Title: An Expert in Murder
Author: Nicola Upson
Date/Place
of Publication: 2009/HarperCollins,
New York
Original
Date/Place of Publication: 2008/Faber
and Faber Ltd, UK
ISBN #: 978-0-06-145153-9
#
pages: 288
Discovered
by chance at the library
Read in
paper format
Also
available in e-book format
Link to
author’s website: http://www.nicolaupson.com
Josephine
Tey, noted mystery writer in real life, is now part of a murder mystery
herself. Comfortably settled into her train seat, she is heading to London for
the closing week of her successful play when a young passenger in her compartment
recognizes her. Elspeth Simmons is on her way to see the play for the umpteenth
time and is thrilled to meet the author. They have a wonderful chat for the
rest of the trip. As they arrive at King’s Cross station, they make plans to
meet later so that Elspeth can be introduced to her favourite actor and
Josephine is then whisked off by her friends. Unbeknownst to her, a few minutes
later, Elspeth is murdered before she leaves the train. Josephine and her
compatriots, including close friend Detective Inspector Archie Penrose, become
drawn into a chain of events that has more than a few twists and turns.
The
historical setting of this book (1934 England) is wonderfully threaded
throughout the story by the author. She has captured the sense of people caught
between two wars, World War I which still leaves a huge sense of loss, and the
impending feeling of a war soon to come. Other historical facts are used
effectively to set the time: be it the book Josephine tried to read (“Mr. Munt
Carries on”, printed 1934), May Gaskell’s war library for soldiers overseas,
the snippets of what the soldiers experienced (particularly the tunnelling
companies) or the appearance of noted British pathologist Sir
Bernard Spilsbury. Even the play around which the book revolves, “Richard
of Bordeaux”, is a play actually written by Josephine Tey, using her other
pseudonym, Gordon Daviot.
The early
part of the book did bog down as many pages were devoted to sketching out the
numerous characters and their backgrounds but the action picks up with the next
murder. A hint as to the murderer’s motivation is set out on page one but it
only becomes apparent upon rereading. An enjoyable book.
It was interesting to learn from the Author’s Note at the end of the book that neither Tey nor Daviot was the writer’s true name. It was in fact Elizabeth Mackintosh. Also of note, apparently the play, “Richard of Bordeaux” launched the career of British actor Sir John Gielgud. Ironically, it is the play which is given the most attention in obituaries for Miss Tey in 1952, with her mysteries, for which she is now best known, being relegated briefly to the closing sentences.
I picked up The Daughter of Time just before the Richard III news broke. I hope to get to it soon, and then I may try out this series.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to remember if I read The Daughter of Time way back when. It's now on my list of "sometime when I have time" reading :)
DeleteThanks for the review. I have considered reading it but have not made the effort to find a copy. I will look harder now.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested in what you think of it, Bill.
Delete