wealthy criminals of a British national treasure, the Gyrth Chalice, which has been under the protection of the Gyrth family as trustees for the British royals for a thousand years or so. There also seems to be some terrible family secret concerning the chalice – and the locals do talk of a supernatural guardian that helps to keep it safe. Enter Albert Campion, the rather vague young man who seems to know a great deal about the effort to steal the chalice – and who will be the last, best hope of averting the national disaster which would accompany the theft of the priceless relic.
In the course of this duel to the death between the defenders and the thieves, we will be treated to – in no particular order – murder, kidnappings, art forgery, a cross-country car chase, a dramatic ride to the rescue on a wild and dangerous horse, witchcraft, gypsies, a gang of thugs, some horror that hides in the woods on the family estate, secret rooms and panels, an elaborate secret family ritual and an ultimate resolution that may or may not have supernatural overtones. And I’m quite sure I’ve missed several elements in that list.
In other words, yes it is a thriller. It’s not a detective story – we learn the identity of the primary villain some two-thirds of the way through the book – but the fun here is not in the search for whodunit but rather it is in watching the duel between that villain and the forces of good, represented by Campion and members of the Gyrth family.
There are some marvelous characters here – not least among whom is Mr. Campion’s servant, with the wonderful name of Magersfontein Lugg, who probably should not be allowed out by himself in polite society. As Campion observes at one point,
“That’s the trouble with Lugg. He’s always got the courage of his previous convictions. He used to be quite one of the most promising burglars, you know.”
Allingham is quite good at drawing her characters for the reader and bringing them to life. Her writing has both wit and grace. At one point, describing the ramshackle cottage where a couple of her village locals live, she writes,
“Peck’s cottage was one of those picturesque, insanitary thatched lath-and-plaster dwellings which stir admiration and envy in the hearts of all those who do not have to live in them.”
And of the village itself where the story is set, she writes:
“It was a fairy-tale village peopled by yokels who, if they did not wear the traditional white smocks so beloved of film producers, at least climbed the rough steps to the church on a Sunday morning in top hats of unquestionable antiquity.”
I think this will give you some taste for the kind of quietly humorous writing you will find in Look to the Lady – it is thoroughly enjoyable, with a great many twists and some fascinating characters.
- 0 -
You are welcome to listen to the complete original audio review by clicking here.
Next: Mystery in White, by T. Jefferson Farjeon.
Comments