Reviews

Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

ink_and_fury's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

sajiya_khalik's review

4.0

First book I read of Margery Allingham. Her writing style reminded me a bit of Virginia Woolf, I had to read a sentence multiple times to understand the humour, and the depth of the meaning behind her words. And she writes of human behaviour so very well - like it's mentioned in most reviews, it's a howdunit and not a whodunit, we know who's the murderer quite early in the story, and there aren't any red herrings as such, but the story takes precedence, and the motive.
A pretty good read to get introduced to her writing style, and her detective, Albert Campion. Though my favourite of the characters in this book was Belle Darling! The seventy year old matriarch of the Lafcadio family.
Definitely gonna pick up more from this series!

hooksforeverything's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Brilliant, of course. A really good dowager character.

me2brett's review

3.0

I confess that I had seen the television adaptation before reading the book, so I had a hazy idea of some of the hows and whys of the plot. That did not in any way spoil my enjoyment of this Campion mystery. A nice little side view into the art world of the interwar years - and one wonders what encounters Allingham had with models to write them as such unlovely people!

lory_enterenchanted's review against another edition

Frequently when I read a Golden Age mystery I find myself partway through wondering if I have read it before. I don't know is this is because: A. I have actually read it before, or B. These books tend to be predictable and samey, so that one reminds me of others that I have read and I can't keep them straight.

I definitely had the feeling with this one; I didn't think I had read it before, but once the denouement began to unfold it began to feel so familiar.

bookpossum's review against another edition

3.0

More of a "whydunnit" than a "whodunnit", this book gives us welcome relief from Mr Campion's "silly ass" persona of the earlier books.

I have been struck as I read Allingham's books by the odd titles she gives them, and this one is no exception. At a stretch I can see a meaning in it. I don't suppose it matters one way or the other. I shall continue with the series, interspersed with other books.

michaeljrulon's review

5.0

An engaging story with memorable characters and a fast-paced story.

diana_blackmoon's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

verityw's review

3.0

Another fascinating and clever Albert Campion mystery. This one is set in the art world - with a death at the first showing of a new work by a painter who left a painting to be unveiled ever year for a set period after his death. Then a member of the painter's extended household is killed. Soon Albert Campion knows who did it - but he can't prove it. And soon the murderer knows too - and will try and remove Campion as well.

Inventive, intricate and clever - and excellent golden age story.

cmbohn's review

5.0

Campion is good friends with the widow of a famous painter. Every year she hosts a big party and unveils one of his works, which has been kept under wraps since the artist's death. At this year's party, the painting is upstaged by the dead man with a dagger in his chest.

CMB