Customer Reviews

Mind Readers

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One of Allingham's few (mercifully few) outstanding failures. The plot is a mess, with a lot of needless complications (all recounted in Allingham's obscure manner that makes Gladys Mitchell look sober and straightforward) failing to disguise the fact that there is no actual plot to speak of. The murderer is known very early on, revealed and killed some chapters before the end, which is an anti-climax rivalled only by the behaviour of Albert Campion.

The secret of telepathic communication is discovered in Cold War England. But the device is in the possession of two schoolboys, one of whom happens to be serial detective, Albert Campion's nephew, Sam. Whether the boys stole the device or invented it, there are bad guys who will kill to get hold of it.

Canon Avril, who was a prominent character in "The Tiger in the Smoke" (Campion #14 - 1952) takes the two boys in after an attempt has been made to kidnap them. They entrust their telepathic devices (I picture them as small spark plugs) to the good Reverend, who promptly turns them over the chief scientist of the British telepathy project.

I thought that was a rather bad show on Canon Avril's part, as he had promised the two boys he would safe-keep their devices.

On the way back to his laboratory, the chief scientist is murdered.

This was a strangely plotted book, with hints of a futuristic technology that is being fought over by several governments, plus a billionaire tycoon who seemed to be playing one competitor against another. I never was sure if he was a good guy or a bad guy.

Campion does uncover the murderer, but "The Mind Readers" doesn't have an ending that will satisfy most readers. The question of whether telepathy will be a source of good or evil for humanity is left unresolved. The fate of the Campion's nephew, Sam, who seemed to regress into a form of autism without his telepathic device was also unresolved.

Here is a complete list of the Campion novels that Allingham wrote ("Cargo of Eagles" was completed by her husband after her death in 1966). There are also short story collections and Campion novels that were written by her husband, Youngman Carter, which I didn't include in this list.

1. The Black Dudley Murder aka The Crime at Black Dudley (1929)

2. Mystery Mile (1930)

3. Look to the Lady aka The Gyrth Chalice Mystery (1931)

4. Police at the Funeral (1931)

5. Sweet Danger aka Kingdom of Death aka The Fear Sign (1933)

6. Death of a Ghost (1934)

7. Flowers for the Judge (1936)

8. The Case of the Late Pig (1937)

9. Dancers in Mourning aka Who Killed Chloe? (1937)

10. The Fashion in Shrouds (1938)

11. Traitor's Purse aka The Sabotage Murder Mystery (1941)

12. Pearls before Swine (1945)

13. More Work for the Undertaker (1948)

14. The Tiger in the Smoke (1952)

15. Estate of the Beckoning Lady (1955)

16. Tether's End (1958)

17. The China Governess (1963)

18. The Mind Readers (1965)

19. Cargo of Eagles (1968)

The Mind Readers is the last book completely written by Margery Allingham; her husband finished up Cargo of Eagles (next in the series). So basically I've come to the end of the original Allinghams and it's a sad day. However, the good news is that I have each and every Campion story on my British reading room shelves (and all of the PBS dvds!) that I can read again if I so choose. Although this particular edition was published in 1990, the original was written in 1965 -- during the Cold War, and the book's subject matter reflects the angst of the time. There are numerous references to postwar science, spying and ultimately, the biggest concern of all -- someone hitting the button without any warning to the other side. Although it was not received well at its original publication (and if you look on Amazon, by some of its modern-day readers), I liked it. I thought it was a fine story, and unlike the last few books in the series, Campion is not on the sidelines but in the thick of the action like when he first began. The basic plot: Helena Ferris is the wife of scientist Martin Ferris, mother to young Sam, and a relative of Amanda Fitton (Mrs. Campion). As the story opens, she is supposed to picking up Sam and his cousin from the train, since they are due home at their half-term break. However, at the last minute, Martin's boss decides that no one will leave the island where the scientists are working. As a result, when the train stops, the boys are met by a woman who claims that she's been sent to pick them up. They walk with her until they notice a policeman, and start yelling that the woman is a spy and that she's trying to kidnap them. Later, when asked how they knew, they produce a device that they claim can read thoughts and feelings. Then, when Sam's cousin disappears, a series of events brings Campion into the picture in his role as an agent for British security. The book is a fun read and yes, it's a bit far-fetched, but consider that in real life the CIA was experimenting with psychic abilities, and then it doesn't seem so crazy. Allingham has done a fine job not only with the plot, but with her characters (her forte) as well. There are bits of humor interjected throughout the novel, and a Campion that I haven't seen in a while -- no sending him off to the sidelines in this book! Those readers who have been following the series will most likely enjoy this one; others who enjoy classic British mystery will definitely like it. Others who may find it interesting are readers who are interested in the Cold War era research programs in ESP and psychic abilities. Overall, a very good, fun read.