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Margery Allingham was born in Ealing, London in 1904 to a family of writers. Her father, Herbert John Allingham, was editor of The Christian Globe and The New London Journal, while her mother wrote stories for womens magazines. Margerys aunt, Maud Hughes, also ran a magazine. Margery earned her first fee at the age of eight, for a story printed in her aunts magazine.

Soon after Margerys birth, the family left London for Essex. She returned to London in 1920 to attend the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster), and met her future husband, Philip Youngman Carter. They married in 1928. He was he collaborator and designed the cover jackets for many of her books.

Margerys breakthrough came 1929 with the publication of her second novel, . The novel introduced Albert Campion, although only as a minor character. After pressure from her American publishers, Margery brought Campion back for and continued to use Campion as a character throughout her career.

After a battle with breast cancer, Margery died in 1966. Her husband finished her last novel, at her request, and published it in 1968.