Perhaps one of the saddest things about being a reader is coming to the end of a particularly good book. It seems that as soon as one gets emotionally invested in the characters and story-BAM!- end of the last chapter.
One solution to this problem is to find a good author who writes a series. All readers worth their salt can remember happy hours spent during childhood reading The Hardy Boys Mysteries, Nancy Drew, The Oz Books ( Dorothy's first trip was only the beginning), the Five Little Peppers, and so on.
As one matures, so does one's taste in literature. The Sherlock Holmes stories are fabulous, but there are many other detective stories of the same ilk but slightly more contemporary. What is it about English mystery writers and their ability to weave a tale? SIr Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and, my most recently discovered favorite, Margery Allingham.
In 17 novels and 20 short stories, Allingham chronicles the life and adventures of her protagonist, Albert Campion. The books are set in England, beginning before World War II and continuing through the war years and afterwards. Campion is a man of mystery from the beginning. His noble background is alluded to throughout the series, as well as the disapproval of his family over his chosen avocation. Campion rubs shoulders with the Upper Crust of the English aristocracy to which he was born, government officials of every level, Scotland Yard detectives, English policemen of every rank and the dregs of the underworld. His valet is a former criminal, his sister is a fashion designer and darling of British society, and his wife- well, I don't want to give away everything!
I was really fascinated to see the growth of Allingham as a writer as the series progressed. Campion is not particularly appealing in her first novel, but, as he matures and her writing style improves, his character is painted with more subtle brush strokes and nuance.
The stories become more complicated, the psychological themes more important, and the characters' descriptions sharpen. I have read most of the novels and now plan to move on to the short stories. It is interesting that, in some of the books, Campion becomes a minor character. At times, he takes a back seat to one of his side-kicks, or even the villain, as in Tiger in the Smoke.
The Campion series is available in paperback from Amazon, except for the last few books Allingham wrote. Most of these books can be found in secondhand form on Ebay. I heartily recommend the Albert Campion series to anyone who enjoys the English mystery genre. Settle in by the fire with a cup of tea, Albert Campion and prepare to be enthralled and entertained by an English hero with wit, humor, angst and courage. He did not adopt the name "Campion" without careful consideration, I can assure you.
