The Fear Sign (Allingham, Margery) [Paperback]

Margery Allingham (Author)

Book Description

Series: Allingham, Margery | Publication Date: May 8, 2000

The challenge of an ancient riddle, a journey to a village accursed, and a corporate mogul in the business of murder prove the Pontisbright family legacy to be a deadly inheritance in this ingenious tale of witchcraft, myth, and mystery. The clues that lead to the solution and the heirlooms, however, do not elude urbane, erudite Albert Campion.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Who is Albert Campion? A youngish man who seems equally at home with majesty and mystery, yet he goes by an assumed name. In The Fear Sign, Campion and two of his friends have been posing as the "Hereditary Paladin of Averna" and escort. They have done such a good job of impersonation that they have attracted assassins. As Campion becomes more entangled in the search for the lost regalia of the kingdom of Averna a small, strategically located and petroleum-rich piece of the British Empire he finds his life and the lives of his friends threatened. Francis Matthews excellently portrays the various characters. Allingham (The Fashion in Shrouds) keeps the suspense high in this delightful period novel, capturing the feel of rural England in the 1930s. Sure to be popular with those who prefer a cozy, erudite mystery, this is recommended for all public libraries. Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Philip Franks sounds, marvellously, as if he's reading in a dinner-jacket ... Fabulous INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'Sweet Danger is for the connoisseur of detective fiction Sunday Times An extremely entertaining nightmare of sensational events. Like all for which Margery Allingham is responsible, it is thoroughly original Daily Telegraph An exceedingly lively thriller Spectator --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; Carroll & Graf edition (May 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786707550
• ISBN-13: 978-0786707553
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,275,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Kingdom of Averna is now of Strategic Importance, March 7, 2000

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Fear Sign (Hardcover)

And Campion has to find the lost Pontisbright heir who is the rightful owner before the "other parties" manage to find it first. At stake, a natural harbour on the Adriatic with its own supply of oil. Campion has to solve the riddle of the Pontisbright oak, evade capture, and find the missing papers that will allow Averna to stay in British hands. Along the way, he has to solve the mystery of the fear sign carved into the town walls.

Campion, for those of you who don't know him, is a spy in the line of Lord Peter Wimsey-- seemingly effete and ineffective, his demeanor hides deadly incision and a sharp wit. The Fear Sign is a memorable addition to his canon of books.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Albert The Hereditary Paladin, March 26, 2001

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Fear Sign (Allingham, Margery) (Paperback)

Travelling through France, Guffy Randall is surprised to find his old friend Campion and several of their cohorts masquerading as minor nobility. Quickly sucked into the plot, Guffy discovers that Campion is seeking various pieces of evidence that would prove that a tiny piece of very valuable coastline really belongs to England. Hardly have they begun when they discover that the real answer to the mystery is closer to home, at Pontisbright in West Sussex. Off the crew goes to rescue the evidence before it falls into the hands of their devious opponent Brett Savanake.

"The Fear Sign" combines all the key elements that that Margery Allingham uses to create her classic British adventure stories starring our universal uncle, Albert Campion. Aside from Campion's company of young British upper-class, the novel also stars Amanda, Mary and Hal Fitton (plus Aunt Hatt), who are the possible (and possible illegitimate) Pontisbright heirs, a supporting cast of appropriately quirky villages and a complete host of villains.

In short order Guffy is in love with Mary, Campion has found a partner in Amanda and even Lugg has a new buddy in Scatty Williams. When Amanda shows Campion an old verse carved into a hidden tree bole the chase is on.

"If Pontisbright would crowned be, three strange happenings must he see. The diamond must be rent in twain before he wear his crown again. Thrice must the mighty bell be tolled before he shall the scepter hold, and ere he to his birthright come stricken must be Malplaquet drum."

With this clue in hand Campion sets off to save the kingdom and reinstate the Fittons to their title, followed close at hand by Brett Savanake. Then, no soon do they start their quest, but Campion disappears, leaving Guffy and the rest to proceed on their own.

Before the mystery is solved readers will find themselves participating in a failed museum theft, listening to the world's first hi-fi system, and invited to a conjuration of the devil. As is often the case, Allingham provides a continuous series of distractions to bemuse the reader, culminating in the classic chase and confrontation between the forces of good and evil.

While this style of plot is an Allingham regular, she once again manages to flesh it out with enough novelty, fascinating characters and rip-roaring action to keep the reader fascinated. Like all Campion stories it never fails to entice and delight.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Varying Degrees of Comedy and Mystery, November 16, 2000

By 

Ricky Hunter (New York City, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fear Sign (Allingham, Margery) (Paperback)

The Fear Sign, by Margery Allingham, is a very funny book, in a twee British sort of way, but does not succeed as effectively as some of her others in the area of mystery in the novel itself. There are a few suspenseful moments, but very few, and the there is really no mystery to much of the story. The bad guys are the bad guys and the good guys are the good guys and except for possibly one incidence of cross dressing, nothing that is revealed will be a surprise to the reader. I do think the author did not intend any surprises, merely a plot to hang her crazy characters upon. Having said that, if you already love Campion and his friends, you will love this book. For those looking for a myster, it could prove a dissappointment.