The Beckoning Lady, (Albert Campion Number 15), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ASIN: B08CRRLLC2) 2020 (First published in 1955).

Summary: While friends prepare for a midsummer party, Campion tries to unravel two murders in Pontisbright.

A midsummer party in the village of Pontisbright hardly seems like the setting for murder. Except it is. Two murders in fact. Albert Campion, his wife Amanda, and son Rupert are visiting the hosts, Tonker and Minnie Cassands. Tonker is an inventor of sorts and Minnie is an artist, and the party will feature a show of her works.

Shortly before they arrived, the Cassands’ Uncle William has passed, not unexpectedly. But as Campion looks around, he suspects death had a helping hand. His body servant, Lugg does a lot of the work of sorting this out. Meanwhile, a body lies in a ditch, found after a week. He died of a blow to the head. It turns out he is a former Inland Revenue man, advising (or troubling) the Cassands about tax matters.

Charlie Luke appears to investigate the matter, although he seems is more taken up in an affair with “Prune.” Campion disapproves. Meanwhile, weaving through the investigation are interactions with a large cast of local characters including a real estate investor, inn operator, and Old Harry, who it turns out knew about the body in the ditch and the location of the murder weapon.

Both murders remain unsolved when the night of the party arrives. While the party is going on, another body is floating down the stream, spotted by everyone at the height of the festivities…a body that is the clue to the other murders.

The antics of Rupert and all the interactions of the eccentric set of characters are great good fun…until we remember that two murders have taken place. At times it is difficult to follow and I wonder if that was Allingham’s intent–red herrings by social diversion. The reader might find it helpful to keep a list of characters and their relations (none is provided).

Not unlike Ramses in Elizabeth Peters “Amelia Peabody” mysteries, Allingham is developing Albert and Amanda’s son into an interesting character in his own right. And Charlie Luke is a nice contrast to Inspector Oates. All great good fun.