The Tiger in the Smoke, [Hardcover]

The police discover that the killer is escaped convict Jack Havoc, a sociopath who believes in the science of luck; heartless, intelligent and deadly. Havoc is assisted by a motley crew of war veterans, who are every bit as terrifying as Havoc himself. The investigation becomes a desperate race against time, as Campion tries to outwit a criminal who is every bit as sharp as he is.

"The Tiger in the Smoke" is an entirely different Margery Allingham story than we are used to. In the ever-present fog, the genial good humor and comedic sense of other Campion stories evaporate. Instead, we find ourselves confronting larger issues of good and evil, personified by Canon Hubert Avril (Campion's uncle) and the diabolic Mr. Havoc. One cannot help but compare Havoc's artificial family of ex-soldiers welded together by fear and distrust with the easy interplay amongst the characters that stand with Canon Avril, a man who refuses to lie.

Avril, Luke and, for that matter, Havoc have larger roles than Campion does, which has not happened since "Crime at the Black Dudley." But the key character is Margery Allingham herself, whose own character and beliefs are the moving force behind the story. In "The Tiger in the Smoke" she demonstrates a great deal of depth that has hitherto been disguised. Expect something different and unnerving. This is a far cry from her previous work, and will always stand out as one of the most exceptional works of an exceptional writer.

Written in 1952, the story is interesting for its insight into aspects of life in post-war London. Some of the references, and much of the slang, will be lost on young, and non-British, readers. It will also perpetuate the myth of London being permanently fogbound. Present-day London hardly ever experiences fog, but in the fifties, when it was still an industrial city and suffered heavy smogs, it was commonly known as 'The Smoke', hence the book's title.

In truth, the author's grasp of underworld culture is somewhat shaky. She doesn't get the language or the behavior quite right. She was from the rural English midlands and from a different social class, so this is very much an outsider's view.

The intriguing story and the intense drama are what make this book worthwhile. It is well written and one episode, Lugg's driving through the fog, is hilarious. He wonders aloud at one stage whether he is approaching a traffic island or the side of a bank building. The villain, Havoc, is memorable. Oddly, there is no one, central hero. That role is shared between three or four characters. Campion himself is incidental.

My one complaint about the plot is that it relies on a very remarkable coincidence, which is something that always undermines credibility. But if you are willing to accept it (and remarkable coincidences do occur in real life) then you can relax and enjoy this first-rate thriller.

If you do enjoy "Tiger in the Smoke", you might also like Graham Greene's "Brighton Rock", which features the razor gangs of pre-war Brighton, and which has an equally memorable villain.