The Tiger in the Smoke (Macmillan Collector's Library) Hardcover – May 16, 2017

I love Golden Age Mysteries. I own most if not all of the works of Sayers, Christie, Marsh, Heyer and Carr. Margery Allingham was never a favorite of mine primarily because in her early novels her hero, Albert Campion, seemed a pale imitation of Dorothy Sayers’ Peter Wimsey. However, it is clear in this later book that, like Wimsey, Campion has matured and the character “tics” that annoyed me are gone.For some reason, I’d gotten away from the Golden Age and lately have been reading Victorian and modern mysteries. But “Tiger” is one of the books on HRF Keating’s list of 100 best mysteries that I hadn’t read so when a friend pointed out this kindle book for $2.99 I picked it up. A few pages into “The Tiger in the Smoke”, I remembered why Golden Age was my genre of preference. Most of what I’ve read over the past couple of years pales in comparison.First of all the “cozy mystery thriller” label on this is completely misleading. Undoubtedly, some Golden Age mysteries, especially some from Christie and Heyer, qualify as cozies but “Tiger” is very atmospheric with tension that can be oppressive at times. It also had more (off stage) violence and threat of violence than is common in a “cozy”. Like most Golden Age mysteries it is filled with interesting, quirky characters and a bizarre seemingly senseless little puzzle that is actually complex and gradually revealed. If anything it reminded much more of John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson than a cozy. Like Carr, this story does not focus on Campion (in fact he is not the driving force in the story) but is told from the varying perspectives of different characters.Allingham does create some very ornate prose which some modern readers may not enjoy. It wasn’t constant but it was noticeable. An example: “Some resourceful policeman had unearthed one of the old naphtha flares which are the only real answer to fog. Like a livid plume, it spat and hissed above the heads of a knot of men in the chasm, its vigorous smoke trail mingling with the other vapours, making Rembrandtesque clouds above them.”“The Tiger in the Smoke” is a nice Golden Age mystery that I enjoyed a lot. I’m looking forward to another Allingham on Keating’s list “More Work for the Undertaker”.

A thriller rather than a mystery. If you are new to Allingham's Campion stories this is not a good place to start, partly because it is so atypical of the series and also because the array of minor characters that flit through the pages, and which will be familiar to readers of previous Campion books, can be rather bewildering for the newcomer.Written in 1952, the story is interesting for its insight into aspects of life in post-war London. Some of the references, and much of the slang, will be lost on young, and non-British, readers. It will also perpetuate the myth of London being permanently fogbound. Present-day London hardly ever experiences fog, but in the fifties, when it was still an industrial city and suffered heavy smogs, it was commonly known as 'The Smoke', hence the book's title.In truth, the author's grasp of underworld culture is somewhat shaky. She doesn't get the language or the behavior quite right. She was from the rural English midlands and from a different social class, so this is very much an outsider's view.The intriguing story and the intense drama are what make this book worthwhile. It is well written and one episode, Lugg's driving through the fog, is hilarious. He wonders aloud at one stage whether he is approaching a traffic island or the side of a bank building. The villain, Havoc, is memorable. Oddly, there is no one, central hero. That role is shared between three or four characters. Campion himself is incidental.My one complaint about the plot is that it relies on a very remarkable coincidence, which is something that always undermines credibility. But if you are willing to accept it (and remarkable coincidences do occur in real life) then you can relax and enjoy this first-rate thriller.If you do enjoy "Tiger in the Smoke", you might also like Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock", which features the razor gangs of pre-war Brighton, and which has an equally memorable villain.

This is a marked departure from the rest of this series. Those picking this novel expecting to once again be lead on a merry romp with, by now old friends, Albert, Lugg and the rest will be disappointed. The overall tone of this story is much darker, the main focus is not on Albert but on the villain, a sociopath. And although there is no doubt that Albert will triumph in the end the process to get there is more disturbing than amusing.This is a good detective/thriller story, and well worth reading but be aware it is as if favorite family comedy/drama characters wandered into a horror movie by mistake. They do well there, and it is a good story but disconcerting all the same.

Despite the fact that Albert Campion was a detective with an interesting background, he could be sort of annoying in those early books. Now he is married to Amanda and has a son--and he's just as interesting, but more likeable. This book is more violent than the others, but also more thought-provoking. Allingham raises the question of pure evil and her villain is an amazing character study, as is the clergyman who understands it all. One of her best, and that's saying a lot.

I have not quite finished reading this yet but so far I have enjoyed it. The plot line and style take a little getting used to but the sense of menace and tension it creates make it a page turner. Set in 1950's London during a thick pea-souper fog the plot brings together characters from two very different social worlds. The respectable upper class world of the detective Albert Campion, and a truly terrifying band of ex-service men of the criminal class whose leader is reminiscent of a Dickens character. The descriptions of a city caught in a fog where unspeakable and violent crimes are happening is well imagined. Overall I would recommend this if you enjoy detective fiction given a unique twist.

That was what the Independent said and they were right. I started my first Campion when I was twelve I am seventy-seven now and the magic still holds. Her world, her plots (you always get more than one) are irresistible. Her characters so clear you can hear their voices after you close the book.

This is my first ever Campion book. The idea is clever and the writing excellent. However Campion plays a small part in the detection, and this was disconcerting to a novice reader. More importantly, the intro by Susan Hill is thought-provoking, and I would have appreciated it after reading the story myself. Putting it at the front turned it into a continuous spoiler - not of the "the-butler-dunnit" type, but insidious throughout.

I have to admit I'm a Margery Allingham fan so if I rank this lower than many of her books, I'd still put it higher than a lot of other authors. It's atmospheric, characterful and ends in a burst of action. However it's not a great book for her series detective Albert Campion - he's famously written out of the film version - or any of her other regulars.I'd certainly recommend this, maybe as a way to start on Allingham's books but though it's her most well known, but if you like this there are others of hers you'll probably like better.

Our detective, Adam Dalgliesh, begins this book recovering from serious illness. This leaves him wishing to give up police work and spend his life peacefully in other pursuits.He ends up at a strange institution in Dorset where he continues to agonise over his future. Eventually we have a short detective story with a vigorous but slightly unsatisfactory ending.Overall I think that I enjoyed it, mainly for the descriptions of the landscape, but it was not in any way a standard whodunnit.