The Crime At Black Dudley - Margery Allingham

First published in 1929

My edition - Kindle ebook

 The Crime at Black Dudley is the third Margery Allingham novel I've read, but only the first that features Albert Campion, her well known sleuth. While this is considered the beginning of the Campion series, the novel is written with him being one of the supporting characters instead of the main focus. This is something to keep in mind if you haven't read any of these and are looking to get started with the set. From what I've read, he does become the main character after this installment.

The book centers around a house party at Black Dudley, a country manor house owned by the elderly Colonel Coombe. The cast of characters is rather lengthy, but there are several bright spots among the group. I very much loved the main character and narrator of the story, George Abbershaw. He's a sensible academic type who attends the party in hopes of spending time with Miss Oliphant, who he has set is sights on. The two of them will become a rather loose detecting duo, with the help of the other guests. The rest of the group seem to know very little of each other, especially Albert Campion, who wasn't even invited, and a few menacing associates of the colonel. There are enough characters to confuse the plot, and unfortunately confuse the reader at times, as well.

Though this is a country house mystery in setting, it is quite unusual in regards to the overall plot. I won't get into too much because I'm afraid of spoilers, but there is an organized crime element that I had not expected which threw all of my assumptions out the window. The main action revolves around the characters participating in a ritual with an ancient, heirloom dagger. When the game is over, one member of the party is dead and the remaining guests are left to track the killer and hope to make it out alive. As is somewhat expected with this mystery trope, there are plenty of red herrings and dramatic twists and turns, including hidden passageways in the old mansion (a personal favorite of mine.) The story is rife with comical scenes that make what could have otherwise been a dark novel into something fun.

The next Campion novel will be on my list to read, as I'm interested in finding out how a mystery with him at the helm would read. He comes across as a deceptively bumbling character in The Crime at Black Dudley, which has left me intrigued to find out more.