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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.91
EAN num: 9781933397429
ISBN number: 193339742X
Label: Felony & Mayhem
Manufacturer: Felony & Mayhem
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 256
Printing Date: June 25, 2006
Publishing house: Felony & Mayhem
Sale Popularity Level: 76868
Studio: Felony & Mayhem
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Product Description:
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 very 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 jewelled dagger, and a deadly game of hide-and-seek. But the savvy reader will be singing hosannas from Campion's very first appearance, knowing that it marks the beginning of one of the most intelligent and delightful series in the history of crime fiction. An extremely fine tale of death in an English country house - New York Times
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Rated by buyers 
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At a houseparty, that activity so familiar to mystery readers, a group of bright young things has come together. Some are known to one another and others are not. One odd young man doesn't seem to be known to anyone, even his host. And thus enters Albert Campion, though that is only one of his aliases, of the owl like spectacles, saying and doing the most extraordinary things, into the ranks of Hercule Poirot, Lord Peter Wimsey and other detectives from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
THE CRIME AT BLACK DUDLEY proceeds on fairly conventional grounds, the house party in the rather isolated location, an old family legend, an international gang of thieves led by a Master Criminal, a murder and of course 'all is not how it seems'. The plot has many interesting twists and turns, punctuated by some comic scenes that border on farce. Those who already know Campion from later books in the series or the tv series will probably be a bit disappointed with this one since Campion is only a secondary character and is not quite 'himself' yet. Fans will not want to miss this very first appearance, however brief; nor it is not a bad place to begin reading the series.
Overall this series will appeal to those who are fans of the mysteries written during the Golden Age of the twenties and thirties. Fans of Lord Peter Wimsey, the Saint or Tommy and Tuppence will be delighted with the light hearted adventures of the mysterious Mr. Campion (not his real name)
Rated by buyers 
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THE CRIME AT BLACK DUDLEY (aka The Black Dudley Murder) ((Amateur Sleuth, Albert Campion, England, 1920s) - Good
Allingham, Margery - 1st in series (EBMRG Selection)
Penguin Books, 1929, US Paperback
First Sentence: The view from the narrow window was dreary and inexpressibly lonely.
What is supposed to be an entertaining weekend at a large country home in Suffolk, becomes the site of murder, kidnapping and suspense. Dr. George Abbershaw is forced to sign a death certificate, and foolish Albert Campion is not what he seems.
I had forgotten how silly and over-plotted this very first book is of the Campion series and that Campion appears as a secondary character. And, stereotypical as they seem today, Allingham was wonderful at creating a cast of characters, each with their own voice.
The fun of the book is the setting, both in place and time. Trust me, the series does improve with subsequent books.
Rated by buyers -
I bought this very first Albert Campion mystery after being wowed by Mystery Mile.
Sadly, Albert isn't the main character in this story, though it's his very first appearance, so I'm glad I read it.
The Crime at Black Dudley is an English country house mystery. There's an odd assortment of guests at Black Dudley, and during the evening, they decide to reenact an old ritual game involving an odd family heirloom--a sinister dagger. The lights get extinguished, the servants are all banished, and the idea is to wander around the mansion in the dark while the dagger passes from hand to hand.
Well, it's pretty evident what's going to happen in a case like this: somebody will be stabbed to death. It turns out to be the host's uncle, a wheelchair-bound invalid who wore a mask to cover severe scarring.
Except that the guests are initially told that he's just been taken ill, until one, a young new doctor, is asked to falsify a death certificate citing natural causes. He refuses, but the hero of the story, Dr. George Abbershaw goes along with it until the authorities can be notified.
Unfortunately for everyone, the murder only complicated things. Albert Campion was at the house party to retrieve a set of secret plans from the uncle, but Dr. Abbershaw found them and burned them, prompting one of the guests, who turns out to be a criminal mastermind, to hold the entire party hostage until the plans are returned to him.
There are wonderful twists and turns and even a sweet romance. Secret passages, spies, uneasy alliances, entertaining and eccentric characters, a decrepit-looking old car hiding a Rolls Royce engine under the hood... er, bonnet... Just a nice, complex yet light mystery with a surprise ending.
I wasn't nearly as impressed with Campion in this book, but then again, he wasn't the star. I'm sure he'll acquit himself admirably in the subsequent one. It's on my to-be-bought list.
Rated by buyers -
As a fan of Agatha Christie and the golden age of british mystery i have recently began expanding my list of authors and stumbled upon this book. I read the plot and it sounded right up my alley, but i figured it couldnt possibly be as good as it sounded, but for once it was actually as good as i hoped. The book is perfectly set up, and i never got to a part where i wanted to quit reading. The author manages to avoid the boaring inquest and still solves the crime. I havnt been so happy with a book in years, and this is only the very first of the series. If you love an old fashioned mystery, and love a little cheese, and humour mixed in with a murder like i do ... this book is for you.
Rated by buyers -
This is old-fashioned. It has dated. The plot, though, is clever and funny. The name of the mansion, the site of the house party and the mystery, is Black Dudley. Dr. George Abbershaw's opinion is respected at Scotland Yard. He is in Suffolk on holiday and has fallen in love with Margaret Oliphant. Wyatt Petrie is the nephew of the host. He has studied classics at Oxford.
Colonel Coombe, the host, has a heart attack or is murdered while the guests are playing a game with a ritual sword. Albert Campion of Scotland Yard is among the party of guests and yet neither the nephew nor the uncle seem to know him. One person, Benjamin Dawlish, is very angry and in the beginning it isn't clear who he is. Someone siphons off the petrol from the vehicles. The body of Coombe is removed under mysterious circumstances. Mr. Campion has been tasked to pick up a small package. He informs some of the guests that a fence is among them.
Formerly Black Dudley was a monastery. There are in it secret rooms and passages. Eventually the positive and negative forces are sorted out, the negative being a criminal gang consisting of the uncle and the servants, among others. A problem has arisen since it seems that Coombe double-crossed the gang.
The incarcerated innocent victims of the skullduggery are saved from false imprisonment at Black Dudley by the local hunt. Albert Campion is recognized as an old school friend by one of the members of the hunt, and the guests are freed just before the ruffians are proposing to torch the place. It turns out that the murder of Colonel Coombe is the product of a too perfect crime.
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