Mr Campion's Wings is the ninth book in Mike Ripley's wonderfully written homage to Margery Allingham's Albert Campion. Released 4th Jan 2022 by Severn House, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This series has been an absolute joy to read from the beginning. I've been a fan of golden age mystery (especially British) as long as I've been reading, more or less, and I'm always on the lookout for more since the original authors are sadly long gone. This story turns on cold war espionage, high tech aeronautics, and the shocking arrest (for espionage) of Albert's brilliant wife, Lady Amanda. Lugg is, as always, wonderful, and Campion is self-deprecatingly and devastatingly brilliant.

The clues are fair-play, and the climax and denouement are so very satisfyingly Campion. I really love this series. Readers who are not already fans of Mr. Ripley's Campion, but who are fans of Ms. Allingham, will find much to love here. Ripley treats the canon with the respect (and humour) it deserves. Although it's the 9th book in this series (may there be many more), it works well as a standalone. Fans of golden and silver age British crime should see this as a wonderful opportunity for a long binge read.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

In this book, Lady Amanda, Campion's wife, is arrested for violating the Official Secrets Act and Campion sets out to find out who the real spy is at Amanda's airplane research center. Set in Cambridge in 1965, With a lovely setting that makes great use of the town, the university, and the traditions, and a very exciting denoument, i loved this book.

One of my favourite sleuths!

As always, a delight to read about now retired Albert Campion. An intelligent, take no prisoners mystery. Campion’s wife, an aeronautics whizz is in the thick of things.
It’s 1965, and Lady Amanda is taken away rather publicly by Special Branch under the Official Secrets Act. Right in the middle of a ‘do’ at Cambridge. She was receiving an honorary doctorate “for services to aeronautical engineering.”
Apparently Amanda is involved in a top secret endeavour, the Goshawk Project, “researching the possibility of producing an advance agile fighter plane and looking at structure and stress on metals.”
It’s but a small step from Amanda being escorted away to an investigation of the people involved in the project.
There’s a lot at stake here, as we discover. As Campion works towards resolution, Goshawk personnel are given another look. A fatal accident at the site might be more than it appears. Campion forges ahead, quietly observing and drawing conclusions. His Intelligence and Police experiences whisper in the background. The Cold War is rife and several threads begin to unravel.
Another fabulous Campion read!

A Canongate / Severn ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

It was a proud day for the Campions. Albert Campion’s wife Amanda was being recognized with a Doctorate of Science for her contributions to aeronautical engineering. As the procession reached its’ end, Amanda was approached by two members of Special Branch who arrested her for violating the Official Secrets Act. She had been the head of the Goshawk Project, a secret effort to develop an aircraft with wings that swept forward. Campion sets out to investigate the Goshawk Project and discover the source of leaks. They had first been discovered when Amanda worked for Alandel Aeronautics. When Goshawk was conceived, she brought several of the Alandel workers with her, both those she trusted and those she suspected. Goshawk also employed John Branscombe, a professor at Cambridge, and several of his students. When one of the students is killed in an accident, Campion suspects sabotage.

Amanda’s arrest was staged to enable her to work secretly with Campion. He is also joined by Luther Romo, the liaison between the American Air Force and Alandel. While Romo represents the military, he is a member of the CIA and offers Assistance when Campion puts himself in danger. Mike Ripley’s Campion’s Wings is a Cold War era mystery involving Russian spies and industrial espionage. Campion is observant and even though he seems lost when discussing the technology involved, he connects with the people around him. Amanda is a wonderful match for Campion, sharing his sense of humor. She has also made a name for herself in a profession dominated by men. Ripley’s story provides humor and beautiful views of Cambridge as well as a mystery that will keep you guessing to the end. I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for providing this book for my review.

It is always pure fun to return to the world of Albert and Amanda Campion and Lugg. Amanda and her aviation company are front and center in Mike Ripley’s latest spinoff of the Margery Allingham series. Amanda, a brilliant aeronautical engineer, has a spy in the works, and she has a plot to find him. Albert is along for the ride, supporting her investigation, but primarily keeping her safe.

Ripley always does his research, and the aviation history is interesting, but best of all is the relationship between the Campions and Mr Campion’s trademark self-deprecating humor.

A 5* read to start the new year!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Albert Campion is shocked when his wife, Lady Amanda, is arrested by Special Branch for violating the Official Secrets Act. She's always been discreet to the max and she's just been granted an honorary doctorate by Cambridge (not that one doesn't mean the other..well, you know what I mean). Who has been passing secrets from the Goshawk project to the Russians? And who murdered someone who was working on the project? Luckily, Campion is on both cases. I'd not read this series (or the Allingham books) so this was a standalone for me and it was a fine one. Ripley manages to capture the period. the paranoia, and the subject matter succinctly and keeps the pages turning. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

‘I have often said that my wife is a constant surprise to me, but for once I understate the case.’

Cambridge, 1965. Albert Campion’s wife, Lady Amanda, an aviation engineer, is receiving an honorary doctorate. But the ceremony is dramatically interrupted when Special Branch arrest Lady Amanda for breaking the Official Secrets Act.

Lady Amanda has been involved in the top-secret Goshawk Project, and while aeronautical engineering is not Mr Campion’s strength, he would like to learn more about the project. He quickly discovers that several people are interested in the Goshawk Project (it is, after all, the height of the Cold War). And then a young man is killed in the Goshawk Project hangar. Is it an unfortunate industrial accident, or could it be murder?

Naturally, Mr Campion becomes involved in investigating the death of this young man. With the (usually behind the scenes) assistance of Magersfontein Lugg (‘who is not so much a family retainer as a family heirloom’), Mr Campion negotiates his way through a maze of information and disinformation to discover the truth.

‘Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak.’

This is the ninth book in Mike Ripley’s continuation of Margery Allingham’s Mr Campion series. So far, I have only read the last four, but the other five are on my reading list.

A terrific read.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Another witty, gripping and highly entertaining story in this series.
Mike Ripley does an excellent job in recreating Albert Campion, Lugg and the characters from the classic Allingham's stories.
This one, set in 1965, has some elements of a spy story mixed with a classic whodunit. It's as entertaining and witty as the other novels in this series.
I had fun in reading it and I loved the descriptions of Cambridge in the Sixties.
One note: there're some technical descriptions that I found a bit boring and hard to follow.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Reading this delectable mystery set in 1965 Cambridge was pure joy. Written by brilliant author and archaeologist Mike Ripley, Mr. Campion's Wings takes place during the Cold War and is a continuation of Golden Age Margery Allingham's clever Mr. Campion series, the ninth written by this author. Do not allow that to cause pause for a fraction of a second...Ripley's books are every bit as crafty and wonderful! The historical references and wit are tremendous fun and are written with such a canny knowledge it is impossible to feel you are anywhere else but that era.

Aircraft designer/engineer Lady Amanda is arrested for breaking the Official Secrets Act during a special honorary doctorate ceremony. Her husband, Albert Campion, takes more of a passing interest in the Goshawk Project she is involved in, especially after murder and mayhem interrupt and create havoc. Wonderfully eccentric and quirky characters such as Lugg enter the scene, too. There is much more than merely murder on the menu...the characters make this book even more special. The humour is reminiscent of P. G. Wodehouse and the descriptions are superb! If I could give this six stars out of five I would. It is THAT good.

All Mystery lovers ought to prioritize this unmissable series, especially those who yearn for the marvels of the Golden Age.

My sincere thank you to Canongate Books and NetGalley for the pleasure and privilege of reading this fabulous book!

My goodness but I enjoyed reading this book! The plotting reminds me strongly of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (by John Le Carre if you aren't familiar with that book) except with bits of the Campion lightness added in to keep it less serious. I had *worried* about Campion being in his eighties and still having to go hither and yon to investigate crimes and problems, so it made me very happy to see that Mike Ripley has set this story in 1965 when Albert has just turned 65. This Albert Campion I like quite a lot.

Lady Amanda owns Alandel Aeroplanes (I didn't know that!) and is in Cambridge to receive an honorary doctorate relating to aeronautical engineering. The champagne has just begun to flow after the ceremony when two men from Special Branch inform Lady Amanda that she must come with them, and they march her out of the party. Well, never could Albert resist untangling a web such as this! The great thing is that we get to follow along while he does it.

This Albert Campion series of crime stories as written by Mike Ripley continues to be a favorite of mine and something I look forward to each year. The stories seem to keep getting stronger with each new issue and Ripley comes up with plots that are strong enough to let Campion show how intellectual and talented he really is at solving riddles. This one includes Lady Amanda in a very favorable light but not quite enough Lugg. Maybe in the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for an e-galley of this novel.

A rollicking murder mystery set in Cambridge (UK) during the Swinging Sixties teeming with lots of bikes and miniskirts, a buoyant university town where one is quickly immersed in a very dangerous and unsettling atmosphere of Cold War spying and counter spying so prevalent at the time in Western Europe.
Once again we have a fictional date with the winsome Albert Campion and his delightful wife Amanda as they try to skillfully untangle and elucidate some unsavory shenanigans taking place within an aeronautical engineering project in which Amanda has been involved as a program manager. But when a gruesome accident turns out to be a coldblooded murder, it triggers a race against time to unmask the killer or killers and stop the potential spies hidden among Amanda's colleagues...
An action-packed whodunit from start to finish, cleverly plotted and blessed with a cast of unforgettable characters ( I really enjoyed the overbearing Yankees), this latest Campion Adventure reminded me of an old fashioned black and white episode of the Avengers with Al & Amanda greatly relishing the opportunity to portray John Steed and Emma Peel for the greatest happiness of their faithful followers.....

A truculent and witty treat that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever👍

Many thanks to Netgalley and Canongate/Severn House for this terrific ARC

1965 The Campions are at Cambridge as Lady Amanda is receiving an honorary doctorate when she is arrested by Special Branch for breaking the Official Secrets Act. Now Campion must learn about her work on the top-secret Goshawk Project, but soon a body is discovered at the works. Will this be the only death. But what really is the Project.
An entertaining and well-written mystery story, another good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

(I did find a few pages of technical description near the beginning of the story boring and not really necessary.)

Wholly Engaging…
The ninth book in the Albert Campion Mystery series and a discovery in an aircraft hanger brings its’ problems and yet another mystery for Campion to get his teeth into. As ever, a wholly engaging mystery, laced with gentle asides and dry wit from the enigmatic Campion. It remains a pleasure to say that much of the charm, pleasure and delight of the original Campion is successfully implemented in this very enjoyable series.

Mike Ripley's publisher and, indeed, the Allingham estate, must be well pleased with the author: he is, as Lugg - or possibly Angel - might have said, "a safe pair of 'ands". In Mr Campion's Wings he delivers another delightful, old-fashioned mystery, very much in the style of the original author.

In this outing, Campion seems to be along merely as a spectator, as his intelligent and beautiful wife receives an honorary doctorate at Cambridge (fortuitously close to hubbie's alma mater) for her contribution to aeronautics. Drama ensues when she is arrested, at her own reception, for contravening the Official Secrets Act. The plot further thickens when a young man is killed at her nearby aircraft design hangar. Under the guise of spousal support, Campion inveigles his way into the local community and deep into a mire of industrial espionage and Cold War secrets.

This book won't have you sitting up all night, desperate to find the culprit, the mystery is not terribly difficult to deduce in advance of the big reveal, but the charm of these books lies in the author himself. His research into both the period and the author style that preceded him is meticulous; there are so many lovely little historical allusions that give a wonderful air of authenticity, and the tone is very convincingly that of Allingham, or Christie's Tommy and Tuppence books. And Campion's affection and respect for his wife echo the relationship of this last couple, as well as Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Ripley carries on the undercurrent of humour set by the Queens of Crime too, in descriptions of characters or historical vignettes, or even asides to the trusty Lugg. That, perhaps, is my only tiny criticism of this Campion episode - not enough Lugg!

Overall, a must for fans of the genre, and so comforting to know that while the Queens may be dead, the King lives on.
My thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for the ARC.

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. The characters are intriguing and memorable. The story moves quickly. The author is great at keeping the reader intrigued. Enjoyed this book.

Mr Campion’s Wings is the ninth book in Mike Ripley’s seamless and enjoyable continuance of the Albert Campion novels by Margery Allingham, and once more features Mike’s marvellous sense of humour and his love for history.

In recent books Ripley had taken Campion into the 1970s, but with Mr Campion’s Wings he goes back to 1965 and involves Allingham’s detective in a bit of Cold War spying. The story opens in Cambridge with a honorary doctorate ceremony for Albert Campion’s wife, Lady Amanda, who is a leading aviation engineer. The ceremony takes a dramatic turn for the worse, however, when she is arrested by Special Branch for breaking the Official Secrets Act. Never before having taken much interest in his wife’s work in cutting-edge aircraft design, Campion sets out to discover more about the top-secret Goshawk Project in which Amanda is involved in. He quickly realises he is not the only one keen to learn about the secrets of the project, and when a badly mutilated body is discovered at the Goshawk Project’s hangar he is drawn into a turbulent mix of industrial espionage and possible matters of national security.

Mike Ripley’s Campion books are always a good source of light fun and mystery, and Mr Campion’s Wings is another enjoyable romp. The story moves along at a pleasant cantor and there are some good surprises and the occasional gunshot. Campion is always an engaging character and there are plenty of amusing observations and witty asides. Interesting bits of historical detail are nicely scattered throughout the book and the depiction of Cambridge, and England, in the 1960s seems credible to an outsider like me.

In all, an entertaining hark back to the Golden Years of British detective writing.