Margery Allingham emerged from a family deeply rooted in writing, earning her first fee for a story at the tender age of eight. Her literary career truly gained momentum in 1929 with the publication of her second novel, which introduced her most iconic character, Albert Campion. Campion evolved into the central figure of her narratives, a character Allingham skillfully developed throughout her prolific career. Her novels are celebrated for their intricate plots and distinctive narrative voice, captivating readers worldwide.
“How many of the detective stories you read do you remember?” Not very many. And there Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light. In this collection of eighteen short stories, Queen of Crime Margery Allingham dabbles in the occult, the mysterious, and the murderous. Always the perceptive observer, Allingham fills these stories with astute characterisations, brilliant humour, and her classic wit. With a tribute by Agatha Christie, this Golden Age collection is sure to dazzle and delight fans of this master of detective fiction. The Allingham Minibus was first published in 1973 and has also been published as Mr Campion’s Lucky Day and Other Stories.
Inspector David Blest has two choices, jump or die. Trapped aboard a motor boat with a pistol to his head and the life of his unconscious companion on the line, he'd better make his decision quick. On the trail of the mysterious death of a gentleman in the Senior Buffs Club, young Inspector Blest is led to a fashionable seaside resort on the English coast, where the locals appear all too happy to help his investigation. Things take a turn when Blest meets Judy Wellington, an apparently sickly young woman desperate to escape her past. But who is Judy Wellington? What exactly is she running from? And how has Blest found himself the murderer's next target?
Margery Allingham was a Golden Age detective novelist, a “Queen of Crime” alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. However her last completed book The Relay was not a novel but an account of the practical and emotional ways in which she and her sister approached the end-of-life care for three elderly relatives in 1959-61. Words like “carer”, “sheltered housing”, “granny annex” were not even in the language when Margery wrote this ground-breaking little book. It was tragic that she herself died in June 1966 before it could be included in one of the first-ever UK campaigns for improvements in the care of the elderly. The Relay has never previously been published.Julia Jones, Margery’s biographer and co-founder of the nationally successful John’s Campaign, believes the ideas in The Relay are as relevant today as when it was first conceived. Julia is a dementia carer and has interspersed reflections on her current experience with Margery’s conclusions 50 years ago. There are currently 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, many (though not all) of them old. There are hundreds of thousands of families, friends, neighbours and colleagues who are experiencing the effects of this disease as well as increasing frailty and the other difficulties of age. Many, like Julia Jones, will be asking themselves how they can care as well for their loved ones at the end of their lives as we try to do at the beginning.
Mr. Campion heads to Carfax to visit his wayward niece, but when a missing teacher reappears after nine days and Campion's car is "inadvertently" damaged it is clear that something is not right in the English village.
This edition of Black'erchief Dick aims to preserve a significant historical work by republishing it in high quality. It features the original text and artwork, ensuring clarity and readability without relying on scanned copies. The effort to reformat and redesign the book makes it accessible for both present and future generations, highlighting its importance in literary history.
Written during the 'noisy, bomb-filled winter' of 1940, Margery Allingham's 'The Oaken Heart' records the events and emotions of the Essex village of Tolleshunt D'Arcy during the war. This illustrated edition of features previously unpublished diaries, letters and photos.
A VINTAGE MURDER MYSTERYAgatha Christie called her `a shining light'. Have you
discovered Margery Allingham, the 'true queen' of the classic murder mystery?
But the device at the centre of the mystery is in the possession of two
schoolboys and whether they stole it or invented it, there are powerful
interests who will kill to get hold of it.
