‘Mr. Campion’s Memory’
By Mike Ripley
(228 pages, mystery, 2023)
London 1972, Mr. Campion’s nephew, Christopher, a public relations man, asks for Campion’s help at Christopher’s father’s funeral. He needs to have Campion search his memory from 40 years ago.
Christopher handles public relations for Lachlan McIntyre, a wealthy businessman who owns construction vehicles – earth movers. McIntyre is in line for a peerage and so his background is being carefully examined. Then a reporter has a disastrous interview with McIntyre, and is later found dead in a car near McIntyre’s estate. Campion’s name is found on a list in the reporter’s notebook. Campion must discover why, and try to remember events of many years ago. His wife Amanda is not happy about him getting involved. She reminds Campion that he is older now and he “is not available for any high jinks, dubious shenanigans or public relations stunts of any kind.”
In 1932 Campion and his associate Lugg broke up a violent assault on a Jewish silversmith in London. They captured two of the four assailants. But the other two were never identified. This event is somehow connected to the modern-day murder of the reporter. (Lugg is one of my favorite characters in the series. He’s a combination of a butler, cook, and assistant and looks like bouncer. He has his own way of speaking and way of looking at the world).
What Campion does find in his unofficial investigation are unsavory characters, racism, gypsy camps, an impoverished gentlewoman, dubious stories, forgery, a fanatical horsewoman, and a long-lost son. At the end there’s a terrifying chase through the woods at night! Campion is being pursued by a relentless killer. Finally, someone is killed in a very unusual way, one that I’ve never come across before. It’s unexpected and unique!
Author Mike Ripley does an admirable job of continuing with Margery Allingham’s Campion tales. Margery is one of the four “Queens of Crime” – the others are Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Ngaio Marsh. If you like this mystery, you are in luck. There are others in the series, and you should also try the original Campion stories by Allingham. They are wonderful, and Campion and Lugg are quite an interesting and formidable team!
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Robbin Bailey
