Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our buddy read of Hide My Eyes our April/May 2021 buddy read. It was published in the U.S. under the titles Tether's End or Ten Were Missing and is the sixteenth novel in the Albert Campion series.

In this classic Allingham, private detective Albert Campion finds himself hunting down a serial killer in London’s theatre-land.

A spate of murders leaves him with only two baffling clues: a left-hand glove and a lizard-skin letter-case. These minimal clues and a series of peculiar events sets Campion on a race against time that takes him from an odd museum of curiosities hidden in a quiet corner of London to a scrapyard in the East End.

Allingham shows her dark edge in Hide My Eyes and evokes the sights, sounds, and inimitable atmosphere of fifties London.

Please do not post spoilers in this thread. Thank you.

Just opening up this thread, thank you to Susan for the introduction. Who is joining in with our latest Campion read?

I've started it but am not very far in as yet - reading in a very old green Penguin, with rather tiny print! So far I think it's a very exciting story and drawing me in. I thought I'd read all the Campions, but am finding I don't remember the later books in the series at all.

I just finished listening to the audiobook. It was exciting - but I did find myself really annoyed with a couple of the characters. It is more of a Charlie Luke book than a Campion book. Looking back, it's hard to see what major impact Campion had on the story.

I enjoyed this more than the recent Campions, agree with Rosina, it seems more of a Charlie Luke book! I listened to the audiobook also, the pacing was good on this one, lead to a buildup of suspense, especially toward the end.

I hope to read it soon in between bouts of plowing through two other very long books, doing the work for my writer’s workshop, and supervising (or just surviving) house renovation!

I enjoyed this more than the previous few. Campion was less involved, but I found it less confusing, with more of a crime, rather than just a mass of characters.

It's interesting to see that Campion is in his 50s in this book - I think Allingham let him age in real time (or nearly) so that may be a reason why she has Charlie Luke taking an increasingly big role.

Although I like Charlie, though, he can't compare with Albert for me! Hoping we still see enough of Campion in the final books in the series.

I agree. I like Charlie Luke and think Allingham has done well with him, although I didn't think he seemed as bright in this book as in the first book where he appeared. I do miss Lugg though.

I also missed Campion and Lugg. Allingham's portrayal of Campion is excellent: his amusement at being now almost a legend to the police recruits, and his memory of his younger self. (I no longer have the book so cannot verify my memory of this scene. I hope it is accurate.)

What an excellent opening set up: position the bus, the sleeping passengers, the elderly lady at the bus stop and the pouring rain.

Jill wrote: "I agree. I like Charlie Luke and think Allingham has done well with him, although I didn't think he seemed as bright in this book as in the first book where he appeared. I do miss Lugg though."

I miss Lugg, also - the interplay between him and Campion was so entertaining.

Sandy wrote: "I also missed Campion and Lugg. Allingham's portrayal of Campion is excellent: his amusement at being now almost a legend to the police recruits, and his memory of his younger self. (I no longer ha..."

That was funny, the hero worship of the recruits, Campion’s embarrassment!

I'm about halfway through this now and absolutely gripped - definitely Allingham at her best so far!

Judy wrote: "I'm about halfway through this now and absolutely gripped - definitely Allingham at her best so far!"

The suspense really builds, doesn’t it?

Certainly does. I think the descriptions of London are fascinating and very atmospheric.

The museum of oddities with its animal furniture sounds very strange. I slightly wondered if this was inspired by Walter Potter's Museum of Curiosities, which I visited as a teenager when it was in Arundel and found distinctly creepy (a woman who was in my group nearly fainted), but the exhibits there were displays of stuffed animals posed in various scenes rather than animal furniture. I don't really want to search for images of the animal furniture, I think I'll leave it to my imagination!

Finally getting started. Will dive into discussion soon.

Enjoy, Abigail! I think it's one of the best.

I'm joining you as well, now about a third of the way in.