Review by Booklist Review
An unusual inheritance lands mystery author Josephine Tey in the midst of a mystery not of her own making. The godmother she hardly knew, actress Hester Larkspur, a dear friend of Josephine's late mother, has died, leaving her Suffolk home, Red Barn Cottage, to Josephine, asking her to decide what stories are worthy of being told from the personal papers Hester also leaves to Josephine. A codicil also bequeaths anything else in the house to Lucy Kyte. Then Josephine discovers that the cottage is on the site of the notorious nineteenth-century murder of Maria Marten by her gentleman lover, William Corder, a crime frequently dramatized on stage (with Hester in the role of Maria) and that seems to have poisoned the atmosphere of the cottage itself. With the help of a nineteenth-century diary and her own keen instincts, Josephine pieces together remaining puzzles surrounding both the old crime and Hester's death. Upson's fifth Tey mystery is a hauntingly atmospheric story based on fact with personal reverberations for Josephine herself. A worthy addition to this intriguing series starring a real-life mystery writer and set in between-the-wars England.--Leber, Michele Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lyrical prose ("sheaves of corn stood abandoned, like the forgotten tents of a retreating army") and subtle plotting make Upson's fifth novel featuring real-life mystery writer Josephine Tey a worthy successor to Fear in the Sunlight, a PW Best Mystery of 2013. Tey, who's struggling with writing a biography, is surprised to learn of a bequest from her godmother, actress Hester Larkspur (who was a close friend of Tey's mother), as she herself barely knew the woman. Larkspur has left her a Red Barn Cottage in Suffolk located near the site of a notorious murder, and the will gives the writer the choice of sorting through its contents, including the actress's papers, or having them all destroyed unseen. Tey decides to take a look at what she's inherited, and, in the process, learns some unsettling details about the circumstances of her godmother's death. In addition, the cottage may be haunted. Upson lays out the suspicious events gradually, but amply rewards her readers' patience with a satisfying resolution that feels true to life rather than pat. Agent: Grainne Fox, Fletcher & Co. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Upson's fifth title (after Fear in the Sunlight) in her historical series featuring mystery author Josephine Tey once again ratchets up the psychological suspense. This outing finds Tey in rural Suffolk. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
