The murderer was dead before the novel began, or at least mostly dead. And if I told you any more than that I’d be giving too much away, so I’ll stop there. Not very often does one come across a historical British detective fiction novelist of the calibre of Agatha Christie. Georgette Heyer’s delightful novels are fun and lively, Rhys Bowen’s are similarly cheerful and romantic, and Elizabeth Peters’ are witty and exotic. But every once in a great while, an author comes along who stuns you with his or her depth of insight, and dazzles with the beauty of their prose. Nicola Upson is just such a writer. If you love theatre, 1930s Britain, tight plots and engaging characters, then you’ll most likely love Upson’s first novel about Josephine Tey, a playwright-accidentally-turned-detective. Heyer, Bowen, and Peters’ novels all contain fun characters and mostly solid plots, and each of these literati dames are mistresses of their craft. Peters’ books, it is said, are kept under lock and key at the New York Public library because, at least back in the day, they were frequently stolen because they were so popular. But the one thing that these three charming novelists rarely if ever do is something which Upson does—shockingly—even better than the Queen herself, Agatha Christie. Upson makes you care. She seamlessly manages to combine those two almost impossibly-divorced subjects, plot and character, in an extraordinary way that actually works.
Detective fiction bellyflops with a splash when it focuses too much on character as opposed to plot, because a mystery novel is all about plot almost by definition. Heyer, Bowen, and Peters manage to create really fun, mostly-believable characters within this context, which is quite a feat in itself, but the characters are not known for their depth. Carol O’Connell stands out for her tragically memorable Mallory, who hides from readers in the pages of novels outstanding for their masterful style and plots, but the Mallory novels are neither historical nor British. (To be clear, though, Mallory doesn’t die in the end—probably—that’s not why she’s tragic—so you should totally read that series.) Oliver Poztch creates extremely believable medieval worlds in his German detective stories, but his novels move too slowly due to their imbalanced focus on characters and setting. Upson, however, outdoes them all, and creates a work of fiction that lives. Possessed of that rare ability to show, rather than tell, that so many authors, even fairly good ones, fail to do really well, Upson weaves a powerful tale of mystery, violence, theatre, tragedy, and love. The reader is caught by surprise, finding herself actually caring about multiple characters and relationships, as she is swept along under the spell of Upson’s creativity. One cautionary note, for the gentlest of readers: Upson is slightly more vulgar than Christie. Very strong language appears in the book, but it appears at infrequent intervals. Homosexuality is depicted in a way that Christie never would have touched, but at least in this first novel, that lifestyle is not only more or less essential to the plot, but also delicately and minimally treated. Upson is at least 18k gold amidst the gold-plated offerings of her rivals. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2016
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Top reviews from other countries
Laura Summerfield
Satisfying murder mystery
Reviewed in Australia on January 6, 2018
EdnaJones
An exceptional novel by an exceptional writer.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2015Digest
A Sophisticated Visit to the Golden Age
Reviewed in Canada on September 24, 2013
