Campion Reviews - Mr Campion's Lucky Day and Other Stories
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Mr Campion’s Lucky Day and Other Stories - short story collection
Featuring: Mr Campion’s Lucky Day (1945), The Unseen Door (1945), The Man With the Sack (1936), and A Quarter of a Million (1933).
More after the cut:
Most of the stories in this collection concerned crime, but only four involved characters from the Campion novels, alas. Once again I’ve made attempts to guess at when the story was set based on clues in the narrative.
Mr. Campion’s Lucky Day (early 1930s)
Campion wins a big on long odds and solves a murder all in one day.
“Good Heavens, sir!”
The final exclamation was addressed to Campion, who had suddenly moved forward and, exerting all his strength, pulled the body up off the desk.
The sight was terrible. The entire corpse moved in one solid mass, the knees remaining bent, the head thrust out stiffly.
Later, the Detective Inspector looked round for Mr. Campion. He found him sleeping peacefully in the bedroom with such a beatific smile on his face that Oates took pleasure in waking him.
The Unseen Door (summer, 1937 or 1938? It could be ‘36)
Campion solves another murder for Oates, is confused for a policeman.
Superintendent Stanislaus Oates glanced down at the body again and swore softly to Mr. Albert Campion who had just been admitted.
“I hate miracles!” he said.
“Good Lord! Campion, how did you know?”
It was some time before Mr. Campion could be prevailed upon to tell him, and when he did he was slightly diffident.
The Man With the Sack (Christmas Eve, 1936?)
Another Christmas tale for Campion! This time he helps a friend deal with some ill-mannered house guests, prevents a burglary and insurance fraud.
Yet, it was no sartorial peculiarity that haunted his memory. It was something odd about the man, some idiosyncrasy, something slightly funny..
Mr. Campion was forced to admit that there was a certain exhilaration in the air, a certain indefinable charm in the grey-brown shadows chasing in endless succession over the flat landscape.
Although he was not as a rule over-sensitive to artistic monstrosities, Mr. Campion paused in respectful astonishment before this example of the mid-Victorian baroque. A bewildered looking bronze lady, clad in a pink marble nightgown, was seated upon a gilt ormolu log, one end of which had been replaced by a blue and white enamel clock face. As he stared the contraption chimed loudly and aggressively.
A Quarter of a Million (1933?)
Thomas Knapp plays a small role in the game of police versus clever criminals in this tale of kidnapping, ransom, and secret passage ways.
“Detective Inspector Parker is a bit cheap,” said Murdoch. “You and I have been on this job for ten years, and I was thinking, have you ever before heard of or known a fellow with Parker’s reputation at the Yard? He’s an unpopular publicity hound.“
The owner of the gun in his ribs laughed.
“The trouble with you cops is that you believe you’re invulnerable,” he said. “You shouldn’t have handcuffed yourself to your prisoner. As it is, I’m afraid you’ll have to come the whole way. And something tells me, Inspector Parker’-the voice was soft, almost caressing-’something tells me that you’re going to find that very unhealthy indeed.”
Knapp’s garage was an old stable, approached by a narrow brick way between an antique shop and the branch office of the electricity board. It looked uninviting, dark and none too prosperous. As they turned into the half-empty building a disreputable figure came out to meet diem. He was small, rat-faced, and clad in garments which appeared to have been soaked in oil for many years. His one concession to smartness was a huge flat cap which he wore at a rakish angle.
“I’d like to speak to the manager, please.”
“I am the manager. And the proprietor, too. There’s me name over the door-Thomas Knapp-and I’m not ashamed of it.”
Mr Campion’s Lucky Day and Other Stories - short story collection
Featuring: Mr Campion’s Lucky Day (1945), The Unseen Door (1945), The Man With the Sack (1936), and A Quarter of a Million (1933).
More after the cut:
Most of the stories in this collection concerned crime, but only four involved characters from the Campion novels, alas. Once again I’ve made attempts to guess at when the story was set based on clues in the narrative.
Mr. Campion’s Lucky Day (early 1930s)
Campion wins a big on long odds and solves a murder all in one day.
“Good Heavens, sir!”
The final exclamation was addressed to Campion, who had suddenly moved forward and, exerting all his strength, pulled the body up off the desk.
The sight was terrible. The entire corpse moved in one solid mass, the knees remaining bent, the head thrust out stiffly.
Later, the Detective Inspector looked round for Mr. Campion. He found him sleeping peacefully in the bedroom with such a beatific smile on his face that Oates took pleasure in waking him.
The Unseen Door (summer, 1937 or 1938? It could be ‘36)
Campion solves another murder for Oates, is confused for a policeman.
Superintendent Stanislaus Oates glanced down at the body again and swore softly to Mr. Albert Campion who had just been admitted.
“I hate miracles!” he said.
“Good Lord! Campion, how did you know?”
It was some time before Mr. Campion could be prevailed upon to tell him, and when he did he was slightly diffident.
The Man With the Sack (Christmas Eve, 1936?)
Another Christmas tale for Campion! This time he helps a friend deal with some ill-mannered house guests, prevents a burglary and insurance fraud.
Yet, it was no sartorial peculiarity that haunted his memory. It was something odd about the man, some idiosyncrasy, something slightly funny..
Mr. Campion was forced to admit that there was a certain exhilaration in the air, a certain indefinable charm in the grey-brown shadows chasing in endless succession over the flat landscape.
Although he was not as a rule over-sensitive to artistic monstrosities, Mr. Campion paused in respectful astonishment before this example of the mid-Victorian baroque. A bewildered looking bronze lady, clad in a pink marble nightgown, was seated upon a gilt ormolu log, one end of which had been replaced by a blue and white enamel clock face. As he stared the contraption chimed loudly and aggressively.
A Quarter of a Million (1933?)
Thomas Knapp plays a small role in the game of police versus clever criminals in this tale of kidnapping, ransom, and secret passage ways.
“Detective Inspector Parker is a bit cheap,” said Murdoch. “You and I have been on this job for ten years, and I was thinking, have you ever before heard of or known a fellow with Parker’s reputation at the Yard? He’s an unpopular publicity hound.“
The owner of the gun in his ribs laughed.
“The trouble with you cops is that you believe you’re invulnerable,” he said. “You shouldn’t have handcuffed yourself to your prisoner. As it is, I’m afraid you’ll have to come the whole way. And something tells me, Inspector Parker’-the voice was soft, almost caressing-’something tells me that you’re going to find that very unhealthy indeed.”
Knapp’s garage was an old stable, approached by a narrow brick way between an antique shop and the branch office of the electricity board. It looked uninviting, dark and none too prosperous. As they turned into the half-empty building a disreputable figure came out to meet diem. He was small, rat-faced, and clad in garments which appeared to have been soaked in oil for many years. His one concession to smartness was a huge flat cap which he wore at a rakish angle.
“I’d like to speak to the manager, please.”
“I am the manager. And the proprietor, too. There’s me name over the door-Thomas Knapp-and I’m not ashamed of it.”