Bookstore Buys (Or My Recent Trip to the Used Bookstore)

 You guys!  I'm pretty sure that now is the time for an intervention when it comes to me acquiring books.  Aack...I'm drowning in books to read.  I had all of these good intentions for getting a bunch of reading done last week and then I managed to not finish anything.  Anything at all.  So what does a girl do when she has a bunch of books (and by a bunch I mean a ton) just waiting to be read?  Apparently this girl goes to the used bookstore and buys even more.  In my defense, this is a rarity for me for this exact reason.  I have TOO many books!  I usually save up books that I've read for credit and when my pile is big enough I'll take them down and bring home more. (The logic there eludes me as well.)  But that's what I do.  And since my pile was definitely big enough I cut away for a little me time on Saturday and went book shopping.  It was lovely!  Especially since I found myself in vintage book heaven!  I found so many old mysteries and gothic romances that I finally had to tell myself to stop because it was getting to be a bit ridiculous (and I couldn't carry any more).  I also managed to leave with more then I brought back for credit.  I swear that I never mean to do that.  Since I was in bookish bliss, I thought I would share pictures of the books I found at the bookstore.  Especially since some of these covers are just amazingly horrific/gorgeous....I really like the cheesy old covers if I'm honest.  Give me more!  Here is what I grabbed:

Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, Mary Roberts Rinehart, and Phyllis Whitney....OH MY!  I'm so excited to read each and every one of these!  I'm already a huge fan of Barbara Michaels so it is always nice to stock up on her books (I'm kind of hoarding them).  I loved The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart so I just cannot wait to read more by her.  I've never tried Phyllis Whitney but I really want to!  Plus I found a copy of  Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen just after I talked about it in my wishlist post.  How exciting is that??? I've got lots of good reading ahead of me as soon as I figure out which one to read first :)

I might be a little quiet this week as my son has his first baseball games of the season.  I'm hoping to snap up some good pictures though and share them in a Wordless Wednesday post.  And I have a TLC book tour scheduled for Thursday so maybe I won't be as quiet as I'm saying.  It all depends on how much I get accomplished each night after the ball fields :)  Happy Monday and Happy Reading!!!!

The Black Dudley Murder by Margery Allingham (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Murder turns a weekend house party at Black Dudley Manor into a deadly affair when the host is discovered brutally slain. Nor do gruesome rituals, callous interrogations, and perilous traps add to the fun. Fatal mystification might win the day, if Albert Campion were not there to sift through the motives and clues as with brilliant detection and his signature charm he penetrates the heart of the crime."

My Thoughts:

 This book was an absolute delight to read!!  Reminiscent at times of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, this book was just as good but slightly less deadly.  It had the same tense, creepy atmosphere that kept me wondering what was going to happen next.  For such a little book, this one certainly packed a punch!  The setting of the house, the atmosphere that the author created, and the overall mystery added up in a way that was both dark and thrilling.  And I loved every minute of it!

I found this book to be a page turner the entire time I was reading it.  It was a bit unrealistic at times but that just didn't matter because I was so caught up in the entire reading experience.  I loved the idea of a secluded house party where a murder has taken place, everyone is a suspect, and you never know what is going to happen next.  It was the perfect read for me and I couldn't get enough.  I'm going to get a bit spoiler-ey  here but my only question was in regards to Albert Campion.  I don't understand why we didn't get to know him more as a character as it seems this mystery series is based on him.  This book was narrated by a different character who played more of a prominent role in the book.  And as a reader I never really got a true feel for Albert's character and his motivations.  Maybe in the next book of the series???  Anyone read any books by this author and want to chime in?  It wasn't a bad thing but it did leave me wondering. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book!  The author did an amazing job in regards to the setting and atmosphere.  It was so creepy at times!  I can only hope that the other books in this series are just as good!  I will definitely be reading more by this Allingham.  I wouldn't be surprised if this book ends up on my top reads of the year list...it was just that good!  Highly recommended but especially to fans of vintage mysteries!

Bottom Line:  A thrilling, engaging read that I didn't want to set down!

Disclosure:  Checked out from my local library!  I read this as part of the Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge.