Mike Ripley continues the Albert Campion stories with Mr Campion's Memory In 1972, Christopher, Campion's nephew, asks for help with a public relations nightmare in which a captain of industry that he represents has an unfortunate interview with a journalist who is muckraking about 1932. Mr. Duffy, the journalist, is murdered but his notebook has Albert Campion's name as well as that of the tycoon Campion starts looking into fascist groups of 1932 and a lot of old scandals emerge. Campion at his best even if he is "retired"

Now in his 70s, Albert Campion is done with his life of investigations and adventures, or so his wife Lady Amanda insists. When his nephew Christopher, a PR rep for wealthy businessman Lachlan McIntyre, comes to Campion for advice he promises his wife that he will not get involved. An interview that Christopher arranged for his client went very badly. The reporter was more interested in his personal past rather than his business. Now the reporter has been murdered near McIntyre’s estate. A notebook found in his car had a list of names, including McIntyre, Campion and his friend Lugg. It also references the year 1932. While Campion is still mentally sharp, it is a challenge to remember what he was doing forty years earlier. Despite his assurances to Lady Amanda, there is a mystery to solve and Campion throws himself back into action, bringing Lugg along.

Mike Ripley continues the Campion series written by Margery Allingham when she introduced him in 1929. Ripley’s Campion is older, but still embodies the charm and wit that made him a popular character. Along with the imposing figure of Magersfontein Lugg, they find skeletons in McIntyre’s closet that would prevent him from from receiving a life peerage. This puts Campion in a race for his life against the murderer. Saved in the nick of time, he may face even more danger when confronted by Lady Amanda. They are a delightful couple that makes this an entertaining mystery. I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House or providing this book for my review.

1972 Journalist David Duffy is researching businessman Sir Lachlan McIntyre's life before 1945 when Duffy is murdered. In his notebook is a list of names including Campions and Luggs, and the year 1932. But can Campion remember, and solve a forty year old puzzle, and the current death.
An entertaining and well-written mystery with its likeable main characters. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Huntress

I really enjoy these latter day Campion novels. The author has had the great good sense to date them many years after the Allingham originals. Campion is now in his seventies, albeit sprightly and with his intelligence unimpaired. The mystery here concerns the murder of an investigative journalist who may have unearthed some skeletons in the cupboard of millionaire businessman Lachlin McIntyre. These dark deeds date back to 1932, English anti Semitic fascists and the possible involvement of a much younger Albert Campion. Witty, clever and fascinating.

I think this is the best I read in this series so fa: complex, twisty, very dark at times, featuring very unlikeable characters and some of the memories of Albert Campion.
I wasn't surprised by the culprit but the path to the discovery was a fascinating one as it brought us back and forth in history discovery some very dark moments.
I strongly recommend it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Lively, witty, ironic! Oh, and dangerous!

A lively piece of derring-do, although according to his wife Amanda he’s supposed to be derring-done, from our aging, yet smoothly contained, boy-like, retired supposedly, sleuth, Albert Campion.
It’s 1972 and a newspaper journalist, David Duffy, is mysteriously killed in a lay-by off the M1 near to the brutalist MacMansion of Sir Lachlan McIntyre. McIntyre is being considered for a life peerage which would have course have him entering the House of Lords.
Campion’s nephew Richard asks for his help. Richard is Sir Lachlan’s Public Relations Officer.
He wants Campion to look into McIntyre’s activities prior to 1932. His firm hadn’t deemed it necessary to go back that far when putting together their media “script”. (Training sessions covering questions the media might ask).
Just to clarify, McIntyre is the number 1 suspect on the police radar for Duffy’s demise. Richard wants Campion to use his influence to establish McIntyre’s innocence.
It turns out Campion’s name is in Duffy’s notebook, as was Lugg’s. (Comedic suppositions perform in Albert’s head around the police bringing Lugg in for questioning.)
Campion’s investigations take him back into the past happenings. Some memories are not so happy.
Albert places himself in danger, of “the heart in the mouth” variety. My heart rate has barely recovered.
A page turning, wryly written read, that brings forth old family history, looks at Campion’s relationship with Lugg, and opens Campion’s past as it blends into the now.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Mr Campion’s Memory - Mike Ripley.

Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy.

Firstly, a Mea Culpa. I didn’t realise that the Campion in the title was Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion and that Mike Ripley had continued his and Lugg’s adventures, and nor did I realise this was the eleventh book. So, I entered the novel as if this were a standalone.

I thought the style was interesting and would appeal to those who like adventures, although perhaps it is aimed at, or would be preferred by a younger audience. Why do I say this? Primarily because of the considerable amount of exposition. The opening 20% was particularly heavy with exposition, to the extent I wondered when the plot would be allowed to take hold. I understand the need for a certain amount of world-building, especially when the plot takes place in a different era -1970s/1932, however, as a continuation of a long series, this would be irritating to a reader who is already familiar with the story arcs, and to someone like me, coming to it for the first time, I found it interrupted my ability to get to grips with the story.

Allingham created Campion and Lugg as parody sleuths to counter the likes of Lord Peter Whimsy and the ever-popular Agatha Christie detectives, and Ripley does well to bring some real humour into the story. Campion is agreeable. What I did find annoying was Ripley’s repeated insertion of common idioms with explanations of how they came about. It is unnecessary. Either the line works in the scene or it doesn’t, explaining its origins doesn’t advance the plot.

Towards the middle and certainly during the final chapters, the pace picked up, bringing in some much-needed excitement and tension.

All books are subjective, and although this novel was not for me (sadly) I can see it being popular with Ripley fans and those who enjoy the glamour of the gentleman sleuth - although may I suggest they begin with book one.

‘‘What exactly is it you want me to remember’, Mr Campion asked him.’

London, 1972. Albert Campion’s nephew Christopher asks for his help. Christopher works in public relations, and one of his clients is Sir Lachlan McIntyre. Sir Lachlan, a construction magnate who made his fortune after World War II, is in line for a life peerage. Sir Lachlan’s elevation could be in jeopardy when he becomes a prime suspect for murder. Journalist David Duffy had interviewed Sir Lachlan shortly before he was murdered in his car near the McIntyre estate.

Lady Amanda, Albert Campion’s wife isn’t entirely pleased that Christopher has requested Albert’s help. She tells Christopher that:

‘His days of derring-do are now derring-done; they are his yesterdays.’

But the request is intriguing. Duffy’s notebook contained a list of names under the heading 1932. Albert Campion’s name is one of those included, and he has no idea why. He did not know Sir Lachlan McIntyre. What happened in 1932, and where does Albert Campion fit into the mystery? Why was Duffy more interested in Sir Lachlan’s early life than he was in his rise after World War II? Ably assisted by his companion Magersfontein Lugg, Albert Campion takes a trip down memory lane to solve this mystery.

Another very clever addition to the Albert Campion canon. Campion may be aging (he is now 72) but his investigative skills are still strong. And, with Magersfontein Lugg’s assistance, what could possibly go wrong?

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I'll happily read anything in the extended Margery Allingham/Mike Ripley Albert Campion collection. Ripley has taken on the job of extending Campion's natural life well past the days of Allingham, and I'm immensely grateful. Although Campion and Lugg aren't as young as they were, they haven't mentally slowed down, and Albert shows a surprising nimbleness when it comes to physical danger. I'll be sorry to see the extended series end, and hope that one of the supporting characters will step up to a starring role!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Mr Campion’s Memory, the eleventh novel to feature an elderly version of Margery Allingham’s sleuth, Albert Campion, set in the Home Counties in 1972.

Albert Campion’s nephew, Christopher, asks for his help. Christopher is in PR and one of his clients, tycoon Sir Lachlan McIntyre, is in line for a peerage, which may be in jeopardy as he is the prime suspect in the murder of journalist David Duffy. Duffy was interested in Lachlan’s younger days and his notebook contains Campion’s name among others and the year 1932. Now all Campion has to do is remember.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Campion’s Memory, which is a witty read with a likeable protagonist and a plot that switches between the present in 1972 and the events of 1932, giving the novel two strands that link together in unexpected ways.

The novel is told entirely from Albert Campion’s point of view and as he has a rather ironic take on life it makes the novel comfortable to read and amusing. Of course he’s not averse to painting himself as the hero, so a little reader discretion is required, although he is often self aware enough to know that he does it and own up. It is very charming as an approach. I haven’t read Ms Allingham’s originals to know if the author has remained faithful to her vision, but I really don’t care as I like this version, smart, boyish despite the creaking body and always ripe for a challenge.

The two timelines and stories are interesting. I had a rough idea of what would link them, due simply to what went on in the 1930s, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment in the slightest of some clever thinking and writing and my even greater enjoyment of some well deserved karma. I like the way the author builds his plot and switches his timelines at appropriate moments to give the reader an effective story that links the past and the present almost seamlessly.

Mr Campion’s Memory is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.