Summary: Mean-spirited pranks against the star actor-dancer in a musical becomes something more when as has-been actresses body is thrown of a bridge in front of the actor at his home.

Have you ever looked into a situation only to sense that if you go further, you will find something that you and others would rather not know? That is the dilemma confronting Campion in the ninth of Allingham’s Campion mysteries.

His friends, “Uncle” William Faraday and Jimmy Sutane, are involved in a musical production of a book written by Uncle William in which Jimmy is the lead actor and dancer. Someone has been performing a series of mean-spirited pranks aimed at Jimmy and they have persuaded Campion to find the culprit.

He joins Faraday and Sutane at a weekend house party interrupted when guests arrive with invitations to a reception Sutane had never planned. His wife and the household staff manage to pull it off, but the butler, disgusted with irregularities like this and the temperamental houseguests who show up, like composer Squire Mercer or the washed up actress Chloe Pye, who wears outfits to show she still has “it.” It’s a bit of a puzzle how Pye made it into the production. One of the more amusing parts of the story is how Lugg fills the role of butler and befriends the Sutane’s daughter.

Things take a more serious turn the night of the impromptu reception. Sutane had been out in his car and as he approaches home a body falls from an overhead bridge right in front of his car and he cannot avoid running over her. The police find him innocent. Pye had already been dead of a medical condition. Campion, who saw both the body and the scene is not so sure that this was an accident. And the more he looks at the case of Chloe Pye, the more he fears discovering truth he does not want to find. He absents himself, pleading other business, leaving Lugg behind.

When more deaths follow, both Inspector Oates and Sutane’s wife, for whom Campion has developed a fondness, want him to return and help figure out what is going on, compelling Campion to pursue the trail of evidence where it leads, as hard as it may be. How will Campion negotiate the path between love, friendship, and uncovering a killer?

In addition to exploring this classic moral dilemma, Allingham portrays a cast of theatre characters in an unflattering light. I wonder if it was just for the story or if Allingham had deeper reservations with the theatre set of her day. Uncle William, the writer (!), seems the only one who truly comes out well here. ( )

Listened to as an audiobook from Audible. Not entirely convinced by the narrator (David Thorpe), who did a good enough job, but there was just *something* I couldnt put my finger on, especially at the beginning. Perhaps it's simply that I am now too used to James Saxon reading Ngaio Marsh books that I'm used to a certain timbre of voice doing a reading.

Anyway, onto the story. Campion gets involved with a theatre group, who believe themselves to be at the receiving end of more and more "pranks", ranging from delivery of offensive flowers behind the scenes to stalking in the country house retreat. The success of the current show, and the pressure of bringing in a second show on time, budget etc is making things worse, and is making people crack under the strain. Jimmy is out driving one evening, only for a recent addition to the show to fall off the bridge in front of him and under the wheels of his car. Initially everyone is convinced that it's suicide, but as time goes by, people become convinced that it's murder, and the first of several.

Campion has another problem: he has fallen in love with Sutane's wife (and maybe she's in love with him), and finds himself paralysed in what needs to happen next, especially when the body count starts mounting up.

Now I dont know whether it's an issue with the story, or the delivery, or something else, but I have already forgotten much of what went on in this book now that I've come to write the review. Was fairly engrossing at the time, but didnt remain with me long enough to write a decent review - may have to listen to it again

In this entry in the series, we find Campion called in to investigate who might be trying to play jokes or intimidate a stage star. Jimmy Sutane has been receiving odd things (garlic in a bunch of flowers) and they are beginning to get on his rather highly strung nerves. Campion is invited down to the country house and there meets the star and all his associated entourage. There's quite a lot of them to kept straight.. Of interest , however, is Campion's reaction to Jimmy's wife Linda, he falls for her. This presents him with a whole host of issues between his heart and head when Sutane appears to murder a woman by running over her after she fell off a bridge in front of his car. It's not that simple, of course. Lugg is sent to the house to act as replacement Butler while Campion struggles with his internal conflict of emotions and duty. In the end the solution is uncovered and it involves a lot of back story, some of which has been hinted as at we get to this point. It was rather interesting to see Campion emotions engaged, that is certainly a new angle in this series. I'd not suggest you started here, otherwise the startling element of that would pass you by. ( )

In the words of Nero Wolfe, "Very satisfactory." Good mystery, great characters, wonderful reader. What more can one ask? Good classic cozy mystery. ( )

I did like this very much. The country house Murder is my favorite trope. A real plus here is the musical comedy theater touches, along with some pretty strong characterization. Especially charming is the interaction of Lugg and a little girl.
The downside for me was that I identified the killer early on. ( )