From Library Journal
Who is Albert Campion? A youngish man who seems equally at home with majesty and mystery, yet he goes by an assumed name. In The Fear Sign, Campion and two of his friends have been posing as the "Hereditary Paladin of Averna" and escort. They have done such a good job of impersonation that they have attracted assassins. As Campion becomes more entangled in the search for the lost regalia of the kingdom of Averna a small, strategically located and petroleum-rich piece of the British Empire he finds his life and the lives of his friends threatened. Francis Matthews excellently portrays the various characters. Allingham (The Fashion in Shrouds) keeps the suspense high in this delightful period novel, capturing the feel of rural England in the 1930s. Sure to be popular with those who prefer a cozy, erudite mystery, this is recommended for all public libraries. Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
With a hint of danger and international politics at stake, Albert Campion travels from the French Riviera to a small village in Essex, England, trying to solve a one-hundred-year-old riddle. With his British accent, narrator Francis Matthews finds exactly the right tone for Campion--very proper, sometimes alert and sharp, but usually (intentionally) vacuous and foolish. His three upper-crust companions are harder to differentiate at times. Matthews does well with the Cockney accents and Midlands dialects and with the supporting cast, especially the pugnacious Lugg. Additionally, he gives Amanda all the enthusiasm, intelligence, and lack of self-consciousness that charms Albert completely. In keeping with Allingham's prose, Matthews brings the reader unhurriedly along, slowly building towards the tense but satisfying end. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
In this 1933 novel, goofy supersleuth Albert Campion masquerades as the Hereditary Paladin of Averna in order to restore the tiny Baltic kingdom to its rightful owners and foil a murderous industrialist. Danger (a mad doctor) and romance (a local girl) add to the detective's adventures.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this 1933 novel, goofy supersleuth Albert Campion masquerades as the Hereditary Paladin of Averna in order to restore the tiny Baltic kingdom to its rightful owners and foil a murderous industrialist. Danger (a mad doctor) and romance (a local girl) add to the detective's adventures.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

Who is Albert Campion? A youngish man who seems equally at home with majesty and mystery, yet he goes by an assumed name. In The Fear Sign, Campion and two of his friends have been posing as the "Hereditary Paladin of Averna" and escort. They have done such a good job of impersonation that they have attracted assassins. As Campion becomes more entangled in the search for the lost regalia of the kingdom of Averna a small, strategically located and petroleum-rich piece of the British Empire he finds his life and the lives of his friends threatened. Francis Matthews excellently portrays the various characters. Allingham (The Fashion in Shrouds) keeps the suspense high in this delightful period novel, capturing the feel of rural England in the 1930s. Sure to be popular with those who prefer a cozy, erudite mystery, this is recommended for all public libraries. Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ., Russellville Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile