Friday, September 23, 2016

Friday Flashback: Rec. #133: Sweet Danger

I decided to start doing Friday Flashbacks in case you missed some early posts the first time around. You're busy; I understand.



What: Albert Campion, the very intelligent and highly skilled amateur detective, is so good at slipping into other roles that most of the world is convinced he's every bit as vacuous as he appears. This appearance of affable stupidity comes in very handy when he's being his cleverest. 

Sweet Danger opens with Campion knee-deep in an investigation that requires him to masquerade at different times as minor royalty, a woman, and an author. As you do. And, of course, his real name is not actually Albert Campion ...

Comparable to: Margery Allingham's Albert Campion and Edmund Crispin's Gervase Fen both are in it for the fun and thrills, and their creators' novels reflect that playfulness.

Representative quote: "The man really was amazingly like a duck."

You might not like it if: Your mind reels when you learn that our hero's butler/valet/bodyguard is named Magersfontein Lugg.

How to get it: First of all, you have several different title options. At different times, this novel has been published as Sweet Danger, Kingdom of Death, and The Fear Sign.

Connection to previous Wreckage: If you wish to try out Gervase Fen, you can start with The Moving Toyshop (Rec. #60).

Bonus fun fact for Whovians: Several of the Campion stories were adapted for a BBC television series starring Peter Davison. This is the Peter Davison who also played the Doctor in the early '80s. He is also the father-in-law of David Tennant.


[Originally posted 5/24/11.]



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