A sweet little collection for Campion fans - perfect stocking stuffer or house-gift for the Golden Age fan. The second story made absolutely no sense to me but, in true Allingham fashion, it evoked a mood crisply and efficiently. A definite recommend.

Margery Allingham is often compared to Agatha Christie and as someone who likes cosy mysteries more than the more violent contemporary crime novels, this sounded like the perfect thing to read this time of the year.

This is only 63 pages so each of the four stories, though particularly the last, were very short. However the last one was my favourite of the collection. One, it was the most warming and Christmassy, and secondly it felt like the perfect length for the story which cannot be said for the others.

Overall I will definitely be exploring more of this author’s work and I think that this is the perfect book for a cold winter’s evening.

Margery Allingham is one of the Queen of Mysteries and this collection of Christmas short stories was delightful.
Not all of them are mystery themed but they are all lovely and enjoyable.
I can say they aged well and are full of humour and Christmas spirit.
They made crave for more and wish to start one of her novel.
A wonderful Christmas treat.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Campion at Christmas is a mini collection of Christmas-related stories by Margery Allingham, one of my favorite (and somewhat underrated) Golden Era mystery writers. Three of the four stories feature Albert Campion, gentleman detective, and are in the "cozy mystery" genre.

I enjoyed the gentle pace of the stories and the charm of a bygone era, and this mini collection serves as a welcome treat after the hustle and bustle of family, friends and food.

An excellent collection of four Christmas whodunits with this beloved sleuth.. This is a real classic mystery character. I highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I have not previously read any of Margery Allingham's Campion stories, although I believe that I have seen or heard an episode or two on television and on the radio. Therefore, as it was the third day of December, I began reading this collection of festive tales from the "golden age" of detective fiction with great anticipation. I was very much looking forward to this book.

Sadly, these four Christmas stories all left me very disappointed.

Only one of them, “The Case of the Man with the Sack”, has a worthwhile mystery element to it. While the other three are festive in theme, for me, they are poor examples of detective fiction. “Happy Christmas” being the most disappointing of them; unless I am mistaken and missed it, Campion does not even appear in this one.

Would this discourage me from reading further, and fuller, Albert Campion mysteries? I’d like to think not but, with so many other novels competing for attention, I’d have to be especially drawn to another Margery Allingham tale.

The first tale, “On Christmas Day in the Morning”, is taken from The Mysterious Mr Campion, first published in 1963.

“Happy Christmas” is from the 1962 Christmas Edition of Woman’s Own Magazine.

“The Case of the Man with the Sack” from The Allingham Minibus of 1973.

“Word in Season - A Story for Christmas” from 1965’s Mr Campion’s Lady.

What better way to revel in the Christmas spirit than a collection of festive short stories by the wonderful Margery Allingham. I am not as familiar with her work as some of our other first class female crime writers and so all four stories were new to me.

The cover 'speaks' of nostalgia and was what first drew me to this book and I wasn't disappointed. The stories range over murder, tradition and superstition with some wonderful quintessentially British characters aiding Albert Campion in two mysteries and one slightly mystical tale while the fourth offering is a visit to a Victorian Christmas in the modern era, which was the 1960's in this instance.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review and loved it. It is a very quick read unless you are disciplined enough to read one story a night, (I wasn't) but that was my only gripe. I recommend it highly as a treat for anyone who finds themselves with a quiet evening, a cosy chair and a drink of something warming over the coming holidays.

Very enjoyable seasonal “selection box” of four Christmas stories from my favourite of the great British women writers of detective fiction.Some may be familiar to Allingham fans, but all show her skill at, and facility for, deft characterisation within the short story form.

Here we have three tales of Albert Campion, two featuring detection and deduction, the other a domestic scene involving his wife, Amanda, and Red Setter, Poins. The remaining story has an amusing take on a Victorian Christmas.

These are sure to put readers into a Christmas mood, with wintry landscapes, and hints of the supernatural. Santa is also around, and there was, to me, a rather comforting and nostalgic feeling of a simpler age.

Highly recommended.