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Available
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Penguin
Description
"Wonderfully plotted . . . A marvelous mixture of witchcraft, sacred relics and ancient oaths. [Allingham was a] rare and precious talent." -The Washington Post Estranged from his father, young Percival St. John Wykes Gyrth wanders the streets of London, penniless and homeless, until he's lured to the house of gentleman sleuth Albert Campion. An underground ring of the most powerful and wealthy art collectors in the world have turned their attention to the Gyrth Chalice, a state treasure guarded by the family for centuries. To stop its theft, Campion and Val head back to the family seat in Suffolk, where folklore and ancient superstitions abound-and where, in its supposedly haunted woods, Val's aunt is found literally scared to death. With Val's coming-of-age ritual approaching-in which he is initiated into the secret of the Chalice-Campion must sort through new religion followers, landed gentry, suspicious villagers, and a cast of London's ne'er-do-wells for suspects, all while putting his own life on the line. Praise for Margery Allingham "Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light." -Agatha Christie "The best of mystery writers." -The New Yorker "Don't start reading these books unless you are confident that you can handle addiction." -The Independent "One of the finest Golden-Age crime novelists." -The Sunday Telegraph "Spending an evening with Campion is one of life's pure pleasures." -The Sunday Times… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member delphica
(#9 in the 2008 book challenge)
In this, Albert Campion takes on the investigation of the theft of a medieval chalice from an English manor house. One thing that was both maddening (at the time) and somewhat fun (looking back) is that the author kept me strung along for ages about whether or not
Grade: B+
Recommended: To fans of classic British detective fiction.
In this, Albert Campion takes on the investigation of the theft of a medieval chalice from an English manor house. One thing that was both maddening (at the time) and somewhat fun (looking back) is that the author kept me strung along for ages about whether or not
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there would be a supernatural cause for the mysterious events. As I got close to the end, I was pretty much convinced there wouldn't be enough pages left to do a good job wrapping it up, but it all worked out. I've also noticed that, like many books from this time (1930s), there's a ready willingness to believe in mysterious, organized, vaguely Eastern and very secret criminal cabals -- cabals that sport huge membership lists, so one wonders how secret they could be after all. I'm sure there's some interesting social commentary in there somewhere.Grade: B+
Recommended: To fans of classic British detective fiction.
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LibraryThing member mmyoung
Although an improvement on Allingham’s first two Campion books this outing still suffers from many of the flaws so obvious in its predecessors. Campion himself is shown to do little actual detecting or deducing. He just “knows” things -- often because of an immense circle of informants who,
As is often the case in British “mysteries” of this time, there are secret (and yet well known to all the senior members of police and government) organizations whose exploits cannot be thwarted by the standard representatives of authority. This invulnerability is not well justified in the text of the book and appears to have no purpose other than to give a reason for the protagonist to break a variety of rules without fear of arrest or other form of punishment.
In this and the two previous Campion books are set in corners and byways of England that are backward even by the standards of popular English fiction of the time. It is a constant irritation to this reader that poor education, poor health, and bad hygiene are presented as colourful, picturesque and entertaining. The aristocracy seems almost to have a glow about them, the gentry are to be sympathized with if they actually have to work for a living and the rural folk and poor are caricatures more reminiscent of Dickens than of any realistic portrait of England at the time.
Finally, this reader found the ending of the book to be very disappointing for a number of reasons. Campion does not solve anything himself, he does not personally thwart the crime he was hired to prevent and the reader is left to suspect that some mysterious supernatural force intervened at the last minute. Logic dictates that if some unseen and mysterious force was able to prevent the crime then Campion need never have been involved and the whole adventure was an exercise in futility. If that thought occurred to this reader then it should have crossed the mind of at least one of the characters we visit at the end of the book.
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for no particularly obvious reason, have warm feelings towards him. The reader does not follow Campion in his various investigations and quests for information and is often kept ignorant of information in what appears to be an attempt to make Campion seem to be all knowing.As is often the case in British “mysteries” of this time, there are secret (and yet well known to all the senior members of police and government) organizations whose exploits cannot be thwarted by the standard representatives of authority. This invulnerability is not well justified in the text of the book and appears to have no purpose other than to give a reason for the protagonist to break a variety of rules without fear of arrest or other form of punishment.
In this and the two previous Campion books are set in corners and byways of England that are backward even by the standards of popular English fiction of the time. It is a constant irritation to this reader that poor education, poor health, and bad hygiene are presented as colourful, picturesque and entertaining. The aristocracy seems almost to have a glow about them, the gentry are to be sympathized with if they actually have to work for a living and the rural folk and poor are caricatures more reminiscent of Dickens than of any realistic portrait of England at the time.
Finally, this reader found the ending of the book to be very disappointing for a number of reasons. Campion does not solve anything himself, he does not personally thwart the crime he was hired to prevent and the reader is left to suspect that some mysterious supernatural force intervened at the last minute. Logic dictates that if some unseen and mysterious force was able to prevent the crime then Campion need never have been involved and the whole adventure was an exercise in futility. If that thought occurred to this reader then it should have crossed the mind of at least one of the characters we visit at the end of the book.
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LibraryThing member Black_samvara
Delightful 1930's detective fiction from the time when criminals were 'psychological' and detectives were witty and charming.
My love for our hero Campion and his lugubrious companion knows no bounds.
My love for our hero Campion and his lugubrious companion knows no bounds.
LibraryThing member cmbohn
Review -
Wonderfully plotted . . . a marvelous mixture of witchcraft, sacred relics, and ancient oaths. Allingham was a rare and precious talent --Washington Post
Very creepy in parts.
Wonderfully plotted . . . a marvelous mixture of witchcraft, sacred relics, and ancient oaths. Allingham was a rare and precious talent --Washington Post
Very creepy in parts.
LibraryThing member benfulton
Hardly qualifies as a mystery; it's more of a Quest - a Quest for the Grail, if you will. Overtly the plot is simple: Campion must prevent a criminal gang from obtaining a priceless antique cup from its location at an English country house. The gyrations of the plot and machinations of both the
There are enough characters that they are glossed over rather quickly rather than brought out in any detail, but the written-out Suffolk accents are fun to read. Allingham starts us off expecting a murder mystery and finishes us off with a quest; yet the reader feels no disappointment. Quite an accomplishment.
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gang and of Campion make the reader dizzy trying to keep up, but it's well worth the trouble of reading to the end. Oddly, what's handled with the most expertise is the mystical part of the story. The ancient guardian of the Chalice; the old witch in the village; the monster in the woods; all handled with a deft touch that leave you wondering: did something magical really happen? Or was it all just a coincidence?There are enough characters that they are glossed over rather quickly rather than brought out in any detail, but the written-out Suffolk accents are fun to read. Allingham starts us off expecting a murder mystery and finishes us off with a quest; yet the reader feels no disappointment. Quite an accomplishment.
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LibraryThing member Helenliz
This was a good read. Campion is becomming a more rounded character as the books progress. This one centres around a family that holds a treasure on behalf of the crown and a collector who wants to acquire said treasure - not through legitimate means. The family has its own troubles, and they
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manage to complicate the story with another layer. The plot is a bit of a twister with several tight corners and a hair-raising events for Campion ot navigate his way through. His contacts at all levels of society come into play both in his involvement in the thing at all and in the resolution. There is a nice final chapter where the legend is revealed and it all becomes a bit clearer - loose ends all neatly snipped of and tied in. Hangs together well and is, so far, the best of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Look To The Lady by Margery Allingham is the third book in the Albert Campion series which, for me, is getting better and better with each book. This one has many of the standard ingredients of a classic 1930’s British mystery, a rural village setting, a mysterious tower with a secret room, a
Albert Campion is a most intriguing character. Very little of his background has been revealed to the readers but it is implicated that he is highly placed, well connected and works on very sensitive matters for the government. His outward appearance is bland and his manner can be rather vague, but his dialogue is razor sharp and a joy to read. He is aided in his investigations by Magersfontein Lugg, his valet who appears to have a rather chequered past.
I find these books a joy to read and look forward to continuing on with this series.
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family treasure that is the target of a nasty ring of international art thieves and, aided by a clever plot and the deft writing of the author, Look to the Lady was a most enjoyable read.Albert Campion is a most intriguing character. Very little of his background has been revealed to the readers but it is implicated that he is highly placed, well connected and works on very sensitive matters for the government. His outward appearance is bland and his manner can be rather vague, but his dialogue is razor sharp and a joy to read. He is aided in his investigations by Magersfontein Lugg, his valet who appears to have a rather chequered past.
I find these books a joy to read and look forward to continuing on with this series.
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LibraryThing member saroz
The third Campion adventure is an interesting development in that for the first time, Allingham is obviously paying a lot of attention to the ins and outs of the plot. The previous novel, Mystery Mile, is a very characterful thriller, filled with larger-than-life personalities, sudden twists, and
Look to the Lady - or, as it was published in the United States, the more pragmatic The Gyrth Chalice Mystery - shows Allingham maturing as a writer of novels. This is, solidly, a book, not an extra-long newspaper serial, and she is careful to pace things accordingly. What that means is a little less shock and surprise along the way than there was in Mystery Mile or The Crime at Black Dudley, but ultimately, the resolution of the plot is more satisfying. Allingham takes the time to seed the elements of her conclusion early; perhaps some of them are a bit expected, but the sense of anti-climax which hovers over the previous two books - that element of "Wait, did I miss something?" - has also been eliminated. Allingham may not be a master yet, but she's growing.
The weakest area of the book, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the characters. After a lovely introduction at his flat, Albert Campion seems strangely muted through most of the story; his friend, Professor Cairey, has most of the joie de vivre usually associated with the detective. Even his manservant, Lugg, has more of a personality. And after three books, Allingham's kindly, supportive, but ultimately useless young women are starting to frustrate; every novel, they seem to need rescuing, and every novel, there comes a time when Allingham discards them to focus on the "men's work." Generations later, it does feel a little unnecessary to use them as little more than props (and fortunately, Allingham will start responding to that criticism within a couple of books); worse, though, the antagonist character of "Mrs. Dick" here verges on the worst kind of "mannish" stereotype, vicious and black-hearted merely because she is unfeminine.
It's worth noting that Allingham wrote the first four Campion novels in the space of three years. Any shortcomings they have, therefore, have to be attributed - at least in part - to the sheer speed of their composition. Still, the groundwork has been laid for an ultimately successful and long-running series. Hopefully, before too long, Campion will feature in a book possessed of both a strong plot and the vivid, memorable characters for which Allingham is rightly remembered.
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genuine surprises. It reads more like a serial adventure, keeping you wanting to turn the page to the next installment. Look to the Lady - or, as it was published in the United States, the more pragmatic The Gyrth Chalice Mystery - shows Allingham maturing as a writer of novels. This is, solidly, a book, not an extra-long newspaper serial, and she is careful to pace things accordingly. What that means is a little less shock and surprise along the way than there was in Mystery Mile or The Crime at Black Dudley, but ultimately, the resolution of the plot is more satisfying. Allingham takes the time to seed the elements of her conclusion early; perhaps some of them are a bit expected, but the sense of anti-climax which hovers over the previous two books - that element of "Wait, did I miss something?" - has also been eliminated. Allingham may not be a master yet, but she's growing.
The weakest area of the book, perhaps unsurprisingly, is the characters. After a lovely introduction at his flat, Albert Campion seems strangely muted through most of the story; his friend, Professor Cairey, has most of the joie de vivre usually associated with the detective. Even his manservant, Lugg, has more of a personality. And after three books, Allingham's kindly, supportive, but ultimately useless young women are starting to frustrate; every novel, they seem to need rescuing, and every novel, there comes a time when Allingham discards them to focus on the "men's work." Generations later, it does feel a little unnecessary to use them as little more than props (and fortunately, Allingham will start responding to that criticism within a couple of books); worse, though, the antagonist character of "Mrs. Dick" here verges on the worst kind of "mannish" stereotype, vicious and black-hearted merely because she is unfeminine.
It's worth noting that Allingham wrote the first four Campion novels in the space of three years. Any shortcomings they have, therefore, have to be attributed - at least in part - to the sheer speed of their composition. Still, the groundwork has been laid for an ultimately successful and long-running series. Hopefully, before too long, Campion will feature in a book possessed of both a strong plot and the vivid, memorable characters for which Allingham is rightly remembered.
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LibraryThing member booksandscones
I first read this book about 20 years ago, under its alternate title, The Gyrth Chalice Mystery.
The Gyrths, one of the oldest families in England, are the guardians, on behalf of the Royal Family, of a cup or chalice which they keep in a secret room of their historic house in the village of
A member of a secret syndicate of the world's wealthiest has hired an agent to steal the Chalice for his private collection. By the code of this secret society, if the agent is killed by the owner of the treasure, then the plot is abandoned and the treasure is safe. Val Gyrth and Albert Campion go down to Sanctuary to dispose of the agent and safeguard the Chalice.
Great atmosphere, country superstitions and terrors, danger from modern gangsters, a touch of the supernatural - this is a wonderful adventure story. The ending is terrific - I loved it.
The Gyrths, one of the oldest families in England, are the guardians, on behalf of the Royal Family, of a cup or chalice which they keep in a secret room of their historic house in the village of
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Sanctuary in Suffolk.A member of a secret syndicate of the world's wealthiest has hired an agent to steal the Chalice for his private collection. By the code of this secret society, if the agent is killed by the owner of the treasure, then the plot is abandoned and the treasure is safe. Val Gyrth and Albert Campion go down to Sanctuary to dispose of the agent and safeguard the Chalice.
Great atmosphere, country superstitions and terrors, danger from modern gangsters, a touch of the supernatural - this is a wonderful adventure story. The ending is terrific - I loved it.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
May 2018 reread:
I am downgrading my rating of this from 4 to 3 stars. My previous rating was based upon fuzzy memory of reading this years before. I found on this reread that something about the blend of mystery & adventure doesn't quite work for me in this. I can't put my finger on what exactly
I am downgrading my rating of this from 4 to 3 stars. My previous rating was based upon fuzzy memory of reading this years before. I found on this reread that something about the blend of mystery & adventure doesn't quite work for me in this. I can't put my finger on what exactly
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the problem is as these are two genres I generally like both separately & together. Show Less
LibraryThing member RedQueen
Meet Albert Campion. He's a little like Peter Wimsey, with his knowledge and connections to the upper classes. He's a little like Sherlock Holmes with his collection of irregulars he can call on for assistance. He's a little like Poirot, looking for psychological clues.
This is my favorite Campion
This is my favorite Campion
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story, & easy to say why: family inheritances with element of mystery, horses, gypsies & the twist at the end. If you like classic British mysteries, please look for this one. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
May 2018 reread:
I am downgrading my rating of this from 4 to 3 stars. My previous rating was based upon fuzzy memory of reading this years before. I found on this reread that something about the blend of mystery & adventure doesn't quite work for me in this. I can't put my finger on what exactly
I am downgrading my rating of this from 4 to 3 stars. My previous rating was based upon fuzzy memory of reading this years before. I found on this reread that something about the blend of mystery & adventure doesn't quite work for me in this. I can't put my finger on what exactly
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the problem is as these are two genres I generally like both separately & together. Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
Number 3 in the series. The character is developing better, somewhat enjoyable, but it doesn't really hold up to timeas well as other mysteries of that time period.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1931-01
Physical description
321 p.; 20 cm