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Dancers in Mourning (Albert Campion Mystery, #9)

Margery Allingham

Start date: August 15, 2019

Finish date: September 7, 2019

Discussion: Archive: Albert Campion reads

Why we're reading this: Continuing our buddy reads of this popular series.
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Archive: Albert Campion reads

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What Members Thought

Aug 20, 2019 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is the ninth Albert Campion mystery, first published in 1937. I am, slowly, working my way through the Campion books but I regret that, after having enjoyed the previous two in the series, I really struggled with this.

Campion visits the theatre with ‘Uncle’ William Faraday, who has found his memoirs suddenly turned into a hit musical comedy. The star is dancer Jimmy Sutane, who is unsettled by a series of practical jokes. Campion and Faraday head to Sutane’s house, where they meet a group ...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: vintage-mystery, mystery, british-mystery

Dancers in Mourning is Margery Allingham at her best. This is classic Albert Campion at his most charming and his most fallible. Campion is called in by theatre giant and dazzling dancer, Jimmy Sutane to get to the bottom of a spate of cruel practical jokes which begin backstage at the Argosy Theatre and follow Sutane to his country estate. At first the pranks are merely annoying....garlic scented flowers, smashed glass on his photograph outside the theatre, and people wandering through his gard Dancers in Mourning is Margery Allingham at her best. This is classic Albert Campion at his most charming and his most fallible. Campion is called in by theatre giant and dazzling dancer, Jimmy Sutane to get to the bottom of a spate of cruel practical jokes which begin backstage at the Argosy Theatre and follow Sutane to his country estate. At first the pranks are merely annoying....garlic scented flowers, smashed glass on his photograph outside the theatre, and people wandering through his garden at night. But the pranks take on a more sinister look when members of the cast of his current musical are killed one by one. Campion is happy to try to sort things out--not only for Sutane, but for "Uncle" William Faraday, author of the book upon which the musical is based. That is, until he meets, and subsequently falls in love with, Sutane's wife. He finds himself caught in any number of ethical dilemmas and committing all sorts of sleuthing "sins"from suppressing evidence and misleading the doctor called in on the first "accident" to delaying the finale as long as possible. He becomes more miserable the more evidence is gathered--all because he thinks the evidence can point in only one direction.

I think I found this mystery so delightful because of the dilemma in which Campion places himself. He is trying very hard to be the "good sportsman" and live up to British honor and all that...and all the while he really would like to have his host's wife. He doesn't feel like he can tackle the problem correctly since he is emotionally involved and takes himself off to London and out of the fray. That very wife comes to ask him to return and help them out of the mess. He can't refuse and risking personal heartache...as well as heartache for others...he returns to see the thing through. It was also endearing to see him misinterpret the evidence. I quite understand why he chose the culprit he did, but his involvement blinded him to the possibility that the facts could fit anyone else. I saw the other possibility well before Albert Campion-- a rare thing--and an added delight.

I make it sound--oh, I don't know--kind of soppy with "delightful" and "endearing." It isn't that at all. The mystery is quite well done and there are plenty of suspects to sort through. Allingham has done a very good job showing the temperaments and petty quarrels of stage life. Overall, a very solid and interesting novel. ...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-with-gr-groups

Not a favorite – I can see why I haven’t reread this one in years.

Started out promising, with Allingham’s usual wit and humor, as Campion is called in on a case of harassment - charismatic dancer Jimmy Sutane is starring in a hit show, beloved by theatergoers - but someone is out to get him, pulling vicious pranks. So far, it’s been petty, nasty stuff like a pin in his stage makeup stick, a bouquet of garlic, broken windows at the theater, but those around the star are fearful it will turn dan ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Judy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I can't resist giving this 5 stars because I think it is just perfect of its kind - one of Allingham's masterpieces. Hoping to write a longer review soon. ...more

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Sep 25, 2017 ShanDizzy rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was an interesting story but it felt like it was trying too hard. Some places were overloaded with flowery prose and too much angst. I was able to guess who the murderer was early on in the story. Having said that, I do like Albert Campion, and will certainly read other stories in the series.

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Jul 25, 2014 Becky rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2014reviews

I was disappointed with this vintage mystery. While I absolutely loved the opening pages, by the end I found the whole book to be a mess. I admit it could be a mood thing. As much as I wanted to like it, even love it, perhaps I didn't have the patience to remember the large cast of suspects. Or perhaps the problem is that the characters aren't well drawn enough, aren't unique enough, to distinguish between. There were three or four characters that I could remember. But for the others, it was who ...more

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