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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Josephine Tey is becoming a favorite author - again. I read The Daughter of Time long ago and was re-enchanted when I listened to It on a drive to Colorado. This is a story filled with truths about the darker side of human nature, with suspense, with interesting characters and lovely writing. What more could a person want, really?
A compelling mystery novel with politics that had the hairs at the back of my neck stand up.
Though this is technically part of a series of Inspector Alan Grant, he is only a minor character. Great story premise that is well written and keeps you "on the edge of o=your seat" in a way that some current fiction does not. Very enjoyable!
"Robert Blair was about to knock off from a slow day at his law firm when the phone rang. It was Marion Sharpe on the line, a local woman of quiet disposition who lived with her mother at their decrepit country house, The Franchise. It appeared that she was in some serious trouble: Miss Sharpe and her mother were accused of brutally kidnapping a demure young woman named Betty Kane. Miss Kane's claims seemed highly unlikely, even to Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, until she described her prison -- the attic room with its cracked window, the kitchen, and the old trunks -- which sounded remarkably like The Franchise. Yet Marion Sharpe claimed the Kane girl had never been there, let alone been held captive for an entire month! Not believing Betty Kane's story, Solicitor Blair takes up the case and, in a dazzling feat of amateur detective work, solves the unbelievable mystery that stumped even Inspector Grant."
"Robert Blair was about to knock off from a slow day at his law firm when the phone rang. It was Marion Sharpe on the line, a local woman of quiet disposition who lived with her mother at their decrepit country house, The Franchise. It appeared that she was in some serious trouble: Miss Sharpe and her mother were accused of brutally kidnapping a demure young woman named Betty Kane. Miss Kane's claims seemed highly unlikely, even to Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, until she described her prison -- the attic room with its cracked window, the kitchen, and the old trunks -- which sounded remarkably like The Franchise. Yet Marion Sharpe claimed the Kane girl had never been there, let alone been held captive for an entire month! Not believing Betty Kane's story, Solicitor Blair takes up the case and, in a dazzling feat of amateur detective work, solves the unbelievable mystery that stumped even Inspector Grant."
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I did not enjoy this as much as the first two Alan Grant stories, but it was still good. It's not really an "Alan Grant" mystery, as he's almost a minor character in this one. I did quite enjoy the actual detective in this book.
Tey was a very celebrated mystery novelist in her time (1930s and 40s), but for whatever reason, I hadn't really heard about her until my mother recommended this book. A family lawyer, Robert, who usually doesn't do criminal law, is called upon to help out a middle aged woman and her mother who live in an old mansion called "The Franchise." They're accused of kidnapping a teenage girl, forcing her to be their servant and then beating her, and Robert has to prove they didn't do it. I liked the characters and Tey's dry sense of humor. There's something very unique in Tey's approach to detective fiction and I've liked everything I've read by her.
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
Nice, gentle mystery where the "why" is a bigger question. Kind of reminded me of a grown-up Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden story since there weren't dead bodies all around - unlike Sayers or Marsh.