Reviews

La hija del tiempo by Josephine Tey, Efrén Del Valle Peñamil

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bexlrose's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely adored it. History-come-mystery-come-conspiracy-come-lighthearted literature. Absolutely the most enjoyable thing I've read in ages. Nothing will top it this year I think. An easy 5 stars and I wish I was still reading it.

_mylittlebookshelf's review against another edition

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challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

sashapasha's review against another edition

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4.0

“Truth isn’t in accounts but in account books.”
“A neat phrase,” Grant said, complimentary. “Does it mean anything?”
“It means everything. The real history is written in forms not meant as history. In Wardrobe accounts, in Privy Purse expenses, in personal letters, in estate books.”

This book is about a fictional character researching a real historical event, and it’s a good illustration of how rumor and false accounts can twist and obfuscate history until an entirely inaccurate belief becomes accepted as fact by the majority of the population.

Bored while recuperating from an injury, Inspector Grant gets drawn into the mystery of the supposedly villainous Richard the Third’s murder of his two nephews (the Princes in the Tower.) Over the course of delving into various historical accounts to ascertain fact from fiction and the motivations and characters of the people of the time, he discovers that not only was Richard regarded as a fair and honorable king with no reasonable motive for killing the boys, but there was nothing to support the popular belief that they vanished during his reign. Whereas his successor, Henry VII, was underhanded and had plenty of motive to get rid of them, as well as the nasty habit of killing everyone who could possibly prove a threat to his claim (most often via “judicial murder”, which doesn't work on children, thus the need for them to disappear.)

I generally need a little more threat of action in my mysteries, but the lesson that The Daughter of Time imparts makes it a worthwhile and instructive read.

This book comes highly recommended by one of my favorite authors, Andrea K Höst, and I can see how it might have influenced her [b:The Silence of Medair|9837154|The Silence of Medair (Medair, #1)|Andrea K. Höst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327151832l/9837154._SY75_.jpg|14727863] duology, which deals with themes of history getting distorted and misinterpreted five hundred years after the fact.

Sidenote for audio listeners —
I read the first half of this book in physical form but listened to the second half, and I'd recommend steering clear of the audiobook if possible. For starters, the narrator (who was English) didn’t enunciate very well and I had to slow down my usual listening speed of 1.7-2.0x to 1.25x. More annoyingly, he did one of the worst approximations of an American accent for the lone American character that I’ve ever heard. He seemed to oscillate between some mashup of a New York, New Jersey, and Boston accent, with a British accent to fill in the gaps. He would’ve been much better off keeping his usual accent for the character—it would’ve been less confusing, easier to understand, and pleasanter on the ears.

bookwormmelissa's review against another edition

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Boring

foulone's review against another edition

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informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

thenovelbook's review against another edition

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4.0

On my second re-read of this book, I enjoyed it at least as much as the first time through. It does tickle my funny bone, though, that the entire action of the novel can be summed up as a guy in a hospital bed sending somebody out for library books. There's literally no other action. Other than that it's just brain work. :D
Since it's Josephine Tey, though, you can be assured it's top-notch writing, and (assuming you have a modicum of interest in history) you genuinely get excited as new pieces of this 400-year-old puzzle come to light. It's especially interesting since the remains of Richard III were found in 2012 and the debate about whether he was a good or bad guy continues unabated...

Original review follows:
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Policeman recuperating from an injury is desperate to find some mentally stimulating way to while away the days. In the past he's been intrigued by faces, and seems to have a pretty good instinct for what people's expressions reveal about their character. A friend brings him a bunch of prints from the National Portrait Gallery, including Richard III. Without knowing who it is, he theorizes on the personality behind the face and is extremely surprised to learn that it is actually one of history's most hated kings, accused of the murder of "the princes in the tower." With the help of some loaned history books, and a friend to do the more physical aspects of research, he sets out to find the truth behind this 400-year-old story.
Very interesting mystery, especially for someone who likes history. Rather mentally stimulating. I believe this book has been listed as one of the greats of its genre.