Traitor's Purse (Hardcover)

Albert Campion wakes up in a hospital, not remembering who he is, nor does his memory come back for most of the story. He's constantly on the run, which keeps it exciting, but he doesn't know exactly what he's running from. Campion doesn't want to reveal his ignorance of the facts, so he plays along with the people who know him, gathering bits of background information. Lucky for him, he remembers all in the end, and saves Great Britain from a terrible conspiracy to bring it down. I highly recommend this audiobook!

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_Traitor's Purse_ is set during WWII, and begins with Campion in hospital in a sleepy little English town, suffering temporary but severe amnesia from a head injury; he doesn't remember his own name. (On the other hand, he's had so many aliases that that *would* be a strain on a sick man.) Overhearing some chat in the hall outside his room, he realizes a policeman is on guard, gathers that he apparently has been involved in an assault on an officer, and promptly makes tracks.

The only person Campion half-recognizes when he makes contact with others is Amanda Fitton, which *really* hurts old Lugg, his long-time sidekick, who in turn is the only person who realizes that Campion's memory isn't working. When Amanda mentions early on that she's been "going to marry" Campion for 8 years (from context, readers can gather that they've kept in close touch since _The Fashion in Shrouds_, unlike the gap between the first two books featuring Amanda), he figures that while the head injury is recent, he's been a lunatic for quite some time - particularly when Amanda's next remark is to ask to be released from the engagement. (Lugg, of course, weighs in with a devastatingly practical observation when *he* hears about that.)

Amanda appears to be taking a more personal interest in the research director of the Bridge Institute than an aircraft designer needs to - but is she *really* interested in him romantically, or does she know more about Campion's assignment here than he can remember? (The director is charismatic, brilliant, and masterful, but he's pompous into the bargain, and very full of himself. Still, there's no accounting for taste.)

Campion in this story, like Daniel with the king of Babylon's dream in the Old Testament, not only has to reconstruct his interpretation of the problem, but figure out what the problem was in the first place, and at the same time cope with how much Amanda has come to mean to him. Since Campion concentrated on Intelligence work throughout the war, both in and out of Britain, far more may be at stake than usual.

Considering how elaborate Campion's emotional defenses are - this is a man who doesn't even use the same alias with respectable art experts as he does in his freelance adventuring life, let alone his *real* name - this situation may be the only way to shock him into resolving his relationship with Amanda one way or the other. (I admit frankly that the emotional entanglements within the story interested me rather more than the mystery Campion needs to unravel; the resolution of *that* aspect of the story seemed rather rushed, although the treatment can be justified in context.)

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And so begins "Traitor's Purse," another in the long series of Albert Campion adventure/mystery stories. Campion, handicapped by a memory that is only partially functional, must discover what horrible plot he had uncovered and how to stop it. All he remembers is that it involves the august Bridge Institute where some of England's most important war research is done. When the first person he meets with is promptly murdered and the second, a beautiful woman named Amanda, tells him she wants to break of their engagement, Campion finds himself facing insurmountable odds.

But face them he does. With a bit of fakery and the aid of the beautiful Amanda, Campion gradually makes headway. Leaving a trail of brutalized policemen and baffled menservants Campion manages to hide from his pursuit while uncovering the mystery. In doing so, he must face everything from muscle to madness, and live to talk about it.

I am not generally a fan of the 'lost memory' plot device. While "Traitor's Purse" is not my favorite Allingham tale, she manages make good use of Campion's disability and keeps the action and mystery churning. In addition, Amanda (who originally appeared in "The Fear Sign") provides a unique romantic twist that is unusual in a Campion story. Lugg does a fine job in his appearances as well. In truth, my only issue is that a Campion who doesn't remember who he is, isn't quite as much fun as one who does.

In truth, there's nothing to be grumpy about. "Traitor's Purse" is actually a finely crafted tale, with many twists and turns. Because Campion's character is somewhat suppressed, Allingham spends more time than usual developing the other denizens of the institute and it's surroundings, much to the reader's delight.

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