The Tiger in the Smoke

The Tiger in the Smoke is widely recognized as both Allingham’s masterpiece and one of the great detective novels of the 20th century. While it retains the wit and the light touch of all the Albert Campion books, Tiger in the Smoke also features an air of tense suspense that makes the book feel surprisingly contemporary, as Campion searches for a vicious serial killer. “The smoke,” of course, was cockney and hep-cat slang for London, and Allingham’s use of the term was almost certainly a signal that, with this book, she was taking a new (and somewhat darker) tack. The feel is by no means so grim as to disappoint fans of the series (and of Golden Age crime fiction in general) – there are still quips a-plenty – but it may also appeal to readers who do not typically enjoy vintage whodunits.

Who's Likely to Like This

Fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and the Golden Age of Mystery Fiction