More Work for the Undertaker

An Albert Campion Mystery

By: Margery Allingham

Narrated by: David Thorpe

An Albert Campion mystery.

In a masterpiece of storytelling, Margery Allingham sends her elegant and engaging detective Albert Campion into the eccentric Palinode household, where there have been two suspicious deaths.

And if poisoning were not enough, there are also anonymous letters, sudden violence and a vanishing coffin. Meanwhile the Palinodes go about their nocturnal business and Campion dices with danger in his efforts to find the truth.

©2013 Margery Allingham (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"Miss Allingham is one of the few writers who can deal with art. Both her passions and her patterns are beautiful, accurate and serene" ( Daily Telegraph)

"Margery Allingham has worked her way up to a worthy place among the tiny hierarchy of front-rankers in the detective world" ( Tatler)

"Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered" (P.D. James)

One for the ages

This is one of my favorite books, full of color and character and plot. The narrator seems to be having as much fun burrowing into these wonderful characters as I have every time
I re-listen.

My favorite of the series

Allingham’s writing is such a pleasure, her affection for, and understanding of, people so clear, and her humor so quick, well written and joyful- it’s just a delight clear through.
The reader “does the voices” of the various characters well, though Campion is given a falsetto, which is unnecessary- and one character has a voice that the author describes as “honking like a goose”. This is read as written and a bit much if you’re planning to be “read to sleep”! But his Lugg and the new policeman she introduces are both brilliantly created in his reading. I listened twice in succession just for the pleasure.

Plot unnecessarily devious and complicated. Narrator’s accents difficult to understand

Other than that, I always love Allingham and Campion. Explanation at the end not entirely clear.

Good story, difficult narration

First of all, I love the Campion series. This novel is interesting, well written, and fun. However the narration leaves something to be desired. I am unsure why narrators seem to consistently choose such unpleasant voices for characters. It makes listening a chore and I keep having to adjust the volume so it’s tolerable at the cost of understanding. No one wants to have their ears assaulted with such grating sounds!

Once again Allingham draws a complete picture of a past time

We're in the post-WWII era now, but the victim's family refuses to admit that times have changed. What hasn't changed is the delightful back-and-forth between Campion and his curmudgeonly upwardly-mobile gentleman's gentleman, Lug. Introduces a new member of the police whom I hope we meet again. As usual, Thorpe brings the disparate cast of characters brilliantly to life.