Black Plumes
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4.0 • 4 Ratings
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Publisher Description
“Black Plumes” is a mystery novel written by Margery Allingham, a prominent British author known for her detective fiction. Published in 1940, the story follows the investigation of Albert Campion, Allingham’s recurring sleuth, into the murder of a wealthy art collector, Marcus Chesney. The scene is set at Socrates Close, Chesney’s country estate, where the eccentric family members and guests become suspects in the case. As Campion delves deeper into the secrets and tensions within the household, he uncovers a web of deceit, betrayal, and long-buried secrets. The novel is praised for its intricate plotting, engaging characters, and clever twists, all hallmarks of Allingham’s skillful storytelling. “Black Plumes” is a classic whodunit that keeps readers guessing until the very end.
Customer Reviews
Very good (not Campion!)
The blurb in Apple Books is completely wrong, a garbled mashup of _The Black Spectacles_ by another author.
This is a tense, psychological whodunnit set in a small family art gallery with an upstairs-downstairs cast. Detective is a policeman but he’s not a PoV character. I did enjoy that a bunch of the other characters realise they’re in a detective-novel scenario.
One plot point and some language is eyebrow-raisingly 1940s (tw: casual racism); Allingham makes it clear this is a character’s opinion.