# Chris Kennedy — The Crime at Black Dudley character guide

> Chris Kennedy in The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Kennedy, Mr. Kennedy

**First appearance:** 0010-ix-chris-kennedy-scores-a-try-only

## Snapshot

An enthusiastic guest whose boyish high spirits and light fingers prove unexpectedly useful when the weekend party at Black Dudley turns dangerous.

## Who they are

Kennedy belongs to the young house-party set that Wyatt Petrie has assembled at his uncle's forbidding Suffolk mansion, and he throws himself into the weekend's games with an energy that borders on the reckless. His habit of pocketing other people's belongings — including the straps that Albert Campion badly needs — marks him as a minor nuisance whose thoughtlessness carries real consequences once the house is sealed. In the early arc he supplies both comic relief and a small, telling complication, reminding the reader that even the most trivial guest can tilt the balance when a drawing-room mystery becomes something far grimmer.

## Relationships

### [Albert Campion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/characters/albert_campion)

_friendship_

Campion and Kennedy are allies, with Kennedy often assisting Campion in his subtle investigations.

### [Albert Campion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/characters/albert_campion)

_friendship_

Campion and Kennedy are allies, with Kennedy often assisting Campion in his subtle investigations.

### [Albert Campion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/characters/albert_campion)

_friendship_

Campion and Kennedy are allies, with Kennedy often assisting Campion in his subtle investigations.

## In the story

### [VI: Mr. Campion Brings the House Down](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/chapters/vi-mr-campion-brings-the-house-down)

Joins the fight with enthusiasm, subdues the butler, and identifies that the man is drunk.

### [IX: Chris Kennedy Scores a Try Only](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/chapters/ix-chris-kennedy-scores-a-try-only)

Returns from checking the cars, reports they are disabled, is shot in the wrist while attempting to escape, and is bandaged by Abbershaw.

### [Mr. Kennedy's Council](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/chapters/xviii-mr-kennedy-s-council)

Leads the council with a detailed plan to overpower the servants; dismisses Campion's objections.

### [XIX: Mr. Campion’s Conjuring Trick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/chapters/xix-mr-campion-s-conjuring-trick)

Leads a successful attack on the servants in the dining-hall, capturing one and taking his revolver.

### [XX: The Roundup](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/chapters/xx-the-roundup)

Discovered unconscious on the stairs with a gash over his temple, having been knocked out by a blunt instrument.

### [XXII: The Darkest Hour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/chapters/xxii-the-darkest-hour)

Expresses weariness and frustration, shouting at the captors from his corner; joins in the desperate shout for help.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/characters/chris_kennedy
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_crime_at_black_dudley_se/characters