Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, eBooks, and audiobooks.

The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (Albert Campion, 1)

George Abbershaw is set for a social weekend at Black Dudley manor, hosted by Wyatt Petrie and his elderly uncle Colonel Combe, who enjoys the company of Bright Young Things. With Meggie Oliphant in attendance, George looks forward to the chance of getting closer to the girl he’s set his heart on. But when murder spoils the party, the group soon find out that not only is there a killer in their midst, but the house is under the control of notorious criminals. Trapped and at their mercy, George must find a way to thwart their diabolical plans while getting himself and Meggie out alive.

Luckily for Abbershaw, among the guests is Albert Campion – a garrulous and affable party-crasher with a great knack for solving mysteries and interrogating suspects.

The Crime at Black Dudley, first published in 1929, is the first novel to introduce Margery Allingham’s amiable and much loved sleuth – Albert Campion.

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Why I Added It:

After reading and reviewing The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham I wanted to see how much the character of Albert Campion changed between his first appearance and his later books so I bought The Crime at Black Dudley to re-read and add to my collection. If you’re unfamiliar with Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion series- this is the place to start. You can get a copy of The Crime at Black Dudley from Amazon here.

Murder by Matchlight by E. C. R. Lorac

London. 1945. The capital is shrouded in the darkness of the blackout, and mystery abounds in the parks after dusk. During a stroll through Regents Park, Bruce Mallaig witnesses two men acting suspiciously around a footbridge. In a matter of moments, one of them has been murdered; Mallaig’s view of the assailant but a brief glimpse of a ghastly face in the glow of a struck match. The murderer’s noiseless approach and escape seems to defy all logic, and even the victim’s identity is quickly thrown into uncertainty. Lorac’s shrewd yet personable C.I.D. man MacDonald must set to work once again to unravel this near-impossible mystery. Includes the Lorac short story ‘Permanent Policeman

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Why I Added It:

I like E.CR Lorca’s work; the premise sounded cool. I added this audiobook to my collection and can’t wait to listen to Murder by Matchlight. You can pick this up from Amazon here.

Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie

Summertime—as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie’s most famous characters solve complicated puzzles as the stakes heat up. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy plot twists and red herrings galore from the bestselling fiction writer of all time.

Includes the stories:

• The Blood-Stained Pavement
• The Double Clue
• A Death on the Nile
• Harlequin’s Lane
• The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
• Jane in Search of a Job
• The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
• The Idol House of Astarte
• The Rajah’s Emerald
• The Oracle at Delphi
• The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger
• The Incredible Theft

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Why I Added It:

This was a lovely gift from my husband! I was gushing to him about how this anthology has a beautiful cover, but since I already own all of the stories in the collection, I wasn’t going to buy it. I can’t wait to re-read these beautiful stories on the beach this summer. You can join Agatha Christie for sun and murder in Midsummer Mysteries. Buy your copy from Amazon here.

The Casino Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (Philo Vance, 7)

The “tremendous popularity” of the Philo Vance series stems in part from author S. S. Van Dine’s preference for ripping his plots from the headlines of the day (The New York Times). By the early ’30s, when Casino came around, those headlines included some creepy chemical discoveries and scandalous doings at secret Manhattan gambling dens, where rich folks knocked back cocktails and played roulette, snickering at both the Depression and the Volsted Act. Philo, of course, is no stranger to cocktails or to snickering, and he knows more about creepy chemicals than the management at Dow. This comes in handy when the owners of a secret Manhattan gambling den are poisoned, perhaps by some new and creepy chemical. As deliciously, irritatingly erudite as ever, Philo is in his element here, solving what one reviewer called an “uncommonly subtle” crime.

Amazon

Why I Added It:

One of my goals for 2023 is to read the entire Philo Vance series. While traveling to Las Vegas for a work conference, I thought reading The Casino Murder Case would get me in the Las Vegas spirit and knock another Philo Vance mystery off my list. You can get a copy from Amazon here.

What books did you add to your shelves this week?