Outstanding Campion mystery

Marjory Allingham is often compared to Agatha Christie but a fairer comparison would be with Dickens. Like him, she brings the London of her day to life with all its sights and smells and contrasts of poverty and opulence. She, has an unerring ear for dialogue and is often funny, and (again like Dickens) her characters sometimes border on the grotesque with names to match (Jas Bowels the undertaker for example) but they always convince as real, complex, often pathetic people. She's a sharp and wicked observer but always humane and compassionate. The stories are more than a bit far fetched! - But no less enjoyable for that, and More Work for the Undertaker is one of her best. David Thorpe is an excellent reader - different from Philip Franks who also reads her novels, but just as good.

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2 people found this helpful

A terrific story.

Interesting plot, geat characters and funny bits too. Dated, of course, but worth it.

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Good Story Spoiled for Me

If you could sum up More Work for the Undertaker in three words, what would they be?

In my view only, one of the best Albert Campion Story's totally spoiled by the reading

What other book might you compare More Work for the Undertaker to, and why?

Not really

Would you be willing to try another one of David Thorpe’s performances?

I have already purchased another Albert Campion by this reader as it is another favourite. I should have waited!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really, the whole book just sort of carries you off on the merry-go-round of strange characters

Any additional comments?

Sorry but I will have to stick with the abridged version which was very well read by Philip Franks

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6 people found this helpful

Enjoyable

I do love the way these books flow, they take you back to a time when life was black and white, no grey. The narration is excellent with the various characters really coming to life. I know that books written now have to be full of twists and turns. This book keeps you entertained, even if you don't want to be. A good read in its simplicity.

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Sorry I couldn’t get on with this one

This is the first of the Campion novels I’ve listened Toni struggled to get a grip on the story having to play chapters again and again ! I’ll try a new Margery Allingham another day see if it’s better for me!

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excellent story, unfortunate reading

I love this book and often re-read my hard copy. I bought the Audible version for holiday 'reading' and was disappointed with the voicing of the characters. each character seemed to have more than one voice, and the reader didn't seem able to put drama and quiet in the right places. For example when a character is meant to be muttering or speaking quietly, the reader speaks loudly. None of Albert Campion's voices (there are a couple or three) fit the character as described in the book. sad.

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Ok story, bad character voices

I've liked this narrator in the previous books, but in this case... Some of the character's voices were so horrible I had to skip quite a bit. Lawrence for example, made my blood pressure climb so much I got a migraine creeping on. I couldn't focus on the dialogue.

The story was all right, but not the best one.

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Well read

As usual a well written Campion story if you like the gentle murder & mystery. Well read, let’s have more from this narrator.

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fantastic campion

loved it all campion series is so good .brilliantly penned. golden age authors are great

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1 person found this helpful

Allingham with Thorpe - Perfection

Allingham's writing is beautifully whimsical and extremely funny. The great lady was truly one of the great writers in all of English fiction, not just the Golden Age novelists of classic detective fiction. Campion is nothing less than perfect, the story is a typically rapid uncovering of the criminal sprinkled with the most wondrous, laugh out loud descriptions of character and place. Thorpe is a magnificent narrator.

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