Mystery writers have to be able to get character and dialogue right, more than anybody else. This was actually one of the first proper whodunnits I've read by Allingham—before now, I've mostly only read her thrillers. She's great at drawing a cast of memorable and flawed characters, and she does it in a way that doesn't artificially try to make them all out to be the killer.

In this and Traitor's Purse, she gives Campion a kind of personal obstacle to heighten the stakes of the mystery itself. I admire how Allingham recognizes that the personal, emotional stakes have to be embedded in the overall plot and themes of the book; otherwise, it's just a pretty puzzle that feels cheap in the end. Here, both Campion and other characters feel they have personal and ethical hindrances in the way of them doing the right thing, and one of them ends up paying for his lack of nobility from early on in his life. Uncle William articulates a moral stance that I'm turning over in my mind and heart since it goes against everything I have always stood for, but I'm willing to consider it may be the more human thing:

In this story, Campion finds himself in love for the first time. I do think the story veered away from developing a more complex relationship between him and his supposed love interest because it simply did not spend enough time with them; in the second half I'd almost forgotten the thing that's supposed to be holding him back from wanting to solve the murder—the only times I remembered it is when she's directly on the page standing in front of us.

I guessed early on who the killer was, and one of the murders was ridiculous and doesn't make any sense. But I still enjoyed reading. Also, Lugg and the child, Sarah, are adorable together. I hope she comes back.

Emotional resonance: 3 out of 5
Social awareness: 3 out of 5
Craft / structure: 4 out of 5
Plot / novelty: 3 out of 5
Accessibility: 2 out of 5

Overall: 3.25 out of 5