From Eileen Effrat
author: Upson, Nicola
Expert in Murder
The year is 1934 and Josephine Tey, the famous Scottish mystery writer and playwright, is having a leisurely breakfast when she receives a visit from Inspector Archie Penrose, an old friend. He is investigating the murder of Elspeth Simmons, a young women Tey befriended the previous day on the train trip from her Scottish home to London. Hours later, one of Josephine’s colleagues in the theater is poisoned. It soon becomes clear these two murders are connected to Tey’s play, Richard of Bordeaux, that is nearing its final weeks at a West End theater. Is Josephine Tey the intended victim? As the investigation proceeds, it uncovers backstage jealousies, buried family secrets, and the tragic consequences of the First World War. For an enjoyable mystery with a well researched portrayal of life in 1930’s England and the London theater, this mystery is strongly suggested. I have just finished the sequel, Angel With Two Faces, and I was NOT disappointed. Upson just gets better.
