An Ideal Companion.....
Opening with an insightful and delightful tribute from Agatha Christie, this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of eighteen tales from another very talented Queen of Crime. Varied and diverse with just a smattering of Campion to be found this is a mixed bag of suspense but each tale very much worth a read. The supernatural, ghostly tales, in particular, are rather perfect for this time of year too - making this an ideal companion for a cosy night in next to a roaring fire. Wonderful reading.

A mixed bag from the fabulous Margaret Allingham. A couple of short stories featuring Albert Champion but mostly stories are from the supernatural, all very well told with that superb storytelling style that is only Allingham.

Did I enjoy all eighteen short stories equally? Of course not. There is, however, plenty to like in this collection as the author had many different talents. I had not read any of her "ghostly" tales previously and there are some good ones in this book. Albert Campion wins the prize for one of my favorite stories of the bunch.
The "Minibus" consists of a wide variety of story types with characters that are truly rich in detail and thus easily envisioned. This book can provide hours of enjoyable reading and can certainly be revisited.

NetGalley Reader's Copy - Thank you to Agora Books
To be published Oct 10, 2019

Varied and intriguing, these 18 tales, mainly dating from the 1920s 30s and 40s,display different aspects of Allingham’s not inconsiderable talent to amuse, bemuse and feed the soul of the reader.

Resurrection, immortality, life after death, in their various forms and meanings, are found here. Marriage is looked at obliquely in a few of the tales, most wonderfully in “The Pioneers”.

Campion crops up in three, but there is not much by way of conventional detection, except in the over-long “A Quarter of a Million”. Ghostly themes predominate.

I would have appreciated Bibliographical information about the stories, as this helps one understand the development of a writer’s craft and style.This could profitably replace the tepid Tribute by Agatha Christie, which said more about that writer than about Allingham.

Not for the Campionistas, but essential reading for lovers of the Margery Allingham who was more than just one of the Queens of Crime.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for the digital review copy.