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slferg 's review for:
The Franchise Affair
by Josephine Tey
Robert Blair has settled into the law firm that was waiting for him. His cousin Nevil, is the younger partner now. Robert is sitting in his office after tea contemplating leaving for the day when his phone rings. It is Marion Sharpe - she would like him to come out to the Franchise because Scotland Yard is there and she wants someone to advise her and her mother. He tries to get her to call Carley, a criminal lawyer, but she refuses. So, intrigued, he goes out there. A 16 year old school girl claims that Marion and her mother kidnapped her and tried to force her to be a maid. When Betty tried to escape they beat her. She describes where she was locked in the attic - a small room with a round window. And claims she escaped after six weeks when they forgot to lock the door. She managed to catch a ride with a lorry driver to get home. At first she refuses to tell her family what happened and won't talk to police, but is finally persuaded. The Sharpes have never seen the girl and have no idea what she is talking about, but this sweet-faced girl is piling up evidence against them. Inspector Grant decides there is not enough real evidence - it is mostly circumstantial. Betty's foster brother (she was adopted when her parents were killed during a bombing raid in WWII), is highly indignant the Yard won't do anything and goes to the papers. Which blows the whole thing up and puts the Sharpe women in a state of siege in their isolated house. Added to which, a vindictive maid sees further opportunity to get revenge. Robert begins to go round, tallking to people who knew Betty. He talks to the aunt she was staying with in a nearby town. Franchise is between this town and Milford where his practice is. Her aunt tells him she would go to the cinema in the mornings and ride buses into the countryside in the afternoons. Her aunt thought she had gone home, but her family thought she was still with the aunt. But Robert talks to some people around the town who had a different idea of the girl. But he still needs proof and hires a private detective on the recommendation of his trial lawyer friend, Kevin McDermott. Kevin comes to visit and finds Mrs Sharpe is a sister of his horse breeding friend who bred Kevin's first pony and very knowledgeable about horses in her own right, so he decides to help Robert defend them.
So, was this sweet girl kidnapped? or was their something else even worse going on?
I stumbled across Josephine Tey years ago, and found her mysteries fascinating. I believe the first I read was Daughter of Time. And I was hooked. There is just something very appealing and distinctive about her stories. She does not stick to the mystery 'rules', but that just makes them more intriguing. You never know for sure what will happen.
So, was this sweet girl kidnapped? or was their something else even worse going on?
I stumbled across Josephine Tey years ago, and found her mysteries fascinating. I believe the first I read was Daughter of Time. And I was hooked. There is just something very appealing and distinctive about her stories. She does not stick to the mystery 'rules', but that just makes them more intriguing. You never know for sure what will happen.