Book Review: An Expert in Murder (a Josephine Tey mystery) by Nicola Upson

March6

Josephine Tey was a pseudonym used by real-life writer Elizabeth MacKintosh in the mid twentieth century. Although she also wrote books and plays under the name Gordon Daviot, it is her mystery novels–particularly The Daughter of Time–written mostly as Josephine Tey that are best remembered today. Nicola Upson has cleverly placed the real-life character of Josephine Tey in a new mystery series featuring fictional Detective Archie Penrose.
An Expert in Murder,Josephine Tey,Nicola Upson

In the first book of this series, An Expert in Murder, Tey becomes involved in a murder that seems connected to her popular play, Richard of Bordeaux (which actually launched the career of young John Gielgud). Traveling to London from her home in Scotland for the last week of her play’s hit run, she befriends a young fan who is murdered shortly after the train arrives in London. Another murder within the theatre itself seems linked and the race is on to find the murderer before (s)he strikes again.

The details of 1934 England, especially the behind the scenes theatre atmosphere, are intriguing and seem true to life. The characters are engaging and the story’s pacing is even. Despite the fact that it might be a little easy to figure out who the murderer is, motive is harder to make out until it’s revealed, and this is an absorbing read.

I will definitely read more in this series – and it’s also inspired me to read through Josephine Tey’s Detective Grant mystery series, beginning with Man in the Queue. I’ll be posting a review of that later this week.

Link for my Canadian readers:
An Expert In Murder: A Josephine Tey Mystery

Or better yet, buy from a independent book seller.
Buy from an independent book seller by searching this site that has links to independent booksellers across North America.

P.S. If you click through the affiliate links in the book titles, you may notice a different cover. I like to see the cover that’s on the copy I read – and it’s usually different than Amazon.com because they display the American release, and I read the Canadian. Again, the links are affiliate links so I will receive a small percentage of any purchase you make after clicking through from this blog.