Author Guide · Crime Fiction
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Margery Allingham earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story in her aunt’s magazine, and published her first novel, Blackkerchief Dick, in 1923, when she was nineteen. Six years later she wrote a country-house mystery, The Crime at Black Dudley, in which a party-crasher called Albert Campion helps a group of guests escape a criminal gang. He was meant to be a minor character. Her American publishers asked for more of him, and he went on to appear in 18 more novels, from Suffolk villages to the London fog of The Tiger in the Smoke (1952). Allingham is counted with Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh as one of the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age. This guide covers her 12 key books, in order, and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 12 key books · 1929–1958 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Margery Allingham wrote 19 Albert Campion novels, from The Crime at Black Dudley (1929) to Cargo of Eagles (1968), which her husband finished after her death. Her best-known books are The Tiger in the Smoke (1952), Death of a Ghost (1934), Traitor’s Purse (1941) and More Work for the Undertaker (1948). Start with The Tiger in the Smoke; below you will find the full Campion reading order and the continuations by other writers.
Where to Start with Margery Allingham
If you want her best-known book
→ The Tiger in the Smoke (1952) — a war widow, an escaped convict and London in fog.
If you want to start the series near the beginning
→ Mystery Mile (1930) — the first book with Campion at the centre, and the first with Lugg.
If you want a classic Golden Age puzzle
→ Death of a Ghost (1934) — a murder at a painter’s yearly unveiling.
If you want a short, light Campion
→ The Case of the Late Pig (1937) — the only one Campion narrates himself.
12 Margery Allingham Books, in Order
The Crime at Black Dudley
A house party at Black Dudley, a remote old manor full of secret passages, ends in death when the masked recluse Colonel Coombe dies after a game played in the dark with a jewelled dagger. The pathologist George Abbershaw is meant to be the hero; Albert Campion is a foolish-seeming guest nobody invited, who helps the others when a gang holds them hostage. Published in the US as The Black Dudley Murder.
Mystery Mile
An American judge, Crowdy Lobbett, has survived several attempts on his life by a crime boss called Simister. Campion hides him and his children at Mystery Mile, a village on a near-island on the Suffolk coast, where the rector’s suicide and the judge’s disappearance in a maze follow. It is the first novel with Campion as the lead and introduces his manservant, the former burglar Magersfontein Lugg.
Police at the Funeral
Joyce Blount asks Campion to find her missing uncle, Andrew Seeley, whose body soon turns up in a stream. The case moves to Socrates Close in Cambridge, home of the Faraday family and their formidable head, Great-Aunt Caroline, where an aunt is poisoned and a cousin dies of cyanide. Campion works alongside his friend Stanislaus Oates of Scotland Yard.
Sweet Danger
Campion is hired to prove that Averna, a small Adriatic principality that has suddenly become valuable, belongs to an extinct English noble family, and races the financier Brett Savanake to the Suffolk village of Pontisbright to find the proof. The book introduces Amanda Fitton, aged seventeen, who runs a generator at the village watermill and later becomes Campion’s wife. Published in the US as Kingdom of Death, later The Fear Sign.
Death of a Ghost
The family of the dead painter John Lafcadio unveils one of the twelve sealed paintings he left behind every year at his London house. At the eighth ceremony a young painter, Tommy Dacre, is stabbed during a power cut. Campion, a friend of the family, and Inspector Oates investigate a second death and a scheme to forge the remaining pictures.
The Case of the Late Pig
Lugg reads an obituary for R. I. “Pig” Peters, Campion’s old enemy from school, and Campion goes to the funeral. Five months later he is called to a village where Peters has been found dead again, this time with his head caved in. A short novel, and the only Campion story narrated by Campion himself.
Dancers in Mourning
Campion is asked to find out who is playing cruel pranks on Jimmy Sutane, the star of a hit musical, and stays at the Sutanes’ country house. When a faded actress, Chloe Pye, is killed under Jimmy’s car, Campion’s love for Sutane’s wife clouds his judgement and he suspects the wrong man. Later US editions were titled Who Killed Chloe?
The Fashion in Shrouds
Campion finds the skeleton of a barrister who vanished three years earlier, and a run of deaths follows that all seem to suit the actress Georgia Wells. His sister Val Ferris, a London couturier, is drawn in, and so is Amanda Fitton, now an aircraft engineer, who pretends to be engaged to Campion. The book ends with Campion offering to marry her.
Traitor’s Purse
In the early years of the Second World War Campion wakes in a country hospital with no memory, knowing only that he has a vital task connected with the number fifteen. With Amanda’s help he uncovers a plot, run from the town of Bridge, to flood Britain with forged banknotes and wreck the currency. Published in the US as The Sabotage Murder Mystery.
More Work for the Undertaker
Apron Street is a backwater of London where wanted criminals tend to vanish. Campion moves in to look into deaths in the eccentric Palinode family, who have inherited shares once thought worthless, and finds that the local undertakers, the Bowels family, offer a special service to criminals.
The Tiger in the Smoke
As fog settles over London, the war widow Meg Elginbrodde, about to remarry, receives photographs suggesting that her husband, believed killed on D-Day, is alive. The trail leads to Jack Havoc, an escaped convict who served under her husband in the war and is hunting a treasure hidden in France. Campion shares the case with Inspector Charlie Luke. Julian Symons thought it her best book; it was filmed in 1956 without Campion.
Hide My Eyes
Campion and Charlie Luke link a missing moneylender to a series of murders in London. Seventeen-year-old Annabelle comes to stay with her aunt Polly at Tether’s End, a house attached to a museum of curiosities, and meets Gerry, whom Polly treats as a son; the reader sees him kill a solicitor halfway through the book. It was her first novel chosen for Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. US titles: Tether’s End and Ten Were Missing.
In What Order to Read Margery Allingham
Each Campion novel is a separate case, so you can start almost anywhere. But Campion changes more than most Golden Age detectives, and that is the reason to read in publication order: the vague young adventurer of the early books becomes a quieter, older man, Amanda Fitton grows from the teenager of Sweet Danger (1933) into his wife, and in the post-war books Inspector Charlie Luke takes a larger part.
If you start with The Tiger in the Smoke, go back to Mystery Mile next and read forward. Leave Cargo of Eagles (1968) for last: she died before finishing it, and her husband completed it.
A reading path
1. The Tiger in the Smoke (1952)
2. Mystery Mile (1930)
3. Death of a Ghost (1934)
4. Traitor’s Purse (1941)
5. Hide My Eyes (1958)
Every Albert Campion Book in Order, and Her Other Work
Beyond the 12 key books: 48 more, grouped by kind.
Open a group with the + to see every book in it.
Albert Campion novels in reading order
19
19 books · 1929–1968
- 1929The Crime at Black DudleyCampion’s first appearance, as a minor character
- 1930Mystery Milefirst with Campion as the lead; Lugg arrives
- 1931Look to the LadyUS title: The Gyrth Chalice Mystery
- 1931Police at the Funerala Cambridge family under attack
- 1933Sweet DangerAmanda Fitton’s first appearance
- 1934Death of a Ghostmurder at a painter’s unveiling
- 1936Flowers for the Judgea London publishing house; US title: Legacy in Blood
- 1937The Case of the Late Pignarrated by Campion
- 1937Dancers in MourningUS title: Who Killed Chloe?
- 1938The Fashion in Shroudscouture, theatre and Amanda again
- 1941Traitor’s PurseCampion with amnesia, in wartime
- 1945Coroner’s PidginUS title: Pearls Before Swine
- 1948More Work for the UndertakerApron Street, London
- 1952The Tiger in the SmokeLondon in fog; often called her best
- 1955The Beckoning LadyUS title: The Estate of the Beckoning Lady
- 1958Hide My EyesUS titles: Tether’s End, Ten Were Missing
- 1962The China GovernessUS edition first; UK 1963
- 1965The Mind Readersher last completed novel
- 1968Cargo of Eaglesfinished by Philip Youngman Carter after her death
Campion continuations by other writers
14
14 books · 1969–2024
- 1969Mr Campion’s Farthing
- 1970Mr Campion’s FalconUS title: Mr Campion’s Quarry
- 2014Mr Campion’s Farewellcompleted from Youngman Carter’s manuscript
- 2015Mr Campion’s Fox
- 2016Mr Campion’s Fault
- 2017Mr Campion’s Abdication
- 2018Mr Campion’s War
- 2019Mr Campion’s Visit
- 2020Mr Campion’s Seance
- 2021Mr Campion’s Coven
- 2021Mr Campion’s Wings
- 2022Mr Campion’s Mosaic
- 2023Mr Campion’s Memory
- 2024Mr Campion’s Christmas
Other novels
7
7 books · 1923–1943
- 1923Blackkerchief Dickher first novel, written at nineteen
- 1928The White Cottage Mysteryan early detective story
- 1933Other Man’s Dangeras Maxwell March
- 1935Rogues’ Holidayas Maxwell March
- 1936The Shadow in the Houseas Maxwell March
- 1940Black Plumesa standalone mystery
- 1943Dance of the Yearsa family novel, also published as The Galantrys
Story collections and nonfiction
8
8 books · 1937–1989
- 1937Mr Campion: Criminologiststories
- 1939Mr Campion and Othersstories
- 1941The Oaken Heartnonfiction: her Essex village in 1939–40, expecting invasion
- 1947The Casebook of Mr Campionstories
- 1954No Love Lostnovellas
- 1969The Allingham Case-Bookstories, published after her death
- 1973The Allingham Minibusstories; also Mr Campion’s Lucky Day
- 1989The Return of Mr Campionuncollected stories
The years · 1904–1966
Quick facts about Margery Allingham
- Known for
- Albert Campion, the gentleman detective she introduced in 1929 and followed through 19 novels, which put her among the four “Queens of Crime” of the Golden Age.
- 1904
- Born in Ealing, London
- 1929
- Campion appears in The Crime at Black Dudley
- 1941
- Traitor’s Purse and The Oaken Heart
- 1966
- Dies in Colchester, aged 62
- Born
- 20 May 1904, Ealing, London; grew up in Layer Breton, near Colchester, Essex
- Family
- Daughter of the writers Herbert and Emily Allingham
- Education
- Perse School for Girls, Cambridge; Regent Street Polytechnic, London
- Married
- Philip Youngman Carter, artist and writer, in 1927
- Detection Club
- Elected 1934
- Died
- 30 June 1966, Colchester, Essex, of breast cancer; buried at Tolleshunt D’Arcy
The red mark is 1952: The Tiger in the Smoke, the Campion novel most often called her best.
How Margery Allingham Writes: From Adventure to the Novel of Character
The early Campion books are adventure stories as much as puzzles: gangs, secret passages, lost titles and chases across Suffolk. Campion himself began as a light parody of Dorothy L. Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey, a well-born young man with a hidden past and several false names, and Allingham described her early method as a “plum pudding”, less about the mechanics of murder than about mixing possibilities together.
From the mid-1930s the books grow darker and more interested in people. Dancers in Mourning lets Campion’s feelings mislead him; Traitor’s Purse takes away his memory; and in the post-war books Inspector Charlie Luke shares the investigations. In Hide My Eyes the reader watches the killer at work halfway through, and the tension is whether he will be caught. The critic Anthony Boucher said she had “mastered her new approach”.
She also wrote places. Mystery Mile and Pontisbright are invented villages in the Suffolk countryside, not far from the Essex villages where she lived, and The Tiger in the Smoke is built around a London fog in the year of the Great Smog of December 1952. For more Golden Age crime, see the guide to Agatha Christie and the list of best British authors.
Frequently asked questions about Margery Allingham’s books
How many books has Margery Allingham written?
She wrote 19 Albert Campion novels, the last of them, Cargo of Eagles (1968), finished by her husband after her death; four other novels under her own name; three thrillers as Maxwell March; several collections of stories and novellas; and one book of nonfiction, The Oaken Heart (1941). This page covers 12 key books.
What are Margery Allingham’s books in order?
The key books are The Crime at Black Dudley (1929), Mystery Mile (1930), Police at the Funeral (1931), Sweet Danger (1933), Death of a Ghost (1934), The Case of the Late Pig (1937), Dancers in Mourning (1937), The Fashion in Shrouds (1938), Traitor’s Purse (1941), More Work for the Undertaker (1948), The Tiger in the Smoke (1952) and Hide My Eyes (1958). Her first novel was Blackkerchief Dick (1923).
What order should I read the Albert Campion books in?
In publication order: The Crime at Black Dudley (1929), Mystery Mile (1930), Look to the Lady (1931), Police at the Funeral (1931), Sweet Danger (1933), Death of a Ghost (1934), Flowers for the Judge (1936), The Case of the Late Pig (1937), Dancers in Mourning (1937), The Fashion in Shrouds (1938), Traitor’s Purse (1941), Coroner’s Pidgin (1945), More Work for the Undertaker (1948), The Tiger in the Smoke (1952), The Beckoning Lady (1955), Hide My Eyes (1958), The China Governess (1962), The Mind Readers (1965) and Cargo of Eagles (1968). Each case stands alone, but Campion’s life with Amanda Fitton develops from book to book.
Where should I start with Margery Allingham?
With The Tiger in the Smoke (1952), the Campion novel most often called her best. If you would rather begin near the start of the series, read Mystery Mile (1930), the first book with Campion as the lead.
What is Margery Allingham’s most famous book?
The Tiger in the Smoke (1952), set in a London fog and built around the escaped convict Jack Havoc. Julian Symons considered it her best book, and it was filmed in 1956 by Roy Ward Baker, without Campion.
Who is Albert Campion?
A well-born young man who works under an assumed name; the books hint that his family is aristocratic and that his real first name is Rudolph. He first appeared as a minor character in The Crime at Black Dudley (1929), apparently as a parody of Lord Peter Wimsey, and became the hero of 19 novels. His manservant is the former burglar Magersfontein Lugg, and he marries Amanda Fitton, who first appears in Sweet Danger.
Are there Albert Campion books by other authors?
Yes. Her husband, Philip Youngman Carter, finished Cargo of Eagles (1968) and wrote two more, Mr Campion’s Farthing (1969) and Mr Campion’s Falcon (1970). From 2014 the crime writer Mike Ripley continued the series, starting with Mr Campion’s Farewell, completed from Carter’s manuscript, and reaching Mr Campion’s Christmas (2024).
Has Albert Campion been adapted for television?
Several times. The BBC series Campion (1989–90) starred Peter Davison as Campion and Brian Glover as Lugg and adapted eight novels, including Police at the Funeral, Sweet Danger and Death of a Ghost. Bernard Horsfall played him for the BBC in 1959 and 1960. The Tiger in the Smoke was filmed in 1956.
Was Margery Allingham one of the Queens of Crime?
Yes. She is counted with Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh as one of the four Queens of Crime of the Golden Age of detective fiction, and she was elected to the Detection Club in 1934.
When did Margery Allingham die?
On 30 June 1966, aged 62, of breast cancer, at Severalls Hospital in Colchester, Essex. She was buried at Tolleshunt D’Arcy. She left Cargo of Eagles unfinished, and her husband completed it.
Footnotes
- Margery Allingham — Wikipedia
- Albert Campion — Wikipedia
- The Tiger in the Smoke — Wikipedia
- Detection Club — Wikipedia
- The Margery Allingham Society
- Mr Campion’s Wings — Severn House
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
“The fog was like a saffron blanket soaked in ice-water.”
— Margery Allingham, The Tiger in the Smoke (1952)
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