Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Mr Campion's Christmas by Mike Ripley

I don’t like to rush the holidays that come around in the last three months of the calendar year, but here I am reading a Christmas mystery in October. It feels so wrong! But Mike Ripley’s 12^th and last, according to the author’s notes at the end of the book, story in the continuation of the Albert Campion series originated by Margery Allingham is due to be published in early November.

A clever piece of work, smoothly incorporating the components of the classic country house Christmas with assorted strangers, all snowed in by an unexpected blizzard, and adding some original bells and whistles to create a strong plot with some familiar characters and a few new ones.

Albert Campion and his wife Amanda have retired to the Norfolk countryside in December 1962 for the holidays, not far from the British military base where Amanda’s aircraft company Alandel has an office. Son Rupert is home from his first year at Harvard University. Magersfontein Lugg is in fine fettle, serving as the household major domo. They are expecting the usual quiet Christmas with a big Boxing Day celebration. No snow in the forecast until a gray sky gave way to snowflakes on December 27^th. They didn’t realize how much snow would fall until the storm was in full swing. Amanda sent their cook and housekeeper Mrs. Thursby home to collect her father to bring him back where they both would be warmer and safer.

They are all settled around the fire when noises outside indicate the arrival of visitors. A touring bus has crashed into the stone pillars of the gate to the driveway and the passengers are desperately seeking shelter. An assorted group: a retired Episcopalian priest, a single lady on a pilgrimage, three American airmen heading to the British base, the frazzled bus driver, a Dutch national, and a pedantic middle-aged professor. The Campions scurry around and find sleeping space and warm food for the group.

Early the next morning Campion finds tracks in the deep snow, two sets leaving the house, and only one set returning. He follows them to find the body of the driver in the tour bus. The snow is so deep there is no hope of bringing law enforcement in for days so ferreting out the killer falls to Campion, Lugg, and some unexpected assistants.

A classic closed circle mystery that pays significant tribute to the original Campion series while pulling in contemporary details to invigorate the story and demonstrate the passage of time. Publishers Weekly starred review. Highly recommended. 

 

·         Publisher: ‎Severn House; Main edition (November 5, 2024)

·         Language: ‎English

·         Hardcover: ‎272 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎1448314712

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1448314713

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link:  https://amzn.to/48zzmWs

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.