• Look to the Lady

  • An Albert Campion Mystery
  • By: Margery Allingham
  • Narrated by: David Thorpe
  • Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (296 ratings)

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Look to the Lady  By  cover art

Look to the Lady

By: Margery Allingham
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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Publisher's summary

A sacred chalice leads to murder,

The Gyrth family had guarded the Chalice for hundreds of years. It was held by them for the Crown. Its antiquity, its beauty, the extraordinary legends that were connected with it, all combined to make it unique of its kind. It was irreplaceable. No thief could hope to dispose of it in the ordinary way. And indeed no ordinary thief would dream of trying. But there are others besides those who make their living by robbery, others whose immense wealth and passion for collecting render them less immune to the practical considerations that must guide even the less honestly minded citizens. These people cherish a desire to possess for their own private pleasure treasure that cannot be bought. And it was by this sort of person that the Chalice, and the lives and happiness of its guardians, were now threatened.

Margery Allingham was born in London in 1904. Her first novel was published when she was 17. In 1929 she published The Crime at Black Dudley and introduced the character who was to become the hallmark of her writing - Albert Campion

©1960 Margery Allingham (P)2013 Audible Ltd

What listeners say about Look to the Lady

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love the start to this one, like the reader

What did you love best about Look to the Lady?

I like David Thorpe as reader for these books much better than Frances Matthews. I wrote a small novel about why in my review of, "The Crime at Black Dudley" and I will just add to it by saying that I think he's even better here than he was there, and that he reads Campion AS ALLINGHAM WROTE HIM which is what I like in a reader. Allingham was finding her range with this story, and it's got some splendid scenes in it, a great story line, and a lovely supernatural element as well. Plus, it introduces Lugg, Campions right hand man and one of my favorite characters in fiction. I highly recommend this both for the story and the fact that is is well read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Look to the Lady?

I'm fond of the relationship between Lugg and the butler at the Gyrth estate. I also enjoy the way this one starts,with the homeless man mysteriously summoned to Campions flat in an….unusual… way

Which character – as performed by David Thorpe – was your favorite?

Always very fond of Lugg.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It didn't make me cry, but the dialog made me laugh more than once. It's witty and sharp and has the inimitable dry British wit that I love.

Any additional comments?

If you love Golden Age mysteries, you will probably enjoy this.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great classic

Very well read with great voices.
For anyone who enjoys a classic mystery in the style of Sayers or Christie.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Appalling voice for the hero

How could the performance have been better?

David Thorpe gives detective Albert Campion a high-pitched, silly ass voice which almost spoils the otherwise excellent book.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Kept me up listening

A wonderful listen. Campion is in fine fettle in this story about a gang of art thieves and a holy relic. Plenty of plot twists will keep you guessing until the end.

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Four Sound Reasons for Listening to this Book

A Marxist would denounce a mystery built around the perpetuation of a feudal ceremony. A Feminist would deride its docile female characters, as well as the unsavory portrayal of its one “strong” one. A Post-Modernist would cavil at its (sometimes) predictable plot twists. These are all sound reasons for listening to this book.

But the soundest of them all is Albert Campion, a man who, despite what may now appear hackneyed stratagems (remember, this was written almost a century ago) never fails to amuse. Granted, a few of his sallies reference long-gone personalities or products, but most of his foolery survives the test of time to entertain yet another generation of armchair sleuths. And David Thorpe’s performance makes it even more fun.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The best of the series so far

This story is quite imaginative and engaging. Our hero’s irrepressible wit and spirit shine through.

Anyone who enjoys the wonderfully dry British humor, and who appreciates a good mystery without a lot of gore, will find this book to his or her liking.

The narrator, David Thorpe, is superb. He carries off many different dialects and accents as if he had been born in each of them. His characterization of the sometimes-fatuous Campion is just right. It captures the humor without turning the man into a clown.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Writing and Narration

Markedly better story than the first Albert Campion book + equally great narration = many of my Audible credits being spent on the entire series if it continues to be this well written. David Thorpe has joined the small group of male narrators I truly love listening to. In fact, he's jumped to #2 on my list. An utterly enjoyable experience that really takes you back to another time without feeling in the least bit dated as far as the humanity and depth of the characters, plus a VERY satisfying ending.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Back to being as fun as the first

What did you love best about Look to the Lady?

Albert Campion is back to his best as a down on his luck nobility insider acting the part of an inane hanger-on while working to help a client in dire straits.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable

Another Albert Campion story, well-written, amusing, interesting, and will reward a second listen. Definitely Recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Charming period mystery

I love Marjorie Allingham’s Mr. Campion mysteries. Always well written with plot twists that keep the reader guessing until all is reveals. Her protagonist, Albert Campion (not his real name of course) is charming and absurdly silly at the same time. His flop persona diverts his nemeses into discovering just how clever he is until too late. His mysterious real identity is always hinted at but never fully revealed. I have read all of this series and now I am enjoying the Audible versions. They are as delightful in audio as the are to read.

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