An Expert in Murder (Josephine Tey)

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Clues and circumstance suggest that Tey may have been the intended target, so the narrative follows her and her time at the theatre. There, we are introduced to a world of excitement This is an involved plot, which, as so many Golden Age mysteries really do, has its roots in the First World War. The shadow of this conflict lays over the whole novel and adds a darkness to the storyline. I listened to this on audio and Sandra Duncan read this very well. It was an enjoyable book, despite my issues with it. If you enjoy this novel, you might also like, “A Talent for Murder,” by Andrew Wilson, which features Agatha Christie in a fictional setting. I know all this sounds like I didn't like this book when the reality is I genuinely did. It was passionate and heartfelt and I loved Josephine's character. She's a strange, isolated, lonely woman trying to make her way in a world she doesn't recognize anymore. She's unsure if she even wants the fame that's come with her writing and doubtful that she will ever truly be able to connect with anyone after losing her lover in the war. She's deeply insightful, as writer's usually are, very brave, and unswerving in her loyalty to her friends. Its hard not to admire a character like that. I kept thinking she was someone I would have very much liked to know, that's how real she seemed. He suddenly had an image of his down-to-earth sergeant rushing home from the Yard every night to devour the latest thriller by his fireside. Better still, perhaps he was actually writing one of his own. The thought of Miss Dorothy L. Sayers turning out to be a portly, moustached officer of the law in his early fifties was priceless, and he made a mental note to mention it to Josephine when he saw her tomorrow night. The setting for Upson's book - 1930s theatreland - is immaculate and fully-realised, and her characters are rounded with voices of their own. Indeed, dialogue, especially that of the wonderful Morley sisters, is one of the highlights of this book.

Penrose suspects that the war may hold the key to his double murder investigation. Meanwhile, Hedley White, one of the chief suspects, reappears. But over all, not an unpleasant book to read over Christmas. I saw the second in the series on sale next door to Lexx's work today where a discount book shop has opened up. Maybe when I run out of a few other reads... Overall, I found An Expert in Murder a fascinating and rewarding read. I'm deducting half a star on the basis that I found one of the motives given (Marta's rationale for wanting Josephine killed) fairly unconvincing, in the light of surrounding circumstances. I look forward to catching up on the remainder of the series, and in particular I'm eagerly anticipating the release of book #10, Dear Little Corpses in May 2022.

The novel is set in the London theatres of the 1930s. The book revolves around Josephine Tey, a version of the famous novelist. The story begins with Tey taking the train from Scotland Josephine Tey was a bit of a mystery. She was a private person, little is known about her, and that which is known seems to indicate that she deliberately kept her affairs separate from each other - i.e. she led a multitude of lives - one as playwright, one as a mystery writer, one in Inverness, another in London, perhaps quite another somewhere else. I took the book on face value and had no idea that Tey and some other aspects portrayed (her late ‘lover’ and the play, for starters) were real until I read it in the author notes at the end. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Not very favourably though. In fact, I probably took off a star for this fact alone. (I might have felt better about this if I’d known about it beforehand.) I sound cynical. But it was cute. It's just such a well used plot now you can't really describe it without sounding cynical. It's a cozy. And we all know how cozies end. And they all sound a little lame when you describe them.

No wonder Josephine Tey never belonged to the Detection Club. During her career as a crime novelist—from The Man in the Queue (1929) to The Singing Sands (published posthumously in 1952)—she broke almost all the commandments. As if willfully guying Monsignor Knox, the main character in her novel Brat Farrar (1949) was an impostor posing as a missing twin to grab an inheritance. Josephine and Marta find themselves in mortal danger. Marta has made a ghastly discovery as the investigation closes in on the murderer.The parts in the final chapters focusing on Josephine and Archie’s almost romance even became boring. A shame, because I had enjoyed their scenes together up to that point. De investigatie se va ocupa inspectorul Penrose si el pasionat de teatru dar care, la fel ca si eroina este marcat de o intamplare traumatizanta din razboi.