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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Josephine Tey at her very best. The novel--which, unusually, doesn't feature a death--is based on an 18th C case, so there's some interesting background reading for anyone who liked it.
I had no idea what this book was about when I bought it, and I can happily say that was no detriment. A marvellous little story about the falsely accused and their attempts to clear their name, it was superbly paced and very evocative of a time and place (an England) which no longer exists.
I shall probably seek out more Josephine Tey, since she is now a writer I like.
I shall probably seek out more Josephine Tey, since she is now a writer I like.
was musing to a friend the other day that josephine tey is at her most appealing when she flouts the conventions of the mystery genre(s) - after first clearly signalling to the reader that she knows exactly what those conventions are. there's a crime here, and suspects, but objectivity and logic be hanged; that's not what matters here.
Another of my favourite BBC radio dramas - https://archive.org/details/TheFranchiseAffairByJosephineTey …
This was a cute little mystery, but I was a bit perplexed that one of the characters suggested a solution right at the start that then turned out to be the answer?!
This was a cute little mystery, but I was a bit perplexed that one of the characters suggested a solution right at the start that then turned out to be the answer?!
Just arrived from States through BM. This is the second book by Josephine Tey I read and I really enjoyed it.
Free download at Project Gutenberg Australia
Free download at Project Gutenberg Australia
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Re-reading this for the umpteenth time, I enjoyed it as much as ever.
Great mystery. A lot about social class in the years after the War. Witty dialogue. Insights into the best and worst of human nature. And a cameo by one of my favourite fictional detectives, Inspector Alan Grant.
Great mystery. A lot about social class in the years after the War. Witty dialogue. Insights into the best and worst of human nature. And a cameo by one of my favourite fictional detectives, Inspector Alan Grant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Minor: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury
Two women inherit a home in a small English country town. Because they are outsiders, they are ostracized and even accused of witchcraft. They hire a lawyer to help them out of the mess.
Josephine Tey is frequently acclaimed as one of the greatest of the Golden Age crime writers, although her output was relatively small compared to some of her contemporaries, such as Christie or Marsh. For my first Tey I selected THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR, one of several of her novels to feature her lead character Inspector Grant. Yet whilst I believe Grant is the protagonist in most of the books in which he appears, in this case he is a minor character, only existing on the periphery of the main action.
Without giving too much away, a basic précis of the plot is that two women are accused of imprisoning a young girl, forcing her to work as a maid and beating her. The story hinges largely not on whether they did or didn’t commit the crime, but how they can prove their innocence.
I found this to be a markedly different read to most Golden Age fare. For starters it’s not really a whodunnit, more a howcantheygetoutofit. The basic plot premise is simple, and despite the fact there is little in the way of surprise, Tey slowly builds the tension throughout.
I suppose in modern terms it could be described as a rather gentle tale. That is, if one likes one’s crime novels to be blood splattered and gory. But in many ways this book is actually rather savage. It marvellously sends up the extremes of both the right and left wing press, and shows a fierce intelligence on the effects of media manipulation which seems even more pertinent to today’s reader.
One of the things I admired about this book is how realistic much of it felt in comparison to other works from the Golden Age. This is not a story in which people can remember precise details of what they were doing at the time of half past eleven three months previously. Indeed, much of the plot is driven by the balance of circumstantial evidence and public prejudice.
Ultimately, like many of her contemporary crime writers, Tey’s view is a conservative one, and her morality is decidedly old-fashioned. But compared to Christie and Sayers, for example, I found Tey’s exploration of class, parochial vs metropolitan differences, the judiciary system and mass media to be much more nuanced and thought-provoking.
I highly recommend this novel, and can’t wait to read more of Tey’s slim body of work.
Without giving too much away, a basic précis of the plot is that two women are accused of imprisoning a young girl, forcing her to work as a maid and beating her. The story hinges largely not on whether they did or didn’t commit the crime, but how they can prove their innocence.
I found this to be a markedly different read to most Golden Age fare. For starters it’s not really a whodunnit, more a howcantheygetoutofit. The basic plot premise is simple, and despite the fact there is little in the way of surprise, Tey slowly builds the tension throughout.
I suppose in modern terms it could be described as a rather gentle tale. That is, if one likes one’s crime novels to be blood splattered and gory. But in many ways this book is actually rather savage. It marvellously sends up the extremes of both the right and left wing press, and shows a fierce intelligence on the effects of media manipulation which seems even more pertinent to today’s reader.
One of the things I admired about this book is how realistic much of it felt in comparison to other works from the Golden Age. This is not a story in which people can remember precise details of what they were doing at the time of half past eleven three months previously. Indeed, much of the plot is driven by the balance of circumstantial evidence and public prejudice.
Ultimately, like many of her contemporary crime writers, Tey’s view is a conservative one, and her morality is decidedly old-fashioned. But compared to Christie and Sayers, for example, I found Tey’s exploration of class, parochial vs metropolitan differences, the judiciary system and mass media to be much more nuanced and thought-provoking.
I highly recommend this novel, and can’t wait to read more of Tey’s slim body of work.
Rereading, as I realized I had no idea how it ended.
OK, now I've reread it, and I think I know now why I had forgotten the ending - it's very anticlimactic.
As well, it's a bit irritating because - not unlike in The Man In the Queue by the same author - there's NO WAY for the reader to solve the mystery!! Frustrating.
OK, now I've reread it, and I think I know now why I had forgotten the ending - it's very anticlimactic.
As well, it's a bit irritating because - not unlike in The Man In the Queue by the same author - there's NO WAY for the reader to solve the mystery!! Frustrating.