Mr Campion's Abdication
Mr. Campion's Abdication by Mike Ripley Severn House Historical Fiction Pub Date 01 Nov 2017
Review
Never underestimate Albert Campion or Mike Ripley who has done an admirable job of continuing where Margery Allingham left off. Admittedly following in her footsteps is a challenge - Albert Campion is one of the most popular figures of the Golden Age of Mystery. Campion and Lugg may be older, but as seen in Mr Campion’s Abdication, they are still formidable opponents to those with evil intentions.
Did the Duke of Windsor leave a treasure behind in the small village where he met up with Mrs. Simpson? Is there an Abdication treasure? Rumors flow like water but those in power are adamant - there is no treasure and Albert Campion must not find it. Campion insists his only purpose in going to Heronhoe is to aid in the making of a documentary starring his son and daughter-in-law. Searching for a nonexistent treasure is far from his thoughts, but that doesn't mean that Campion doesn't have another intention in mind.
Mr Campion’s Abdication is cleverly plotted with plenty of twists ready to please the Allingham enthusiast. The novel will definitely appeal most to fans of Golden Age mysteries and historical mysteries than to modern mystery fans. If you like Campion, you will definitely enjoy Mike Ripley’s portrayal of Allingham’s classic detective.
4 / 5
I received a copy of Mr Campion’s Abdication from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
‘So where exactly did Albert Campion stand on the Abdication?’ ‘Behind the throne, slightly to the left?’ suggested Commander Charles Luke. Margery Allingham’s Mr Campion finds himself masquerading as technical advisor to a very suspicious but glamorous Italian film producer and her crew hunting for buried treasure that never was in the Suffolk village of Heronhoe near Pontisbright which used to host trysts between Edward VIII and Mrs Wallis Simpson. ‘When it came to the Abdication Crisis in ’36 those dirty week-ends in Heronhoe were quickly forgotten, except not by the Prince. The story goes – that when he married Mrs Simpson, in 1937 that would be, he actually sent a valuable thank you gift to Heronhoe. That was what became known as the Abdication Treasure although there’s no record of anything going to Heronhoe Hall, or of anybody ever receiving anything from the Duke of Windsor and nobody anywhere claims to have actually seen anything resembling treasure.’ ‘So how is Albert Campion involved? You said the treasure doesn’t exist.’ ‘It doesn’t,’ Lord Breeze said firmly, ‘and I have been instructed to tell you to tell Campion, that unless he wants to risk embarrassing Buckingham Palace, he’d better lay off. There’s no such thing as the Abdication Treasure, so there’s nothing to find and Campion had better make sure he doesn’t find it!’
