Look to the Lady by Margery AllinghamMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Kicks off with a great burst of fascinating, suspenseful, apparently inexplicable events, explains them, and continues that cycle until the end.
There's a wonderful contrast between Campion's persona of an upper-class twit who doesn't even quote classic literature (like Wodehouse's characters), but the cliches of the advertising industry, and his actual keen intelligence and wonderful ability to organize surprising events. This is assisted by his wide circle of lowlife contacts, so not only does he have a mask over his real personality, but he lives two distinct lives in different spheres (using a number of different pseudonyms, of which "Albert Campion" is one; his real first name, apparently, is Rudolph, and his surname a famous one from an old aristocratic house).
Like the previous book in the series, this one takes place around a very ancient country manor in a remote rural district of England. This one, though, protects an ancient chalice on behalf of the Crown, using a combination of subterfuge and what appears to be a supernatural guardian.
The action blasts along, with real danger at plenty of suspenseful moments, the characters are varied and amusing, and the title is a big hint at the villain. It's like an Edgar Wallace, but more clever, and I'm a big fan of Wallace even with his pulpy limitations. I'm looking forward to more in this fortunately long series.
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