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An Expert in Murder is the first in a new series which features crime writer Josephine Tey as its lead character.
It’s March, 1934, and Tey is travelling from Scotland to London for the final week of her celebrated play, Richard of Bordeaux – but joy turns to horror when her arrival coincides with murder.
Detective Inspector Archie Penrose is convinced that the killing is connected to the play. Richard of Bordeaux has been the surprise hit of the season, with pacifist themes which strike a chord in a world still haunted by war, but now it seems that Josephine Tey could become the victim of her own success, as her reputation – and even her life - are put at risk.
A second murder confirms Penrose’s suspicions that somewhere amongst this flamboyant theatre set is a ruthless and spiteful killer. As his investigations lead him from the romance of the West End to the stark reality of the trenches, he and Tey must confront their own ghosts in a search for someone who will stop at nothing to right the wrongs of a past generation
Cleverly blending elements of the Golden Age author’s real life with a fictional murder mystery, An Expert in Murder is both a tribute to one of the most enduringly popular writers of crime and a richly atmospheric detective novel in its own right.
Set in the theatre world of 1930s London, there are numerous suspects with a motive to murder blunt, tough theatre manager Bernard Aubrey. There's Lydia Beaumont, the lead actress, aware that her days as a leading lady are numbered; Marta, her protective lesbian lover; John Terry, the lead actor, who is being blackmailed over his homosexuality; and handsome young actor Rafe Swinburne who takes full advantage of the fans and admirers who throw themselves at him.
Also check out the other Josephine Tey mysteries.
Paperback, 416 Pages, Published 2010
Author: Nicola Upson