REREAD #1: 9/10 (5 October 2004 - 7 October 2004)I find it strange that I'm having trouble trying to decide what to say about this book. It is my favourite Campion novel, but I'm not sure if I can say why. It just is. The action begins on the Riviera, when August Randall (known to his intimates as Guffy) witness two unexpected events. The first is a strange man absconding from a high class hotel out a window; the second is Albert Campion, installed in the same hotel as the Hereditary Paladin of Averna. Averna is a very small and previously unimportant piece of Europe that has suddenly become potentially strategic. The British government needs three important items to prove ownership - crown, deed and bill of sale - and they have set Campion on the case to find them. Guffy willingly throws in with the Paladin and his "court", little knowing what an adventure lies ahead. From the Riviera, the group moves on to the small English village of Pontisbright. This is the former site of the set of the Earls of Pontisbright, last heirs to the crown of Averna, as well as the home of the three young Fittons, Mary, Amanda and Hal. Their father attempted to claim the earldom and failed, due to the lack of proof of marriage for the last earl and his lady. Now they live in the mill with their American Aunt Hatt and do their best to make ends meet. Mary is quiet and gentle, while Hal is a fairly typical 16-year old English schoolboy of the day. It is Amanda who bursts off the page with fire and charm. Seventeen and practical, she's the one who really runs the family. When Campion and his companions take lodgings at the mill, she quickly appoints herself his second. She is the one who shows him the section of oak trunk from the old Pontisbright estate with a riddle carved into it that, when solved, will give the location of the three treasures. A clever, complicated treasure hunt follows, filled with such characters as a very odd doctor, a suitably dastardly villain, honest young Englishmen and the familiar figures of Campion and, of course, Lugg. After describing Police at the Funeral as Allingham's "step up" to more serious stories after the Boy's Own tales of the early Campion novels, at first this one seems like a step back. Instead, this is a successful mixture - wild adventure, but treated in a grown up fashion. The book did lose a point for the whole Dr ?? sub-plot, which I felt was totally unnecessary and really did nothing to advance the story at all. All the same, Sweet Danger is simply a delightful read, that I recommend to all. Campion shines here, as does Amanda from her first moment on page. If you want to try out Campion and like a wild adventure, this is the book to read.[Copied across from Library Thing; 25 September 2012]REREAD #2: DNF (3 July 2010 - 29 August 2010)I had to give up on the audiobook because I just can't stay awake to listen. It's a health thing and no reflection on the book, which I love.
I've become a huge fan of Margery Allingham's Campion series; I've enjoyed Sayers and Christie for years, but after reading one Campion years ago, didn't really "feel it"! I found a reissue of "Police at the Funeral" at a used book store and decided to try again, and I'm glad I did. I'm reading them in order and just ordered several from Amazon to fill in the missing books my library doesn't have. This book is more of an adventure than a mystery, really, set in 1933 rural Suffolk and once again Allingham constructs a rather whimsical, convoluted plot peopled with interesting, fun characters and witty dialogue. Others can summarize the plot better than I can and have below - suffice it say, if you enjoy the Golden Age of British mysteries, you might want to give Allingham a try! I think her books are a lot of fun.
Do You like book Sweet Danger (2004)?
Albert Campion is not easily pegged -- a dashing aristocratic detective ala Wimsey or a vacuous actor stumbling into adventure. It's not that he's either one character or another, it's that he can be both in the same book - even in the same chapter. In sum, Albert Campion is a great actor involved in uncovering some interesting mysteries. In this book he is determined to find the proofs of the rightful heir of an earldom which has now become important since part of that earl's domain has had oil discovered on it. This is a pretty good book and I enjoyed it enough that it kept me awake reading later than I wanted on several nights.The character of Amanda is nicely drawn but the part of the local doctor seems extraneously to the plot.
—Donna
I have to admit I found this book really close to the edge of too dry in terms of wit and too subtle in terms of overall writing style. I think I had to restart this at least three times before I got into it. Perhaps that was due to the beginning that seemed a bit too much like Agatha Christie's later novels about all the mysterious forces and political currents which are trying to be spy novels but aren't really succeeding all that well. But after that, I enjoyed it much more. Campion is an interesting twist on the nobleman detective since he deliberately walks around with idiotic looks on his face to throw everyone off. I also enjoyed the mysterious kingdom of Averna and the hunt for the lost heirs--very fun.
—Elena
Ah, what fun Campion is. I think my enjoyment is heightened by viewing the BBC dramitization of many of Margery Allingham's Campion mysteries. The characters enacted by Peter Davison (the seemingly distracted sleuth) and Brian Glover (his willful manservant Lugg) are always in my mind as I read these stories. For anyone who has not seen these episodes, buy or rent the DVDs at once!This book did not disappoint. The bad guys are almost characatures of villians and the good guys are pure and heroic and always win the day. All this adds to the enjoyment of the story. One real bonus is the insertion of the mad doctor - what fun! And of course Campion lives to solve another mystery.
—Babette
