Reviews

A complex and well written mystery, well researched and full of food for thought.
I loved this series and I think this is one of the most complex story.
It's well written and I think that Ms Upson is a talented storyteller and does an excellent job in describing life between the wars and the implications for those who didn't match all the standards.
The mystery part is solid and keeps you guessing, the cast of characters is well thought and interesting.
An excellent and engrossing read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

schopflin's review against another edition

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I enjoyed the last Upson-Tey mystery I read but this one was distinctly meh. Still, it pulled me out of a not-reading through and passed the time.

elizafiedler's review against another edition

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5.0

This is technically a cozy mystery, with its circumscribed community of suspects, but the ten years' difference between the original death and the "investigation" help make it a very unconventional cozy, as all the main players have moved on and scattered, and their family lives and other relationships have becomes even more complex. It's very clever, with a lot of heart as well.

ellenplum's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

nocto's review against another edition

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4.0

Pretty good. It's a rather slow burn of a story, you have to enjoy the characters as there is not a great deal of action for the most part. I enjoyed seeing more of a younger Josephine. Although I'm way past finding the only partly fictional character a bit weird and I'm happy to go along with whatever Upson attributes to Tey, the boundary between the real and fictional world did seem very thin to me here. There are plenty of other real life characters in the book and I know the bit of Sussex where the book is set, and remember the name of the school used in the book.

The plot though I really liked. It flips between a young Josephine as a PE teacher in the first world war and the older one of the series. The back and forth was pretty smooth and I liked both halves. I especially liked the ending, but I'm not going to spoil it.

the_red_one's review against another edition

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mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

ra042312's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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