The Crime at Black Dudley: A Book Review

Title: The Crime at Black Dudley

Author: Margery Allingham

Genre: Mystery

Reading Level: 13 and up

Summary: A house-party with a glittering guest list. An imposing country estate with endless shadowy staircases and unused rooms. The breathless period between the two world wars. It’s the ideal setting for the classic English murder mystery, and bringing it to perfection is the introduction—in a supporting role for the first and last time—of Albert Campion, the consummate (if compulsively quipping) Gentleman Sleuth. The guests take some time to be grateful for Campion’s presence; he is a bit peculiar, and they have more than enough distractions, what with various complicated love affairs, a curious ritual involving a jeweled dagger, and a deadly game of hide-and-seek. But the savvy reader will be singing hosannas from Campion’s first appearance, knowing that it marks the beginning of one of the most intelligent and delightful series in the history of crime fiction.

My Review: This book is a really old fashioned british murder mystery. It's got everything we've come to expect, a house in the middle of no where, a large guest list, and of course murder. But shockingly only one murder, the large amount of guest stay intact. Anyway, I found this to be a super charming, funny, romp, and quite interesting, although I'm sure this will not be to everyone's taste. The plot doesn't just deal with the murder, there are vicious criminals running around and locking up the innocent hero's and heroine's while they search for a mysterious item of great importance. I've been immersing myself in a lot of british entertainment, so I really loved this book. The main character is a man named George Abbershaw, and he carries the book rather well. He is by no means the most interesting character in the book though. That honor will have to go to Albert Campion who becomes the central figure in the rest of the novels. He's hilarious, zany, and you don't know quite what to think of him. He also talks in old english slang, which is bit hard to understand at first, but really funny. I can't wait to read the further installments of the Albert Campion series!
Content: nothing objectionable, unless, you don't like murder. In which case, go read something else.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Recommend: yes for fans of old fashioned cozy mysteries.