RogerBW's Blog

1973 collection of short supernatural and mystery stories

I was quite surprised to see how many of these were actually ghost stories; I know Sayers dabbled, but it doesn't seem like something I'd expect from an accomplished mystery writer, who after all has to get into fine detail of exactly what happened when.

"He Was Asking After You" is a ghost story of growing menace as a murderer's victim gradually gets closer to the man himself. Quietly effective.

"Publicity" shows the aging actor whose first thought is always for his public image. Jilted by his much younger fiancée, he decides to disappear, but coincidence and other people conspire to make that not as easy as he'd hoped.

"The Perfect Butler" shows that anyone can be turned away without giving offence.

"The Barbarian" is a matter of murder rather than divorce, but one that only works because of the specific people involved.

"Mr Campion’s Lucky Day" is one of the three Campion stories here. Who shot the blackmailer? Well, there aren't many people here so it must be one of those few, but how can it be proved? Could do with a bit of expansion, I thought, but for me mystery usually works better at novel length.

"’Tis Not Hereafter" has a reporter out looking for a ghost… and finding one.

"The Correspondents" has the quiet country parson and his fellow former student who's been living a life of adventure. The correspondence is clearly good for both of them.

"He Preferred Them Sad" is a story of a scam merchant getting his comeuppance by slightly unexpected means.

"The Unseen Door" is the second Campion, and deals with murder at a club. Again not entirely satisfying, because the key clue is only hinted at rather than given, but it has its moments.

"Bird Thou Never Wert" has a haunted bird-cage, and apparently its former occupant witnessed some seriously wrong-doing.

"The Same to Us" has a stuck-up society hostess; it's more comedy of manners than anything else, and I found it hard to enjoy.

"She Heard it on the Radio" has the old woman in the top flat of what's otherwise a student house, kept happy by her radio. Rather splendid.

"The Man with the Sack", the third Campion, has shenanigans at a country house Christmas and a Father Christmas who may not be what he appears.

"The Secret" has the chap who deserted the girl coming back and begging for forgiveness, which will not be easily won.

"A Quarter of a Million" has a criminal gang operating in a specific part of London, and the police trying to track them down. Surprisingly dark by the standards of Campion, but it's long enough to work well.

"The Pioneers" has the artists preparing to divorce, giving one last dinner-party before they announce it. Another comedy of manners, I suppose, but this one worked rather better for me.

"The Sexton’s Wife" is an old story of murder and lost love.

"The Wink" gives us two successful barristers discussing the Devil.

Compared with Campion even the stories without supernaturalism are much more prepared to be nasty, but all in all I found this a very worthwhile collection.