ISBN: 1572701943 Order from: Amazon.com
Colorful, over-the-top characters are vivid and engaging in this amusing and charming English mustery, despite a melodramatic plot.
Reviewed by David on January 02, 2004
Genre: Mystery (Amateur Sleuth, English Village)
Synopsis: This is an unabridged recording of The Fear Sign.
Albert Campion, a younger son of a very noble English, though never identified, dynasty, has a predilection for mysteries. Normally quitely helping out private individuals as well as Scotland Yard, this time he's working for some branch of the British government.
An obscure piece of land in the Balkans has once been claimed by an English Earl. Years after the family faded into obscurity, the title to the land became extremely valuable as the land gained in strategic importance.
Campion and his upper-class, well-meaning but insufficiently devious friends travel to the village where the family once lived. The search for the critical documents will be complicated by a ruthless businessman, intense superstition, and a lively family of pretenders to the ancient title.
Full Review: The book is a charming collection of almost canonical characters. It has the talkative locals that are hiding something, an eccentric doctor, a ruthless binessman, bumbling villains, painfully upright young English gentlemen. Not to mention a brace of lively and lovely young ladies, and a riddle worthy of the purplest melodrama.
In addition to the always satisfying Campion and his lugubrious assistant Lugg, the novel introduces the irrepressable Amanda Fitton.
In fact, melodrama is part and parcel of this colorful mystery, but the deft and light touch of humor makes it very tasty. The book is amusing, but its sympathetic characters are drawn well enough to grab the reader's attention and hold it in suspense during the tense, dangerous moments.
The skilled interleaving of humor, and the wonderfully pleasant characters change what might have been stereotypical village mystery into a pleasure to be savored—and remembered.
Overall: 6.5; Plot: 6; Characters: 6.5; Style: 6.5; World-building: 5; Originality: 6;
Copyright date 1933, Chivers Audio Books (Audio Editions Mystery Masters), 2000, Audio cassette, 6 cassettes
ISBN: 1572701943 Order from: Amazon.com