The Allingham Minibus
A collection of eighteen classic Golden Age short stories from “the best of mystery writers”—with a tribute by Agatha Christie (The New Yorker).
Acclaimed by critics and her peers, Margery Allingham was one of the finest writers of her day, crafting fiction that challenged readers’ crime-solving skills and kept them on the edge of their seats. Foul play, mystery, and the macabre set the stage for unforgettable characters who struggled with the complexities of life and their own morality.
In these pages, you’ll find eighteen stories that showcase Margery Allingham’s wit, sharp characterization, and clever plotting. From her famous detective’s swift dispatch of a case in “Mr. Campion’s Lucky Day,” to ghost-hunting in a terrorized village in “’Tis Not Hereafter,” to a debate about—and proof of—good and evil in “The Wink,” Margery Allingham shows why she “deserves to be rediscovered” (P. D. James, New York Times–bestselling author).
Praise for Margery Allingham
“[Allingham was a] rare and precious talent.” —The Washington Post
“Don’t start reading these books unless you are confident that you can handle addiction.” —The Independent
“One of the finest Golden-Age crime novelists.” —The Sunday Telegraph
Margery Allingham, born in 1904 to Emily and Herbert Allingham, was an esteemed English novelist, author, and editor of Christian Globe and the New London Journal. Considered one of the four “Queens of Crime” from the golden age of detective fiction, Allingham began writing stories and plays at a young age and published her first novel, Blackkerchief Dick, at 19. She later studied drama and speech training at Regent Street Polytechnic in London. Allingham is best known for her character Albert Campion, a sleuth first introduced in The Crime of Black Dudley. Campion was featured in seventeen subsequent novels, and even more short stories. Allingham continued to write until her death on June 30, 1966.
