London Rain

Josephine Tey #6

by Nicola Upson

Intrepid writer and amateur sleuth Josephine Tey returns in this sixth installment of Nicola Upson’s popular series—perfect for fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Jaqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs—that unfolds in 1930s London as England prepares to crown a new king.

London, 1937. Following the gloomy days of the abdication of King Edward VIII, the entire city is elated to welcome King George. Just one of the many planned festivities for the historic coronation is a BBC radio adaptation of Queen of Scots, and the original playwright, Josephine Tey, has been invited to sit in on rehearsals.

Soon, however, Josephine gets wrapped up in another sort of drama. The lead actress has been sleeping with Britain’s most venerable newsman, Anthony Beresford—and his humiliated wife happens to work in the building. The sordid affair seems to reach its bloody climax when Beresford is shot to death in his broadcasting booth at the deafening height of the coronation ceremony.

Josephine’s dear friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, has the case wrapped up before long. But when a second, seemingly related murder throws Penrose for a loop, it falls to Josephine to unravel a web of betrayal, jealousy, and long-held secrets… caught all the while in a love triangle of her own making.

Charming and provocative, thick with the atmosphere of prewar England, London Rain is a captivating portrait of a city on the edge—and an unforgettable woman always one step ahead of her time.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, London

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 2, 2015

About the author

Nicola Upson was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. She has worked in theatre and as a freelance journalist, and is the author of two non-fiction works, and the recipient of an Escalator Award from Arts Council England. She lives with her partner and splits her time between Cambridge and Cornwall.

Nicola is currently writing the sixth book in the 'Josephine Tey' series, and a standalone novel set in the 1920s.

Series:
* Josephine Tey

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book six in the series and I will admit to being completely hooked by now on the characters and their relationships. Yes you can read this book as a stand alone but to get the very best from it you need to have read the previous five.

Upson writes a fine balance of historical fact and fiction based on the main character of Josephine Tey.
London Rain is set in London in 1937, during the celebrations for the coronation of King George VI and the details about that are fascinating. The atmosphere she creates of London at this time is perfect.

The mystery is intriguing, the murder is confronting and then just as you think you have solved the case there is a totally unexpected twist and a whole lot more happens. The ending leaves many aspects of the characters lives unresolved so I will have to find book 7 very soon indeed.

[Magdalena · Rating 3 out of 5]

London 1937. Josephine Tey has been invited to sit in on rehearsals on her play Queen of Scots that is going to be sent live on the radio at the BBC. It's also time for the coronation of King George and the whole city is in a frenzy. But, on the day of the coronation is newsman Anthony Beresford shot in cold blood by his wife. It seems to be an open and shut case, but then another body is found, and the wife denies that she has anything to do with that murder. It's up to Josephine to find out the truth.

I was interested to read this book because the idea of using a real-life author as the main character in a book series sounded intriguing and also because I have wanted to read Josephine Tey books, but just never gotten to it.

I had some difficulties to get into the story, mainly because it felt like it took forever to get somewhere and because I felt so much of the time, in the beginning, was focused on the love triangle between Anthony, his wife and the mistress and the love triangle between Josephine and two other women. I think I read half the book before the story really picked up. But, then it got better. I liked the book better as murder case was in focus and the last part of the book in the book was good.

So, this book was not perfect, it started slow and got better. There was, however, some revelation about the characters towards the end of the book that made me want to read the next book in the series.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!

[Marie (UK) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so slow to get off the ground that at more than 50% we have one murder which the murderer freely admits to committing. Another couple of deaths are thrown in for good measure but there is little in the way of plot twisting and turning and more in the way of complicated romantic Liaisons. Three different romances all withholding information from their respective other halves constitute more of the story Than Josephine Tey's supposed detective abilities. This is the first book i have read By Nicola Upson and the last. I am genuinely embarrassed by the fact that readers are giving this 4 + stars. There is too much depth of detail and description surrounding the coronation and far too little mystery or thrill to the book. The best that can be said is that it is a quick, light, easy read

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

When so many period crime novels are cosy and fluffy, Upson has found a formula that allows her to offer up a strong sense of history combined with elegant writing and a dose of emotional intelligence. This book, the 6th in the series, isn't as fraught as some of the earlier ones but explores love triangles with some adeptness while bedding the whole story down against a backdrop of the BBC in the late 1930s, and the coronation of George VI.

While it is certainly possible to read this as a standalone, the relationships of long-running characters are important here, particularly in the case of Josephine Tey herself who has mellowed quite a lot from the opening book. The wonderfully eccentric Motley sisters are sadly absent for most of the book and Lydia only gets a few scenes at the start before disappearing.

The crime element is done from an interesting angle though I have to admit to solving the whole thing way ahead of the characters: that said, the pleasures of this book and series are far more than simply a piece of genre crime fiction so that isn't a big problem. This doesn't have the same gripping darkness as Fear in the Sunlight but is still a very superior piece of historical crime fiction that has both a tangible feel for the period and notable finesse in the writing.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars...

I had a hard time getting into this one for some reason... It is number 6 in a series which I haven't read any of the others. That could be it or it could be my lack of time to read and really focus last week.

The setting is good--right at the time of the abdication of King Edward VIII and the coronation of King George (1937 London). The focus seemed to almost be on Josephine and the love triangle she finds herself in and not the mystery of sorts. Jospehine's love entanglements have a back story from the previous books in the series which might have been helpful to know. I was able to figure it out mostly though. It ends with more drama and emotional upheaval we have to see finalized in the next entry.

I would like to try this author again, because I did like the book and felt the writing and subjects were interesting. Recommended to followers of the series and those who enjoy reading about the time period and British mysteries.

**Many thanks to GoodReads First Reads program for a copy to read and review!!**

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 1937 and it is a good time to be in London. A new king to be crowned amidst controversy not seen for hundreds of years. Josephine is back in London to oversee a new production of her latest play for the BBC.

The setting is very good. You have the modernity of the BBC which is coming into its own - women are slowly beginning to have some position in administration, not just low level jobs but they have to fight for it. A relationship between two women can be at least acknowledged between the lovers if not openly at least and the controversy of Wallis Simpson has had an ending with the new king coming to the throne.

Within this framework the story of Josephine and her standing in the murders that take place. The why and wherefore are intricate and go back decades and this is the beauty in the story. The death of the broadcaster right during the huge ceremony of the coronation, the discovery of his mistresses's body who is also the chief actress in Josephine's play shows there is some sort of link and it is upto Chief Inspector Archie to sort it out. He did not expect Josephine to put herself in any sort of danger by putting herself forward and taking a leading role in trying to sort it out.

I liked to see how the BBC worked at this period of time and added to that history was also the crime that took place. I am a fan of this series and this worked out very well for me.

[nikkia neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always ahead of the era and eye opening back story plus the intelligent viewpoints of different characters makes this series one I will read till Nicola Upson wants to keep writing them. We're left with a lot of emotional cliffhangers in this one, but that's good cuz I like something to look forward to.

[Aisling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique twist that made the ending gasp-worthy but much too slow of a start. If the coronation (from the police/BBC/Josephine Tey's perspective) wasn't so interesting, I might have quit on this book.Nothing seemed to be happening for so long! But the characters in this series are fascinating, complex, fabulously intertwined and likeable so I kept reading and will keep reading this series. A couple of big reveals about the main characters in this book so read it but just expect the first 130 pages or so to be a bit slow.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a good and intriguing read . I loved how it was inspired by the true events with the writer Josephine Tey .
It's a clever story , with the subterfuge and
Mystery and the characters . I liked the story background of 1937 in the Broadcasting House of the BBC as the main character Josephine Tey is overseeing a BBC radio production of her play , Queen of Scots .
The inclusion of the Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose in the story as he investigates the murder scene of a BBC broadcaster was so good , I also liked the friendship between him and Josephine . He was a charming , likeable and brave character and became my favourite as I read the book .
I liked the slowness of the story , it suited the time period well .

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I was at a disadvantage in not having read earlier books in this series. I picked this one up in the library prior to attending a talk by the author. I took at least half the book to sort out who was who which wasn’t a problem as practically nothing happened in that first half. The second half was much pacier but still not really gripping as you know the murderer throughout and why they did it. The final twist was clever.
Although not especially interested in Josephine’s tortured love life I will read the next book since I bought it at the author talk. It was interesting to hear that Nicola Upson wanted to write a biography of Josephine Tey but lack of information thwarted her. Hence this largely fictionalised biography spread over a murder mystery series with Tey as the amateur sleuth.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable. There were. A number of unexpected twists and turns made the story engaging.

[Alex Cantone]

I picked this one for a reading challenge, and though many seem to like this series, it wasn’t for me. Set around the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, it seemed a slugfest of shallow, showbiz/radio types reminiscent of the Kardashians on a bad night. DNF at 25% (p83 – my cut-off point for fiction.)

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

London Rain by Nicola Upson is the sixth book in Upson's Josephine Tey mystery series. Neat that mystery author Josephine Tey is turned into a sleuth in this series.

The story is set during the celebrations in London for the coronation of King George VI. Josephine is at the new BBC Headquarters building for the preparations for the broadcast of her play (written under the name Gordon Daviot) Queen of Scots. While there she is witness to friction between renowned BBC broadcaster, Anthony Beresford and his wife, Vivienne Beresford, due to Anthony's relationship with another woman.

One thing leads to another and Beresford is murdered after his part in broadcasting a portion of the coronation. In the book, there is no doubt about who has murdered Beresford, but I'll let you read and discover that part of the story for yourselves.

The story follows the investigation of the murder by Josephine's friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose. Thrown into the mix are problems involving Josephine's relationship with Marta and the conflict with Marta's old relationship; Archie and his girlfriend Bridget, and the Anthony's mistresses. Included in the mystery is the death of Vivienne's sister ten years previously.

It's an interesting premise, the mix of Josephine Tey's real life and the events of the coronation combined with the murder mystery. It moves along at a nice pace, the characters are interesting and the story is ultimately satisfying. I will have to find the other books in the series and discover more. (3.5 stars)

[Misfits farm · Rating 3 out of 5]

London Rain- Nicola Upson 3*
I won this book in a TBC competition.
Set against the backdrop of the British broadcasting corporation in the late 1930’s against the backdrop of the Kings coronation. A very well described book that gives the era very clearly. Unscrupulous relationships (of the time) and rules which now seem archaic (“We don’t do divorce at the BBC”). For me this started as a slow book for the first half and then picks up. The murder which we are told the book is about doesn’t happen until almost halfway through and although the historical descriptions are interesting, as a detective novel this didn’t move along until three quarters of the way through or move me at all. The characters are colourful and relationships complicated and shows a slice of life around that time. Enjoyable if you like historical descriptions and colourful characters but not a crime genre book by my rule.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book in the Josephine Tey series of mysteries. This one is set during the Coronation of George VI in 1937 London. It's far better for its descriptions of the times than its actual murder mystery. The first one doesn't take place until halfway through the book and is confessed to by the perpetrator immediately. However, shortly thereafter things begin to liven up when another murder occurs and it opens a tangle of events that reach all the way into the past and even threaten the BBC with horrible scandal.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could have given this more, but the very slow build and the main character's (Josephine) complicated love life sidetracked the whole thing.

To be fair though, I liked the setting and time. Not to mention the fact that I liked the innerworkings of the BBC and the height of radio popularity.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josephine Tey's series have been compared to Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot, and Jaqueline Winspear. Since all these authors are my favorites, I, of course, love Tey's series. The setting is London, 1937, and King Edward VII has just abdicated the throne. The city welcomes King George by celebrating. BBC radio reenacts Queen of Scots and Tey is invited to sit in on rehearsals. But, she has been having an affair with newsman Anthony Beresford. When he is shot to death in his broadcasting booth at the peak of the Coronation ceremony, Detective Archie Penrose is called in to take over the case. This is a great series and I wish I had followed my own advice and began the books in order. London Rain is an apt title since it usually rains in London. She creates masterful characters and descriptions of local scenery.

[Adam Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A murder of a BBC announcer and his mistress during the coronation, and an incredible amount of detail about all involved.

I’ve been reading through Upson’s Tey series in order, and as ever this was a very well written story with a good plot. I have to say though, it’s probably my least favourite book of the series.

Without a doubt this book is more about the characters than the plot. You get the sense that Upson puts so much of herself into them, and you certainly get a great sense of who they are. Sadly though, that makes this book incredibly slow paced at times. The build up is immense, and probably unnecessary.

I enjoy the development of the characters and I’m very glad I read this, but if I read this in isolation from the rest of the series I would probably felt a bit at a loss.

[Carlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly average and enjoyable murder mystery

I thought the adultery and treachery lining the walls of the BBC would make for a juicier read - but I guess that’s too much to expect from 1930s England

[Rita Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't realised that London Rain was part of a series, but it reads perfectly well as a stand-alone book. An enjoyable read with a complicated plot and likeable characters.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is definitely not a murder mystery novel. The murder takes place as a sub plot to the main characters love lives and happens half way through the story. If this was the first book of the series you had read, you’d be sorely disappointed as the character development only has context within the rest of series. The novel does have a very good twist at the end but the story is left unfinished for the murderer & those involved in the plot twist that are not regular characters (unless this is picked up in the next book of the series).
I wouldn’t have had an issue with how the book was written, if the synopsis didn’t portray it as a murder mystery and had stated it was more about the characters lives and developments.
Excellently written as always however, and good character development. The misrepresentation of the synopsis and lack of story ending for the non regular characters is how it earned a two star in my eyes.

[Jenn Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was privileged to receive an advanced readers copy of this book. I did not know that this was a series and have never heard about this series but am going to look into it after reading this book. This is a crime novel set in London and the pace of the story was good and there was suspense and murder and betrayal...perfect to read on a lazy rainy day....which is what I did. If you are a fan of crime novels or just good stories in general, I would highly recommend this.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series. When I read Upson's books, I'm transported to 1930's England, London's theatre district, the Scottish highlands - exotic places and intriguing mysteries. This was no exception. Loved it.

[Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings)]

Not read - passed on

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suffers a bit from rambling, but it's definitely interesting and well plotted.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Nicola Upson and her series of Josephine Tey novels. I decided to pick it up due to the promise of an amateur detective story mixed with intrigues at the BBC in the 1930s. I was a little confused and disappointed by what I actually got: First, the part of the novel before the first murder happens (almost half of the entire book) really dragged and I almost gave up a couple of times. I usually like books which use historic events as backdrops, but here it just didn't really work for me. At least it was not enough to cover for the lack of momentum in the story lines overall.

Secondly, I was dismayed to find that the private lives of the characters took up more time and pages than the parts about the investigation (at least it felt like it). I had no idea that an LGBT relationship was involved, but was pleasantly surprised how well it was integrated into the story. I also have to say that I found the parts of the story focused on the love triangle between the three women and the questions involved (how well do we know our lovers? is need or want better as basis for a relationship?) to be the most interesting aspects of the character's lives. Maybe it was my not having read the other books of the series, but I was not really interested in most other aspects of the characters' private life, particularly when they often had nothing to do with what was supposed to be the main story line (I guess?) of the criminal investigation. And that despite the fact that there were some prime opportunities to really effectively link the private lives with the murders and draw parallels between the two; it was attempted to some degree but it never went far enough to result in a cohesive whole for me. The book therefore often felt like criminal investigation bits and soap opera bits thrown into one pot with too little of the former and no glue between them. I would have preferred if more time would have been spent with gossip and intrigues at the BBC; instead this aspect of the story was really limited to the lives of just three or four characters.

Finally, not even the parts with the criminal investigation were well done in my view: The plot did keep me engaged in the second part of the book, because I wanted to know the resolution. However, I think with a better characterisation of Vivienne Beresford, this book would have been far better: I never understood why she would not simply divorce her husband and her relationship with him was too little flashed out to support the revelations toward the end of the book. The chapters from her point of view did not give the reader enough of an insight to really follow the sudden changes of character and demeanour later on; they just seemed sudden and not really well thought out.

Overall, I am giving this book 2 stars because, on the one hand, I did enjoy some of the historical insights into the coronation and the BBC in the 1930s; on the other hand, I thought that the love triangle between Josephine, Marta and Lydia led to some realistic conflicts that really stayed with me. Otherwise, however, this book just did not really engage me and never did manage to make me understand the decisions made by the characters or feel for them.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two years ago I discovered this series and tried to read them in order, but another library patron anonymously competed with me; I binge-read but not in order, leaving me where I am today, the sixth book in the series of eight.

"London Rain" begins in the days before the coronation of King George in 1937. While the pomp and traditions of the ceremony are described, the author reveals the excitement and pride of the common people holding a long vigil on the parade route to wave at the royal family, decorating every inch of the city and countryside, celebrating with friends. Josephine Tey, the protagonist, has, as always, deeper thoughts. "History rolled on, but there was a personal drama here that Josephine found more poignant, a sacrifice made by one couple because of the love of another."

While gruesome murders and their investigations drive the plot, a complicated look at love is presented through the characters. Secrets, sacrifice, guilt, regret, even penance, as Josephine considers the relationships of Anthony Beresford, a renowned broadcaster at the BBC, and his wife, Vivienne; Anthony and Millicent Gray, a Radio Times actress involved in a public adulterous affair with him; Lydia Beaumont , a lead actress in Josephine's play, "Queen of Scots," and Marta, Josephine's present lover; and of course, Josephine and Marta. "All the hope and all the pain - and to get where? You put up with it because you think you're going to be enough for them - one day. But you never will be."... "We all make do...we all make compromises...that's the world we live in now." What Josephine Tey, tired of secrecy and pretense, learns about herself in this novel is key to her pursuing love with Marta. While she had deliberately chosen an "easy, unruffled life" in the past, clinging dearly to her privacy, she is willing to take risks now for Marta.

Nicola Upson once again has carefully researched the mood and atmosphere of 1937: the grim work of Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose investigating murders, often of women easily dismissed; "...married women had to fight tooth and nail for the right to work at all"; and the stature of the BBC and its significance in the lives of listeners along with its dark underbelly of sex and adultery. This novel, perhaps more than previous ones, examines the motives of the murderers and presents the harrowing circumstances of the justice and prison system for women..."You lose sight of who you are."

Understanding the relationships of characters who have appeared in previous novels is not difficult; Upson seamlessly shares information to fill in their back stories and surprises the reader with revelations about Bridget Foley, the woman who Archie reconnected with only a year ago. The unraveling of the murders and a shocking disclosure at the end kept me reading considering the grim future for several of the women was sobering. Knowing I have a few more novels in the series before tackling Tey's own work makes my reading life a joy.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow, in the middle of MS Upson's description of the coronation I had an intense feeling of the dedication that happens in the middle of that massive ceremony, something that would be almost overpowering for a participant who really took it properly seriously. It was surprisingly moving for me and I remember Queen Elizabeth's coronation and all the excitement we felt. I still have the scrap book I made of the kings and queens of England. We were fortunate enough to have friends around the corner who had a television set and saw the broadcast on delay, although I didn't know at the time that the film of the event had to be rushed from London to Montreal by plane and was developed on the flight over.
I read this book with all that in the back of my mind and wondered what my Mother in Saskatoon had heard (on radio) in 1937. What a lot has happened across those years.
However - this book, the first I've read of this series. I have An Expert in Murder on hold so I can follow how MS Upson develops Miss Tey's character and relationship with her friends through the series. Everyone has secrets in their lives but the people in this book are oozing secrets from every pore. I am not surprised at Miss Tey's life as MS Upson portrays it since it would explain several oddities that seem to hang determinedly around Josephine Tey, which is only one of her noms de plume after all, but I do hope Nicola Upson has some concrete evidence to justify her portrayal. For people undergoing massive trauma the characters appear very 'stiff upper lippish' except for a couple of breakdowns into screaming or crying fits. It was 1937, however, so perhaps that Victorian/Edwardian attitude still obtained.
The portrayal of the BBC is in accord with everything I've read about that organisation and Lord Reith was certainly capable of trying to subvert the course of justice to keep the corporation's reputation intact just as he would certainly insist on corporation employees leaving if they were so careless as to end up in the divorce court. I had forgotten the way public places until recently were so filled with cigarette smoke but were so many women regular smokers? I'm probably betraying my middle class roots in that.
The story is full of details: weather, clothes, buildings, traffic and the people on the streets. The descriptions of the crowds camping on the pavements to hold their places so they might see at least something were wonderful but the peak was the fact that people could pay 6 pence and watch the processional rehearsal.
An altogether fascinating read and - as another reviewer said - a particularly appropriate read at this moment.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

1937. Josephine Tey is in London to see her play,  Queen of Scots, performed on BBC radio as part of the celebrations to mark the coronation of George VI. Coronation fever is at its height, and Josephine's friend , Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, has the unenviable task of ensuring events run smoothly. But Archie is given a massive headache when the murder of one of the BBC's most famous radio presenters takes place on coronation day. Events are complicated when the presenter's mistress, who had been cast to star in the production of Queen of Scots, is also found murdered.


Scandal erupts when the wife of the radio presenter is arrested for the murders. Archie is unconvinced by the rushed case being put together against her under pressure from the BBC, but he has been moved sideways to another case. Josephine shares his doubts, and begins to question whether the murders could actually be related to a much older case...


Book six of Nicola Upson's excellent Josephine Tey mysteries opens with Joesphine back in London for the honour of seeing her play adapted for radio, which brings her into contact with many of the characters who become involved in the murders that follow - including one of the victims, and the wife of the other.


Set against a beautifully imagined back-drop that ties the historic coronation of George VI with the early days of the British Broadcasting Corporation (and Radio Times), this mystery has Josephine deliberately getting stuck into the role of unofficial sleuth on one of Archie's cases, with perilous consequences.


As is Upson's forte, the historical detail that anchors the story in time and place is an atmospheric joy, and has a big part to play in the parallel storylines that encompass the murders, and Josephine and Archie's personal lives - with Josephine reaching an emotional water-shed moment in her relationship with Marta, and Archie unaware of a shocking secret related to his re-kindled relationship with Bridget.


The twists are first class in this instalment, with Upson playing a blinder with her final surprise, and as ever, the central roles her female characters have in the story are wonderfully insightful. Complex facets of love, betrayal, and astonishing deceit lay at the heart of this mystery, and, as usual, murky motives make for a thought provoking outcome - with an especially bitter taste when it comes to the scandal avoidant behaviour of the fixers at the BBC, and their authority figure paymasters (nothing changes). 


I enjoyed every moment of this one just as much as I did first time around - via Sandra Duncan's excellent audio book narration. 

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with Upson's other Josephine Tey books, I enjoyed this one very much despite having had problems with it.

The good: Upson writes a good story, her characters are interesting, her setting—theatrical London in the 1930s—is right up my alley, and her writing is intelligent and absorbing. The not-so-good: she is careless about anachronisms, she's fervently nationalistic and dislikes foreigners, and there's a huge bug in her plot. Oh, and she persistently uses "which" when she should be using "that."

The anachronisms are present in the dialog, such as when characters use words like "lifestyle" and "high profile," or locutions like prefacing the answer to a question with "Seriously?" all of which were not in use until decades after the story takes place (1937). And they crop up in the narrative, such as the many instances of objects being described as "art deco." That term wasn't coined until the 1960s; at the time the style was current, it wasn't called anything. People just thought it was modern and trendy.

As to the problem with the plot, I have to mark this as a spoiler, because it gives almost everything away: Vivienne Beresford gives Josephine a detailed, graphic account of murdering her sister. She says they conversed before she killed her, and that Olivia said to her, "You'll never make him happy" right before she drowned her. But in the dénouement, Olivia says that she drowned Colette Haas and substituted her body for Olivia's own in the pool. So what exactly did Vivienne do? And how did she work out the fact that Olivia was alive and living in her old home with Anthony? If she really did think she'd killed Olivia, how did what Josephine told her—which wasn't much—flood her with insight?

I'll read more of Upson's Tey series, but I hope she improves.