The Beckoning Lady

By: Margery Allingham

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Campion's glorious summer in Pontisbright is blighted by death. Amidst the preparations for Minnie and Tonker Cassand's fabulous summer party a murder is discovered and it falls to Campion to unravel the intricate web of motive, suspicion, and deduction with all his imagination and skill.

©1983 Emily Joyce Allingham (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"Miss Allingham's strength lies in the power of her characterization" ( New York Times)

"Margery Allingham has worked her way up to a worthy place among the tiny hierarchy of front-rankers in the detective world" ( Tatler)

"Spending an evening with Campion is one of life's pure pleasures" ( Saturday Review)

"Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered" (P.D. James)

My favorite Campion!

This is by far my favorite of all the Campion books. It’s fun and some say the plot is difficult but it’s true to how life is! It’s intricately woven and has GREAT characters. Don’t let so-so reviews sway you into skipping this one.

Good Mystery

Campion returns to his wife's old home to attend a funeral and, later, a party, only to becomes involved in a murder investigation while he is there.

Unlike a good many of the Campion tales, The Beckoning Lady is a true mystery and not an adventure or thriller. There are plenty of suspects, red herrings, and false scents. The plot is engrossing, with many well-drawn characters (both old and new). I found the solution to be most satisfying, and the build-up nicely done.

(This one could be read without reading the previous Campion stories, but it may be confusing at times due to the recurring and returning characters)

OK story with a terrible narrator

This is not Allingham's best - Albert Campion is lost in the middle of Amanda's tumultuous family and hangers-on. The story is convoluted and there are so many characters that are never fully formed. But it is entertaining and inventive. The solution comes a bit from left field, but the ride there is fun.

The narrator, however, does not get a single character correct. Everyone comes across as a dolt, an arrogant prick or so blase that you wonder they take the trouble to breath. This is one of the worst narrations I have listened to with regards to character voices. His pacing, clarity and volume are all fine - interesting since those tend to be bigger problems with other narrators. It was difficult to finish the book.

My favorite Albert Campion

This is my very favorite Albert Campion mystery and it doesn’t surprise me that this is reported to be Margery’s favorite as well. It is a bit complex with several threads and subplots, that some may find confusing or boring. It is not a triller or your typical whodunnit murder mystery. However, it has a real life appeal and feel that I find interesting.

It is said that this book describes the type of parties that the author and her husband Carter Young hosted. Which I can easily imagine. What i like the most is seeing how Albert and Amanda have aged and matured over the years. This finds Albert in middle age. He would be about 55 in this mystery and Amanda 15 years younger. It’s interesting comparing this more mature Albert to when he was a young man in the earlier mysteries. This is one of a few mystery series where the lead character ages with time. I like seeing the dimensions of his character as he evolved. Wish there were more Albert Campion written by this author.

Hard to like

I usually love allingham but this is irritating and filled with subplot nonsense that confuses the narrative and made me wish for the end. I don’t know why British narrators are incapable of American accents but I haven’t heard a good one yet. The effect is always awful. Amanda Albert’s wife is an unnecessary plot device which doesn’t work at all. I’d skip this one if you like allingham. Police at the funeral is excellent.