Mark Pghfan’s Comments (group member since Mar 06, 2014)

Mark Pghfan’s comments from the The Parlor PI's group.

Sorry, no. I hesitate to say I don't think I ever watched the show! Although I did lots of things, I still have lots more for the next trip.

I recently got the whole series of eight episodes of Peter Davison's Campion. I think this book was one of the better adaptations. Although I didn't read the other books, the adaptations seemed to be a good bit more sensational. Not much of the in-the-manor-house closed circle of mystery. Campion is engaging, though...

Sorry you didn't like the book much, Tina. I admit it dragged a bit in the middle, but it seems we find that a lot in the books we read, don't we? And my money was on the fiance as well...

Andrew hooked up the gun to rope and the clock weight, passed it around something so that the weight would fling the gun far away from the site of the actual shooting. The two witnesses helped by finding the gun and tossing it even farther.

Yes, J, had a wonderful time. Walked my poor little legs off, though, even with extensive use of the fine subway system.

Since it appears that we have all finished, I will include spoilers in this final section.

Since I saw the complete TV version before I finished the book, I knew all along who the guilty party was. You have to admit, it was a pretty clever solution. In the TV version, that was less believable than in the book; in the book, there was more time spent on Campion's process of deduction and also on the motive.

Something that always seems to bother me in a lot of books is that the author seems to feel the need to through in a frankly unbelievable action sequence near the end. In this case, it was Campion's fight with the intruder. Here is Campion, a young, fit and healthy adventurer (in his words) and he has a protracted battle with a much older and considerable less fit antagonist.

Another interesting point: near the end, as Aunt Caroline discusses the case with Campion, he says to her "I think you are the cleverest woman I've ever met." In the TV version, this turns into "I think you are the most remarkable woman I've ever met." I wonder why the change?

I'm back from my travels to the Big Apple. I'll start the final section now.

Since not a lot of people have caught up with the book thus far, AND since I will be out of town on vacation (NYC!) for a few days, what say we continue with this thread until people are caught up and I will start the third and final section early next week?

Well, clearly no one believes William's "I was cut by a cat" story. What else could it have been? And what is with this strange footprint outside the house? Or is it a footprint after all? And now we have a letter from an admirer of Andrew's from long ago. Is that relevant? The plot thickens!

No hints from me, Tina. I do often find myself reading sinister things into everything that happens. I think this is from my past history of reading Christie, where the tiny things may be important. Or may not...

I guess we are waiting for people to catch up.

Well, I am a good bit into this next section and thought I'd start up the discussion. We first hear of Uncle William's unfortunate spells of amnesia (shall we call them that?) They are conveniently hard to confirm as William visited a doctor under an assumed name. Could he have killed Andrew and Julia without his own knowledge? As if that wasn't enough, it turns out that William's revolver from the war (presumably WWI) has turned up missing. (If you remember Andrew was shot.) And there is still discussion about wayward and possibly crooked Uncle George, who, in William's mind MUST have murdered Andrew. Oh, the plot thickens!

I haven't finished the book, but I finished the DVD. I know the solution, which I would not dream of revealing here.

I think the purpose of the sediment was to show she was putting something into her tea, the thing that was to help her lose weight. When Campion saw that, he presumed she was the one who introduced the poison into her own tea, unbeknownst to her. He then had to find where that was hidden.

I have four of the Campions on DVD from the library right now. I'm enjoying them. So far, the adaptation of this is pretty close to the book we are reading now. There are eight total adaptations.

I'm not sure he is a genius, after all, he gets caught in the trap of villains from time to time, but I get the drift of your comment. Actually, Poirot used to use this strategy from time to time, where he would speak with less-than-perfect English, to give the impression he is just some foreigner who is not worthy of attention.

I think Campion's being thought an idiot is part of his method--other people not realizing he is cultivating this persona. And yes, a second murder already. Of course, many think it is a suicide, but Albert knows better. What do you think of the way he found the stuff that offed Julia?

I also think that he realizes, just as the great Aunt does, that the family are a bunch of idiots and that she (and maybe Joyce) are the only sane ones. And I think she is right. Great aunt knows Campion's grandmother, so I'm sure that is all she needs to put her trust in him. Campion refers to his grandmother as his partner in crime. I've not read many Campions--does anyone know whether the grandmother appears anywhere?

If you are all on board, we can start part two tomorrow...

The deerstalker hat was just a whimsical touch to his self deprecating skills as a detective. He considers himself an adventurer.

I agree, Anastasia, I did not care for Black Dudley, not just because of not much Campion, but also the thriller aspect as opposed to the detection aspect. I looked at selecting "More Work for the Undertaker" as the Campion to discuss, but chose this because of the country house aspect.

Good morning! A new month and a new discussion for us. This time a classic, Police at the Funeral, by Margery Allingham. Her detective Albert Campion appears here. It is said that Campion is a parody of sorts of Lord Peter Wimsey. Though not a Lord, Campion is an aristocrat, though he hardly acts like one. Like Wimsey, he is clever, loves to investigate, and does so with insouciance.

Here we have a more typical case for him: a death (and more) in a country house, inhabited by some very, well, quirky, people. The matriarch is Great Aunt Caroline Farraday, a crusty women who holds the purse strings for all the family living with her: daughters Julia and Kitty, nephews William and Andrew, and a great niece, Joyce. Joyce's fiance, attorney Marcus Featherstone is also in the menage, though not living in the house. As it that wasn't enough, we find there is a wayward uncle George, who has stopped by with unknown intents.

When Andrew disappears, Marcus calls Campion in to investigate.

Oh, I see. I think I should have the book by tomorrow, so I'll hope for the best with that.

That is what I'm using. They said it was not checked out, but apparently in the process of sending it to my branch.