Called to the peaceful wooded churchyard of St-John’s-at-Hampstead, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose faces one of the most audacious and unusual murders of his career. The body of the church’s organist is found in an opened grave, together with a photograph of a manor house and a cryptic note. The image leads Archie to Cambridge, where the crisp autumn air has brought with it bustling … life to the ancient university and town.
Mystery author Josephine Tey and Archie’s lover Bridget Foley have each recently settled in Cambridge, though both women are not equally happy to see him. One has concealed an important secret from Archie which now threatens to come to light. Meanwhile, the change of seasons has also brought with it a series of vicious attacks against women in town, spreading fear and suspicion through the community.
Soon, another body is revealed, and in the shadow of King’s College Chapel, Archie uncovers a connection twenty-five years old which haunted both victims—as well as some of their living companions. As Archie and Josephine each grapple with savage malefactors intent on making their victims pay, they must race to stop another attack in this beautifully written, intricately plotted mystery.
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I had to read this book for a Bristol CrimeFest panel I was on and thought, Oh no, it’s exactly the kind of book I hate! Shows what I know. I loved every single page. Nicola Upson is a fantastic writer.
Based on the real character of Josephine Tay, the book is set during the 1930s and involves Chief Inspector Archie Penrose who moves between London and Cambridge in search of his suspect.
Highly recommended.
I seriously, seriously love this book. A strong story of men and women as well as a well though-out mystery.
The main mystery may seem a bit unlikely, with its ‘inspiration’ to M.R. James’s ghost stories, but its unfolding, how the inquest proceeds, the way clues are discovered are so realistic that it will convince you. The murders are gruesome and cruel – the outcome described in such details to be disturbing – and still you nearly understand the murderer once the reasons are explained. That’s how good this mystery is constructed.
A secondary thread intertwines with the main mystery, although only in the end we see the two are somewhat linked. It concerns attacks on women happening in the university city of Cambridge although, as the norms of decency dictated at the time, ‘rape’ could never be utter, nor acknowledge.
And finally a third thread centres on the personal life of Chief Detective Inspector Archie Penrose and a secret that goes back to the days of the war.
These characters became like real person to me. The choices they face are tough but they always act in a sensible way, they never become melodramatic. Although the series bears the name of Josephine Tey, this particular novel focuses on Archie Penrose, who I found a particularly likable character. His humanity and his understanding of the human nature makes him a great detective, but also a very nice human being. Although I appreciated Josephine’s assertiveness and her wisdom, Archie commanded my reader’s involvement.
This is the seventh novel in the Josephine Tey Mystery Series, which is particularly relevant for Archie Penrose’s thread, since what happens to him has its origin in previous books, but I never felt lost. The author gives info enough to navigate Archie’s current emotions and the very kinky situation he finds himself in, but never so much to feel too much. This thread, which might have been distracting if handled less skillfully, ended up complementing the overall theme: the past coming back to haunt the present.
The historical setting is truly remarkable. Late 1930s Cambridge comes to life, it is a place that I can nearly see, even if I’ve never been there. And I love the way past and present intermingle even in the time of the novel. This is a place stuck between two horrible wars and you can almost smell it in the pages.
This is a great mystery. But it is above all a very good story.