The Allingham minibus: more short stories Book

The Allingham Minibus was first published in 1973 and is about to be re-released. This eighteen story collection begins with a tribute to Margery Allingham contributed by Agatha Christie. There are only three Albert Campion stories among this collection which, I must admit, was a bit of a disappointment to me. Those stories are: Mr. Campion's Lucky Day, The Unseen Door and The Man With the Sack. Of the remaining stories, many of them have supernatural or paranormal elements. I have noticed in the past that Allingham seemed to enjoy writing stories that touch on the mysticism of ghosts and specters so if you enjoy a little bit of the creepy/foggy atmosphere this collection might be just the next read you are searching for. Most of the stories are very short; the exception to that is A Quarter of a Million which pits a gang of criminals against Scotland Yard.

This was a nice, fast read with an assortment of stories so I never knew what to expect next. I don't think they are the best examples of the talent possessed by Allingham because her best work needs more space and scope to develop the characters and atmosphere over a longer period of time. If you are exploring the style of writing for Margery Allingham, this collection will give you some peeks into her abilities, but her novels are quite different from the stories presented here. Agatha Christie said she thought Death of a Ghost was one of Allingham's best books. That's a great recommendation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books for an e-galley of this collection of short stories.