I was fascinated by the concept of this novel, which weaves a real, if
fictionalised, character (crime writer Josephine Tey, author of "Golden
Age" classics including The Daughter of Time and The Franchise Affair)
into a fictional story of murder, mystery and dark secrets set in
Cornwall in 1935.
This is, in fact, the second in a series by Nicola Upson featuring Josephine Tey and her friend, policeman Archie Penrose. Not having read the first could have placed me at something of a disadvantage, but in fact this detracted little, if anything, from my enjoyment of the story - which proved to be a cracking read with some genuinely unexpected twists.
Josephine Tey was, of course, a pseudonym for Scottish writer Elizabeth Mackintosh, but the character who appears in this book is clearly Josephine, rather than Elizabeth, and hence in some sense can be viewed as a fictional creation. Nicola Upson clearly recognises this in a concluding author's note, in which she states that the character of Josephine blends "some of what we know about Elizabeth Mackintosh with the personality which emerges so strongly from her eight crime novels". Tey is not the only "real person" to appear - Rowena Cade, founder of the Minack Theatre, also makes an appearance, and the open-air theatre itself provides a dramatic setting for one pivotal scene, as indeed does the Loe Pool - Cornwall's largest freshwater lake. Fact and fiction are hence blended to intriguing effect. (The Minack Theatre did indeed stage a production of The Jackdaw of Rheims in 1935, although Upson may have taken some liberties with the events....)
The story begins with the funeral of a young man, Harry Pinching, following what appeared to be a tragic accident - and its after-effects on the close-knit community. Close-knit or not, it soon becomes apparent that everyone in the community has secrets, and no-one - save for one naive young teenage girl - wants to share them. Nonetheless, the revelations come thick and fast, and are rarely predictable.
In common with a previous reviewer, I did have to question the realism of Archie and Josephine's reaction to some of these revelations. Both seem quite stunningly broad-minded and accepting - this is set in 1935, remember - in response to disclosures some of which are taboo even by today's standards, let alone in those days. I wondered whether Nicola Upson intended to portray these characters as remarkable in their attitudes, or whether she was applying more modern-day standards than those which would probably have been more prevalent at the time. The novel does, overall, have a fairly contemporary feel to it, given the era in which it was set.
That's a minor quibble, though, because this is a real page-turner. Upson excels at building up atmosphere and makes great use of the geographical setting. Characters are also well drawn (many have evocative, almost Dickensian names - Jago Snipe, Morwenna Pinching, Jasper Motley) and if the secrets and revelations come to Archie and Josephine a little too dramatically and conveniently.... well, it is fiction, after all. Mostly.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has inspired me not only to seek out Nicola Upson's first novel in the series, An Expert in Murder (and I eagerly await further instalments) but also to go back and re-read the wonderful 1930s and 1940s novels of Josephine Tey. I'm sure many other readers will have the same reaction.
This is, in fact, the second in a series by Nicola Upson featuring Josephine Tey and her friend, policeman Archie Penrose. Not having read the first could have placed me at something of a disadvantage, but in fact this detracted little, if anything, from my enjoyment of the story - which proved to be a cracking read with some genuinely unexpected twists.
Josephine Tey was, of course, a pseudonym for Scottish writer Elizabeth Mackintosh, but the character who appears in this book is clearly Josephine, rather than Elizabeth, and hence in some sense can be viewed as a fictional creation. Nicola Upson clearly recognises this in a concluding author's note, in which she states that the character of Josephine blends "some of what we know about Elizabeth Mackintosh with the personality which emerges so strongly from her eight crime novels". Tey is not the only "real person" to appear - Rowena Cade, founder of the Minack Theatre, also makes an appearance, and the open-air theatre itself provides a dramatic setting for one pivotal scene, as indeed does the Loe Pool - Cornwall's largest freshwater lake. Fact and fiction are hence blended to intriguing effect. (The Minack Theatre did indeed stage a production of The Jackdaw of Rheims in 1935, although Upson may have taken some liberties with the events....)
The story begins with the funeral of a young man, Harry Pinching, following what appeared to be a tragic accident - and its after-effects on the close-knit community. Close-knit or not, it soon becomes apparent that everyone in the community has secrets, and no-one - save for one naive young teenage girl - wants to share them. Nonetheless, the revelations come thick and fast, and are rarely predictable.
In common with a previous reviewer, I did have to question the realism of Archie and Josephine's reaction to some of these revelations. Both seem quite stunningly broad-minded and accepting - this is set in 1935, remember - in response to disclosures some of which are taboo even by today's standards, let alone in those days. I wondered whether Nicola Upson intended to portray these characters as remarkable in their attitudes, or whether she was applying more modern-day standards than those which would probably have been more prevalent at the time. The novel does, overall, have a fairly contemporary feel to it, given the era in which it was set.
That's a minor quibble, though, because this is a real page-turner. Upson excels at building up atmosphere and makes great use of the geographical setting. Characters are also well drawn (many have evocative, almost Dickensian names - Jago Snipe, Morwenna Pinching, Jasper Motley) and if the secrets and revelations come to Archie and Josephine a little too dramatically and conveniently.... well, it is fiction, after all. Mostly.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has inspired me not only to seek out Nicola Upson's first novel in the series, An Expert in Murder (and I eagerly await further instalments) but also to go back and re-read the wonderful 1930s and 1940s novels of Josephine Tey. I'm sure many other readers will have the same reaction.
No comments:
Post a Comment