How did I miss these books?

I am ill as a result of a flu innoculation. 

I knew I would be, but the risk of getting the actual flu was too high and the outcome too severe, so, I have opted for being ill voluntarily.   So, not too much sewing going on at the moment as I am lying around, but, I can read.  Then the problem was what to read?  I like "Who dunit's"  (detective fiction) but have read just about everyone, and the thrill of working out who did it doesn't really "cut it" with re-reading books.  So I went looking for old books, of the Agatha Christie vintage, and happened upon the books by Marjory Allingham. 

The "four queens" of this style of writting were Christie, Marsh, Sayers and Allingham.

The writting is very dated and I took me a number of chapters to adjust to the "older style" of writting, but once I did I was hooked. 

The books were written 100 years ago, literally, and putting myself back to that time took some adjustment in my mind.  People talked, thought and acted  differently to today and Oh these books are a window into what that time was like.  At one point the main characters are driving around London and out to the suburbs "and there are no other cars on the road".  That alone is mind boggling and the role of women is so different from today.

These books would make wonderful period dramas for TV,  I can see all the characters up there on the screen.  I wonder why no-one has thought of that? 

So I am reading the series of "Campion Mysteries" , starting with book 1, "The Crime at Black Dudley".

Pure escapism, and it has kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the last chapter. 

As an aside, I see that Agatha Christie wrote of the author that "She stand out as a shining light" and JK Rowling felt the same,  I have to agree.

Comments

[Rachel]

Some of Albert Campion's adventures have been televised, I believe, but it was probably thirty years ago!

[Carolyn Foley]

Really? Who was the actor who played Albert Campion?