‘Mr Campion’s Mosaic’ by Mike Ripley

Published by Severn House,
27th April 2023.
ISBN: 978-1-44830783-8 (HB)

Margery Allingham’s famous detective, Albert Campion lives on in a series of novels – of which ‘Mr Campion’s Mosaic’ is the tenth so far – by Mike Ripley.

Set in 1972, the novel opens at an event held by the Evadne Childe Society on what would have been the eighty-second birthday of the novelist to celebrate the proposed remake of the only film made from Evadne’s novels, The Moving Mosaic. Mr Campion is invited as the guest speaker very much at the last minute. The proposed speaker, former matinée idol Peyton Spruce, who played Childe’s hero in the original film and is expected to reprise the role in the new television production, has been badly injured in a road accident.

It soon becomes clear that Mr Campion has been invited because the Society want him to investigate a whole series of events that appear intended to prevent the new production from being made. Together with his resting-actor son Rupert he sets out to discover who and why would go to such lengths to disrupt filming. They are aided and abetted by Campion’s loyal factotum Magersfontein Lugg.

It is not only the ingenious, fast-moving plot, full of misdirection, that keep the reader turning the pages. Ripley’s light, playful comic style paints some delightful characters from Peyton Spruce’s theatrical housemates to the aged psychics looking for non-existent ghosts with dialogue that will have you smiling if not laughing out loud. One of my favourites is the lugubrious Magersfontein Lugg whose underworld connections often come in handy in his employer’s investigations.

This is a fun read with all the attributes of the Golden Age whodunits, and I have no hesitation in recommending it highly.
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Reviewer: Judith Cranswick

Mike Ripley is the author of the award-winning ‘Angel’ series of comedy thrillers.  He has won the Crime Writers Association 'Last Laugh Award' twice, first in 1989 with Angel Touch and then again in 1991 for Angels in Arms. Mike was also a scriptwriter for the BBC comedy-drama series Lovejoy (1986–94), which starred Ian McShane as a lovable rogue antique dealer. For ten years Mike served as crime fiction critic for The Daily Telegraph and on the Birmingham Post for a further eight, reviewing in all over 950 crime novels. In 2003 he suffered a stroke, and wrote an account of his recovery, Surviving a Stroke, which was published in 2006. Subsequently, he completed the third Albert Campion novel left unfinished on the death of Pip Youngman Carter (husband of Margery Allingham) in 1969. Since then, he has written seven further books in the series, The most recent being Mr Campion's Mosaic, which was published in October 2022.

Judith Cranswick was  was born and brought up in Norwich. Apart from writing, Judith’s great passions are travel and history. Both have influenced her two series of mystery novels. Tour Manager, Fiona Mason takes coach parties throughout Europe, and historian Aunt Jessica is the guest lecturer accompanying tour groups visiting more exotic destinations aided by her nephew Harry. Her published novels also include several award-winning standalone psychological thrillers. She wrote her first novel when her two children were toddlers, but there was little time for writing when she returned to her teaching career. Now retired, she is able to indulge her love of writing and has begun a life of crime! ‘Writers are told to write what they know about, but I can assure you, I've never committed a murder. I'm an ex-convent school headmistress for goodness sake!’ Her most recent book is Peril in Persia.

 http://judithcranswick.co.uk/