Mr. Campion’s Memory

Ripley further burnishes his reputation as a worthy successor to Margery Allingham in his excellent 11th mystery featuring Allingham’s gentleman sleuth Albert Campion (after 2022’s Mr. Campion’s Mosaic). It’s 1972, and Campion, now in his 70s and retired from criminal investigations, is attending his younger brother’s funeral. After the service, he’s approached by his late brother’s son, Christopher, a public relations expert whose latest client, businessman Sir Lachlan McIntyre, is in a bind. Shortly after an antagonistic interview, in which journalist David Duffy’s probing into McIntyre’s past—specifically events in 1932—so riled McIntyre that he threatened to shoot the reporter, Duffy was gunned down in his car. Naturally, McIntyre is the prime suspect, though he insists on his innocence. Meanwhile, a notebook found on Duffy’s body listed several names, including Campion’s, under the heading “1932.” The retired sleuth agrees to launch an investigation and dig deep into his recollections for any information that might help explain the murder. Ripley gets everything that makes a good Albert Campion novel right, including Allingham’s gift for playing fair with readers and Campion’s witty banter. This dead-on pastiche will satisfy newcomers and series devotees alike. (Sept.)