Alexander McCall Smith on Allingham's The Tiger In The Smoke
"The Tiger in the Smoke was first published in 1952. It is generally regarded as being one of her best works, and there is certainly a case for regarding it as an important landmark in the development of the modern crime novel. It is unusual in that there is no central crime to be solved: we know who the principal villain is, although there is a mystery as to why he is planning a bizarre programme of impersonation. While it has an intense period feel โ reading it today one gets a very strong sense of England in the post-war years โ the central plotline, which is that of a dangerous psychopath carrying out a series of ruthless killings while he eludes capture, has a rather modern feel to it. One gets the sense that, suitably updated, it would serve very credibly the requirements of a contemporary thriller or even a piece of Scandinavian noir."
margeryallinghamcrime.com
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/edited-extract-alexander-mccall-smith-s-introduction-to-the-new-folio-society-edition-of-margery-8803249.html
