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The Essential Margery Allingham Collection: Sweet Danger, Traitor's Purse, The Tiger in the Smoke
The Tiger in the Smoke
A fog is creeping through the weary streets of London – so too are whispers that the Tiger is back in town, undetected by the law, untroubled by morals. And the rumours are Jack Havoc, charismatic outlaw, knife-wielding killer and ingenious jail-breaker, is on the loose once again.
As Havoc stalks the smog-cloaked alleyways of the city, it falls to Albert Campion to hunt down the fugitive and put a stop to his rampage – before it’s too late…
The Tiger in the Smoke can rank with any of the great thrillers in English literature. It conveys an understanding of goodness and evil more assuredly than any of them. More than an outstanding mystery, Margery Allingham has created a major novel.
Traitor's Purse
Celebrated amateur detective Albert Campion awakes in hospital accused of attacking a police officer and suffering from acute amnesia. All he can remember is that he was on a mission of vital importance to His Majesty’s government before his accident. On the run from the police and unable to recognise even his faithful servant or his beloved fiancee, Campion struggles desperately to put the pieces together while the very fate of England is at stake.
Tightly plotted and perfectly drawn, Traitor’s Purse is an enduring classic of wartime fiction.
Sweet Danger
Nestled along the Adriatic coastline, the kingdom of Averna has suddenly – and suspiciously – become the hottest property in Europe, and Albert Campion is given the task of recovering the long-missing proofs of ownership.
His mission takes him from the French Riviera to the sleepy village of Pontisbright, where he meets the flame-haired Amanda Fitton. Her family claim to be the rightful heirs to the principality, and insist on joining Campion’s quest. Unfortunately for them, a criminal financier and his heavies are also on the trail – the clock is ticking for Campion and his cohorts to outwit the thugs and solve the mystery of Averna.
A fog is creeping through the weary streets of London – so too are whispers that the Tiger is back in town, undetected by the law, untroubled by morals. And the rumours are Jack Havoc, charismatic outlaw, knife-wielding killer and ingenious jail-breaker, is on the loose once again.
As Havoc stalks the smog-cloaked alleyways of the city, it falls to Albert Campion to hunt down the fugitive and put a stop to his rampage – before it’s too late…
The Tiger in the Smoke can rank with any of the great thrillers in English literature. It conveys an understanding of goodness and evil more assuredly than any of them. More than an outstanding mystery, Margery Allingham has created a major novel.
Traitor's Purse
Celebrated amateur detective Albert Campion awakes in hospital accused of attacking a police officer and suffering from acute amnesia. All he can remember is that he was on a mission of vital importance to His Majesty’s government before his accident. On the run from the police and unable to recognise even his faithful servant or his beloved fiancee, Campion struggles desperately to put the pieces together while the very fate of England is at stake.
Tightly plotted and perfectly drawn, Traitor’s Purse is an enduring classic of wartime fiction.
Sweet Danger
Nestled along the Adriatic coastline, the kingdom of Averna has suddenly – and suspiciously – become the hottest property in Europe, and Albert Campion is given the task of recovering the long-missing proofs of ownership.
His mission takes him from the French Riviera to the sleepy village of Pontisbright, where he meets the flame-haired Amanda Fitton. Her family claim to be the rightful heirs to the principality, and insist on joining Campion’s quest. Unfortunately for them, a criminal financier and his heavies are also on the trail – the clock is ticking for Campion and his cohorts to outwit the thugs and solve the mystery of Averna.
684 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2016
430 people are currently reading
185 people want to read
About the author
Margery Allingham
260 books610 followersAka Maxwell March.
Margery Louise Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for women's magazines as Emmie Allingham. Margery's aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunt's magazine.
Soon after Margery's birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was her collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.
Margery's breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, The Crime at Black Dudley . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for Mystery Mile and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.
After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, A Cargo of Eagles at her request, and published it in 1968.
Also wrote as: Maxwell March
Margery Louise Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for women's magazines as Emmie Allingham. Margery's aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunt's magazine.
Soon after Margery's birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was her collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.
Margery's breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, The Crime at Black Dudley . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for Mystery Mile and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.
After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, A Cargo of Eagles at her request, and published it in 1968.
Also wrote as: Maxwell March
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 2, 2016
Like many people today, my introduction to Margery Allingham and her detective, Albert Campion, was the BBC mysteries series starring Peter Davison. Though I have been an avid mystery reader for more than 40 years, Allingham's books had eluded me. Then I received a review copy courtesy of the Margery Allingham Estate.
What a delight! The first thing that struck me was the quality of Allingham's prose. Among British mystery writers only Dorothy Sayers was her peer. Her descriptive powers are exceptional, her plotting is brisk, and her characters delightful, though Campion himself is very enigmatic.
The Tiger In The Smoke is, in part, a Jack the Ripper tale that takes place in a heavy and persistent London fog. The fog is both literal and metaphorical. A second plotline involves the reappearance of widow's husband, and a buried treasure. This is a late Campion story in which the detective is married and settled, though his rough-edged man, Lugg, is still with him.
Sweet Danger also involves a lost treasure, the restoration of a noble but impoverished family, and the British government's interests in a tiny but strategically important Balkan kingdom. Campion plays many roles in this story, appearing quite differently to the various players in these complicated schemes. It is in this novel that Campion meets the precocious young lady he will much later marry.
In Traitor's Purse the narrative viewpoint shifts. Much of the novel is focussed on Campion's internal struggles.. Campion awakes in hospital following a head injury. His memory is seriously affected. He's not sure who he is, but he is certain that there is something of the utmost urgency that he must do. Uncertain who he can trust, Campion must evaluate everyone he meets (including his betrothed) and everything he is told to determine the nature of his forgotten mission.
Margery Allingham is a superior writer. Any fan of British mysteries will relish reading these novels. But beware: her work is highly addictive!
What a delight! The first thing that struck me was the quality of Allingham's prose. Among British mystery writers only Dorothy Sayers was her peer. Her descriptive powers are exceptional, her plotting is brisk, and her characters delightful, though Campion himself is very enigmatic.
The Tiger In The Smoke is, in part, a Jack the Ripper tale that takes place in a heavy and persistent London fog. The fog is both literal and metaphorical. A second plotline involves the reappearance of widow's husband, and a buried treasure. This is a late Campion story in which the detective is married and settled, though his rough-edged man, Lugg, is still with him.
Sweet Danger also involves a lost treasure, the restoration of a noble but impoverished family, and the British government's interests in a tiny but strategically important Balkan kingdom. Campion plays many roles in this story, appearing quite differently to the various players in these complicated schemes. It is in this novel that Campion meets the precocious young lady he will much later marry.
In Traitor's Purse the narrative viewpoint shifts. Much of the novel is focussed on Campion's internal struggles.. Campion awakes in hospital following a head injury. His memory is seriously affected. He's not sure who he is, but he is certain that there is something of the utmost urgency that he must do. Uncertain who he can trust, Campion must evaluate everyone he meets (including his betrothed) and everything he is told to determine the nature of his forgotten mission.
Margery Allingham is a superior writer. Any fan of British mysteries will relish reading these novels. But beware: her work is highly addictive!
July 13, 2023
I love her characters and her mysteries. I've read several twice. Great writer.
February 16, 2025
Tiger in the Smoke. Good
May 1, 2017
I really enjoyed these Campion books.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews