The Mysterious Mr. Badman. W.F. Harvey. 1934. 204 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: When at two o'clock on a sultry July afternoon Athelstan Digby undertook to keep an eye on the contents of the old bookshop in Keldstone High Street, he deliberately forgot to mind his own business.
Premise/plot: This one is a vintage mystery from the 1930s. Athelstan Digby, one of our protagonists, is on holiday. He's temporarily minding a bookshop--while the owners are away for a day (possibly one day and one night). He has THREE people come in and all ask for the same book--The Life and Death of Mr. Badman by John Bunyan. He finds this strange, strange, super-strange. Events in the small village soon reflect this, Athelstan and his nephew, Jim, soon find themselves amateur detectives trying to solve multiple crimes--including murder.
My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. It reminded me of all the reasons I love vintage mysteries, particularly British mysteries. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. I loved the bookish plot. I loved finding a new-to-me author. Definitely recommended.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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