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verityw's review against another edition
4.0
This is a clever and atmospheric murder mystery. There are a lot of unlikeable characters in this, but also a lot of suspects – not all of whom are the unlikeable ones! You see this story mostly by following Frances, youngest of the Ivorys. At the start of the book her brother-in-law is pressuring her to marry the unpleasant co-owner of the gallery and artist and family friend, David Field, proposed a fake engagement to her as a way of getting out of it. Frances is convinced that something is wrong at the gallery but her concerns are dismissed by other members of the family – even after the murder has happened. David – whose painting is the one that is slashed at the start of the novel – is one of the only people who listens to her, but he is a bit of a rogue and some of the clues seem to point at him. I really enjoyed it – and if you haven’t read any Allingham before, this wouldn’t be a bad place to start – especially as the Campion series takes a while to settle in, which can make it tricky for people who like to start series at the beginning.
pkadams's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book for the first time back in 1991 and reread it last night. It is one of my all time favorites because it captures England between the wars better than anything I've ever read. Allingham can sketch characters better than most and make them memorable. I'm fascinated with how she creates the interactions between the 90+ year old, formidable, Victorian, matriarch (Gabrielle Ivory) and her modern, twenty-something granddaughter (Frances Ivory). Best line ever when the two have different opinions about appropriate decorum. "It was a little skirmish across a century." She also creates a believable love story that is such a side show to this gothic mystery. The mystery is of course good, being Margery Allingham, but it is her mastery of setting, character, and mood that allows so much more going on than the mystery.
cmbohn's review against another edition
4.0
Just a warning--Campion does not appear in this book. But it is a good, solid mystery with a lot going for it.
The action centers around the Ivory's art gallery, where a series of malicious pranks are causing problems. When a valuable painting is slashed right before an opening, things really come to a head.
There's a pretend engagement, a man come back from the dead, an unscrupulous business manager, and finally, a murder. The ending is very exciting. My only complaints are that the policeman in charge of the case is more of a caricature that a real person and that the identity of the weapon is not as much of a secret to the reader as it is to the police.
The action centers around the Ivory's art gallery, where a series of malicious pranks are causing problems. When a valuable painting is slashed right before an opening, things really come to a head.
There's a pretend engagement, a man come back from the dead, an unscrupulous business manager, and finally, a murder. The ending is very exciting. My only complaints are that the policeman in charge of the case is more of a caricature that a real person and that the identity of the weapon is not as much of a secret to the reader as it is to the police.
vdyej's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
smcleish's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog here in December 1999.
Allingham's novels which are not about Albert Campion tend to have a dark and eerie atmosphere. Black Plumes is one of the best of them, and is almost totally mystifying as a detective story. The point of view from which it is written is to a large extent responsible for this, because the central character is one of the witnesses, who has almost no idea of what is going on. Allingham uses Frances Ivory to convey something of the fear and confusion which must surround becoming involved in a murder investigation, placing the story on a more human footing than is often the case with novels following the detective at work.
Frances belongs to an old London family, owners of a private art gallery and art dealers. In recent times strange things have begun to happen: a series of attacks on the gallery, strange behaviour by the head of the business, Frances' brother in law Robert Madrigal, and his encouragement of the obnoxious Henry Lucar. Then Madrigal's body is discovered, Lucar having disappeared, seemingly the obvious (and welcome) suspect.
Characteristically, Allingham populates the novel with grotesques. As well as Lucar, there is the redoubtable ancient Gabrielle Ivory, Frances' grandmother, applying the standards of a forgotten erat; Frances' invalid stepsister, Phillida; and the hearty explorer Godolphin, rescued from the Tibetan prison where he has lain for years, believed dead.
And a comment I posted on this review on re-reading the novel in April 2012:
Re-read this recently, and one word jumped out at me. The witnesses tell the police that they saw a dark skinned man running away from the scene of the crime, and at one point the policemen are discussing it and use the n-word. This is clearly appropriate, in that it would in 1940 be casually used in conversation, but to a modern reader it is jarring in a way that it was never intended to be by Allingham. This is perhaps an argument for censorship, albeit not for the usual reasons: language usage has changed sufficiently that this word effectively no longer has the meaning it did in 1940.
Allingham's novels which are not about Albert Campion tend to have a dark and eerie atmosphere. Black Plumes is one of the best of them, and is almost totally mystifying as a detective story. The point of view from which it is written is to a large extent responsible for this, because the central character is one of the witnesses, who has almost no idea of what is going on. Allingham uses Frances Ivory to convey something of the fear and confusion which must surround becoming involved in a murder investigation, placing the story on a more human footing than is often the case with novels following the detective at work.
Frances belongs to an old London family, owners of a private art gallery and art dealers. In recent times strange things have begun to happen: a series of attacks on the gallery, strange behaviour by the head of the business, Frances' brother in law Robert Madrigal, and his encouragement of the obnoxious Henry Lucar. Then Madrigal's body is discovered, Lucar having disappeared, seemingly the obvious (and welcome) suspect.
Characteristically, Allingham populates the novel with grotesques. As well as Lucar, there is the redoubtable ancient Gabrielle Ivory, Frances' grandmother, applying the standards of a forgotten erat; Frances' invalid stepsister, Phillida; and the hearty explorer Godolphin, rescued from the Tibetan prison where he has lain for years, believed dead.
And a comment I posted on this review on re-reading the novel in April 2012:
Re-read this recently, and one word jumped out at me. The witnesses tell the police that they saw a dark skinned man running away from the scene of the crime, and at one point the policemen are discussing it and use the n-word. This is clearly appropriate, in that it would in 1940 be casually used in conversation, but to a modern reader it is jarring in a way that it was never intended to be by Allingham. This is perhaps an argument for censorship, albeit not for the usual reasons: language usage has changed sufficiently that this word effectively no longer has the meaning it did in 1940.
badcushion's review
5.0
This is a delightful pre-WWII English mystery novel, with bodies in cupboards, devious fiances, and a whipping wind that lends just the right edge to the creepy atmosphere. The feel of the book is so perfectly autumnal that I kept wanting to put it down and save it for reading in brisk October - but that would have meant not reading it right away! The characters are indeed characters - from the narrator, Frances, a young woman drawn into a complicated web of lies, to her grandmother Gabrielle, who even at an advanced age, has all the manipulative power of a grand Victorian. The plot twists, the people scurry, and the eerie vibe of the book makes the reader want a cup of tea. Highly recommended!
camerontrost's review
3.0
Between two and three stars. The start was too slow but things got a bit more interesting from around the middle. A lot of gossip and family bickering and a bit light on the detective work side. The reader doesn't have to be too imaginative to guess who the murderer is because it couldn't really have been anyone else. I won't go into my reasoning as they might give it away if you decide to read this one. That was the most disappointing aspect. Otherwise, some nice turns of phrase and believable characterisation for the setting. All in all, as far as murder mysteries go, not one of the most remarkable. If you like posh family drama, it might tickle your fancy tea cups.
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