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Josephine Tey #8
Sorry for the Dead
In the eighth of her novels to fictionalize Josephine Tey's life, Nichola Upson takes the 1930s crime writer back to the college where she witnessed a tragic death in 1915. New evidence suggests murder, and Tey must uncover dark secrets to get to the truth.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2019
About the author
Nicola Upson
23 books566 followersNicola 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
Nicola is currently writing the sixth book in the 'Josephine Tey' series, and a standalone novel set in the 1920s.
Series:
* Josephine Tey
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
July 16, 2022
I am not normally a fan of the use of a prologue but Sorry for the Dead opens with one which is unnerving and which will leave any regular reader of the series on tenterhooks for the rest of the book.
Josephine is the featured character in this book and my favourite, Archie Penrose, just makes cameo performances from time to time. Nevertheless I still enjoyed the story very much. Told in two time lines we are taken back to 1915 when Josephine was a young teacher accompanying a group of private school girls learning about farming and horticulture. When one of them dies it is announced as an accident but there are doubts.
Back in 1938 the events of that time are raised again in the press and Josephine applies herself to investigating what really happened that day so long ago. There are so many cover ups, so many wrong suspicions and so many people with their own agendas she has a tough time to come near the truth.
This was a very enjoyable mystery with some good detective work and a lot of red herrings (although I did suspect the right person for most of the book!) Looking forward to the next one now!
Josephine is the featured character in this book and my favourite, Archie Penrose, just makes cameo performances from time to time. Nevertheless I still enjoyed the story very much. Told in two time lines we are taken back to 1915 when Josephine was a young teacher accompanying a group of private school girls learning about farming and horticulture. When one of them dies it is announced as an accident but there are doubts.
Back in 1938 the events of that time are raised again in the press and Josephine applies herself to investigating what really happened that day so long ago. There are so many cover ups, so many wrong suspicions and so many people with their own agendas she has a tough time to come near the truth.
This was a very enjoyable mystery with some good detective work and a lot of red herrings (although I did suspect the right person for most of the book!) Looking forward to the next one now!
September 18, 2023
I've had this on my TBR for a while now and whilst I prefer to start a series from the start, using that policy will never see the pile decrease.
I wasn't aware that the main character in this series was a real-life novelist Josephine Fey.
This also includes her meeting some famous faces, where one of them was a real treat.
The old style mystery really appealed too, set during the First World War and the 1930's - there's a real sense of a bygone era.
I also appreciated the Sussex setting too!
The mystery surrounding the tragic death of a young woman is compelling and the social attitudes of the time helped make this an insightful read.
I wasn't aware that the main character in this series was a real-life novelist Josephine Fey.
This also includes her meeting some famous faces, where one of them was a real treat.
The old style mystery really appealed too, set during the First World War and the 1930's - there's a real sense of a bygone era.
I also appreciated the Sussex setting too!
The mystery surrounding the tragic death of a young woman is compelling and the social attitudes of the time helped make this an insightful read.
November 2, 2019
I usually love this series for the complicated characterisation of Josephine Tey, Upson's immaculate writing, and the way a contemporary sensibility intertwines with an evocation of the 1930s. Nevertheless, this book seemed to take me forever to get through and I was a little bored throughout the middle section where not much seemed to happen before a flurry of last-minute revelations and action at the end: pacing, therefore, feels somewhat off.
It also feels like the story changes direction - but in a disjointed rather than good-twisty way. We're set up with a situation where a murder that took place when Tey was a young supply teacher in 1915 suddenly intrudes into her 1930s life. We get to witness her first meeting with Archie and Jack, her fiancé who died during the war, and I was looking forward to having this episode, previously made central to Upson's imagining of her fictional Tey's life, brought to life. It's side-lined almost immediately, though, and neither Archie nor Jack appear again in 1915 after that first page - very frustrating.
Instead we're introduced to Tey's first, and aborted, love - another angsty affair that creates more tension, somewhat artificially, between Tey and Marta. The problem I had with this 'past' story is that the young Tey just doesn't seem young and inexperienced enough: instead, she's her usual poised and assured self which doesn't quite ring true.
It's certainly interesting to get sneaky glimpses of the Bloomsbury group and the Hitchcocks, and Upson cleverly poses her 'past' story as initiating the concerns dealt with in The Franchise Affair. I loved the idea of going back into Josephine's past but it didn't quite work in the way I had expected.
Nevertheless, this still remains one of my favourite contemporary crime series with a nicely feminist and inclusive vision of the past, lovely writing and lightly-worn research.
Thanks to Faber & Faber for an ARC via NetGalley.
It also feels like the story changes direction - but in a disjointed rather than good-twisty way. We're set up with a situation where a murder that took place when Tey was a young supply teacher in 1915 suddenly intrudes into her 1930s life. We get to witness her first meeting with Archie and Jack, her fiancé who died during the war, and I was looking forward to having this episode, previously made central to Upson's imagining of her fictional Tey's life, brought to life. It's side-lined almost immediately, though, and neither Archie nor Jack appear again in 1915 after that first page - very frustrating.
Instead we're introduced to Tey's first, and aborted, love - another angsty affair that creates more tension, somewhat artificially, between Tey and Marta. The problem I had with this 'past' story is that the young Tey just doesn't seem young and inexperienced enough: instead, she's her usual poised and assured self which doesn't quite ring true.
It's certainly interesting to get sneaky glimpses of the Bloomsbury group and the Hitchcocks, and Upson cleverly poses her 'past' story as initiating the concerns dealt with in The Franchise Affair. I loved the idea of going back into Josephine's past but it didn't quite work in the way I had expected.
Nevertheless, this still remains one of my favourite contemporary crime series with a nicely feminist and inclusive vision of the past, lovely writing and lightly-worn research.
Thanks to Faber & Faber for an ARC via NetGalley.
October 30, 2019
I would like to thank Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for an advance copy of Sorry for the Dead, the eighth novel to feature Josephine Tey.
In 1915 a young girl falls to her death in an accident at a horticultural college. Josephine, a teacher there at the time, has no cause to doubt the verdict but in 1938 a newspaper article drags it up and suggests Dorothy was murdered. Returning to the scene Josephine vows to get to the bottom of the mystery and clear any suspicion from her name.
I enjoyed Sorry for the Dead although it is slightly outside my comfort zone of straightforward detection, being more an examination of societal prejudices, the impact of them and love and loyalty with a bit of crime thrown in. The novel is mostly told from Josephine’s point of view and has a shifting timeline of 1948, 1938 and 1915, initially in that order but moves back and forward between 1915 and 1938 before finishing in 1948 to make sense of the opening 1948 chapter. This latter is a nice touch.
The novel really revolves around lesbianism and how unacceptable it was in those days. It brings Josephine’s angst and need for secrecy to the fore and overshadows Dorothy’s death as the couple running the college, Georgina and Harriet, were in a relationship. The way they were treated by their neighbours is appalling and genuinely moving. I liked the way the novel slowly uncovers all the secrets and untangles all the lies and misconceptions, apart from the final one. The crime lies in the reason for Dorothy’s death and it will not be as obvious as you would think, in fact I found it to be a surprise.
I have found this to be a difficult novel to review because it’s so tied up in Josephine’s emotions and past. It is hard to imagine what a secretive life she was forced to live but Ms Upson does a great job of making it real with some nice ironies and brutal truths.
Sorry for the Dead is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
In 1915 a young girl falls to her death in an accident at a horticultural college. Josephine, a teacher there at the time, has no cause to doubt the verdict but in 1938 a newspaper article drags it up and suggests Dorothy was murdered. Returning to the scene Josephine vows to get to the bottom of the mystery and clear any suspicion from her name.
I enjoyed Sorry for the Dead although it is slightly outside my comfort zone of straightforward detection, being more an examination of societal prejudices, the impact of them and love and loyalty with a bit of crime thrown in. The novel is mostly told from Josephine’s point of view and has a shifting timeline of 1948, 1938 and 1915, initially in that order but moves back and forward between 1915 and 1938 before finishing in 1948 to make sense of the opening 1948 chapter. This latter is a nice touch.
The novel really revolves around lesbianism and how unacceptable it was in those days. It brings Josephine’s angst and need for secrecy to the fore and overshadows Dorothy’s death as the couple running the college, Georgina and Harriet, were in a relationship. The way they were treated by their neighbours is appalling and genuinely moving. I liked the way the novel slowly uncovers all the secrets and untangles all the lies and misconceptions, apart from the final one. The crime lies in the reason for Dorothy’s death and it will not be as obvious as you would think, in fact I found it to be a surprise.
I have found this to be a difficult novel to review because it’s so tied up in Josephine’s emotions and past. It is hard to imagine what a secretive life she was forced to live but Ms Upson does a great job of making it real with some nice ironies and brutal truths.
Sorry for the Dead is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
May 6, 2021
Reading out of order (in the order I can get them), but I am loving this new to me mystery series featuring Masterpiece Theatre detail and pacing, a distinctly female perspective on violence and murder, and a heroine and sleuth modeled on a real Scottish author and playwright. But perhaps my favorite element is the beautiful and tender portrayal of queer love stories that have featured in at least two volumes in this series (the two I’ve read). Told with complicated shadings of real humanity but without exploitative titillation AND featuring women. Nicola Upson appears to be writing my dream mystery series checklist. Now to start at the beginning and see if the earlier volumes are just as satisfying...
August 22, 2026
4.5*
While Sorry for the Dead slots into Nicola Upson's series timeline in summer 1938, the novel's internal timeline takes the reader back to Josephine's past in the summer of 1915, and forward to her future in 1948.
In summer 1938, Josephine Tey is in Cambridge, preparing for a new staging of her 1934 play The Laughing Woman (written under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot), at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. The play is being staged by Josephine's friends Lettice and Ronnie Motley (a fictionalised version of the real-life Motley Theatre design group) and stars former ballerina Lydia Lopokova in the leading role. Real life Lopokova partnered with her husband, economist John Maynard Keynes to open the theatre, and did actually appear in an adaptation of Daviot/Tey/Mackintosh's play in the theatre in 1938.
Josephine is deeply troubled when an old scandal in which she had peripheral involvement is revived in the newspapers. Stage Actress Elizabeth Banks, appearing in a production of Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour in London, has given an interview in which she reflects on the violent death of her twin sister at a property in Sussex in 1915 and the parallels with the play in which she is presently starring. Josephine is named in the article as one of those present at the time of Dorothy Norwood's suspicious death, and Banks alludes to supposed sexual deviancy amongst the female staff.
Prompted by the article, Josephine and Marta hastily accept an invitation to join Lydia and Maynard for a weekend house party at Charleston, now the home of Vanessa Bell and her lover Duncan Grant and a favourite country retreat of the Bloomsbury group of writers and artists. The farm was previously a horticultural college for young women, run by Georgina Hartford-Wroe and Harriet Barker, where a young Josephine Tey was sent to work as a chaperone and junior teacher during the summer of 1915, during her training in physical education. The central section of the book is set during this period, the Great War underway in Europe as Josephine develops a relationship with fellow teaching assistant Jeannie Sellwood, and culminates with the sudden, horrific death of student Dorothy Norwood.
A third time-setting takes us to 1948, after Josephine has reconnected with several of her former students and colleagues from Charleston Farm, and learns of the death of Georgina Hartford-Wroe. Her subsequent visit to Eastbourne to commiserate with Harriet Barker starts a devastating chain of events that bring the reader full circle to the disquieting prologue.
Sorry for the Dead gives series readers a glimpse of pivotal events in Josephine's past, including her first meeting with her ill-fated fiancé Jack and his friend Archie Penrose at Summerdown Camp, and the development of her first romantic relationship with another woman. Several real-life personalities play a part in the narrative, and the settings are also based in fact. The fictional suspicious death storyline allows author Nicola Upson to explore the prejudices that existed towards homosexual relationships, or even the hint of "unnatural behaviour" during the 20th century. While lesbian relationships were not illegal, as male homosexual relationships were, female couples still faced significant social stigma and suspicion, which could affect their livelihoods and participation in society. Despite the fact that she and Marta live together as partners, and their relationship is known amongst their friends and close colleagues, Josephine harbours realistic fears about her sexuality being broadcast in the press.
Sorry for the Dead is an engrossing read, featuring a large cast of fascinating characters over the three distinct time settings. The book plays an important part in the series, revealing as it does several pivotal events in Josephine's younger life and providing a nuanced backdrop to the societal pressures within which she lives and works in the books' 1930s present. I'll have to make a mental note when launching into the next book in the series, The Dead of Winter that the events at the end of Sorry for the Dead haven't yet occurred!
While Sorry for the Dead slots into Nicola Upson's series timeline in summer 1938, the novel's internal timeline takes the reader back to Josephine's past in the summer of 1915, and forward to her future in 1948.
In summer 1938, Josephine Tey is in Cambridge, preparing for a new staging of her 1934 play The Laughing Woman (written under the pseudonym Gordon Daviot), at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. The play is being staged by Josephine's friends Lettice and Ronnie Motley (a fictionalised version of the real-life Motley Theatre design group) and stars former ballerina Lydia Lopokova in the leading role. Real life Lopokova partnered with her husband, economist John Maynard Keynes to open the theatre, and did actually appear in an adaptation of Daviot/Tey/Mackintosh's play in the theatre in 1938.
Josephine is deeply troubled when an old scandal in which she had peripheral involvement is revived in the newspapers. Stage Actress Elizabeth Banks, appearing in a production of Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour in London, has given an interview in which she reflects on the violent death of her twin sister at a property in Sussex in 1915 and the parallels with the play in which she is presently starring. Josephine is named in the article as one of those present at the time of Dorothy Norwood's suspicious death, and Banks alludes to supposed sexual deviancy amongst the female staff.
Prompted by the article, Josephine and Marta hastily accept an invitation to join Lydia and Maynard for a weekend house party at Charleston, now the home of Vanessa Bell and her lover Duncan Grant and a favourite country retreat of the Bloomsbury group of writers and artists. The farm was previously a horticultural college for young women, run by Georgina Hartford-Wroe and Harriet Barker, where a young Josephine Tey was sent to work as a chaperone and junior teacher during the summer of 1915, during her training in physical education. The central section of the book is set during this period, the Great War underway in Europe as Josephine develops a relationship with fellow teaching assistant Jeannie Sellwood, and culminates with the sudden, horrific death of student Dorothy Norwood.
A third time-setting takes us to 1948, after Josephine has reconnected with several of her former students and colleagues from Charleston Farm, and learns of the death of Georgina Hartford-Wroe. Her subsequent visit to Eastbourne to commiserate with Harriet Barker starts a devastating chain of events that bring the reader full circle to the disquieting prologue.
Sorry for the Dead gives series readers a glimpse of pivotal events in Josephine's past, including her first meeting with her ill-fated fiancé Jack and his friend Archie Penrose at Summerdown Camp, and the development of her first romantic relationship with another woman. Several real-life personalities play a part in the narrative, and the settings are also based in fact. The fictional suspicious death storyline allows author Nicola Upson to explore the prejudices that existed towards homosexual relationships, or even the hint of "unnatural behaviour" during the 20th century. While lesbian relationships were not illegal, as male homosexual relationships were, female couples still faced significant social stigma and suspicion, which could affect their livelihoods and participation in society. Despite the fact that she and Marta live together as partners, and their relationship is known amongst their friends and close colleagues, Josephine harbours realistic fears about her sexuality being broadcast in the press.
Sorry for the Dead is an engrossing read, featuring a large cast of fascinating characters over the three distinct time settings. The book plays an important part in the series, revealing as it does several pivotal events in Josephine's younger life and providing a nuanced backdrop to the societal pressures within which she lives and works in the books' 1930s present. I'll have to make a mental note when launching into the next book in the series, The Dead of Winter that the events at the end of Sorry for the Dead haven't yet occurred!
October 21, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Another stunning historical mystery from an immensely gifted author.
Ever since I discovered 'An Expert in Murder', the 1st book in this series, I have been a huge fan of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey mysteries. For the uninitiated, Josephine Tey was one of the golden era crime writers of the 1930s and 1950s with Upson reimagining the author as the fictionalised protagonist of her own crime stories. The sense of time and place Upson brings to her novels are impeccable and we see Josephine rubbing shoulders throughout the series with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Vanessa Bell and Clough William Ellis (to name but a few). It is hardly surprising then given Upson's background as a Cambridge scholar that her grasp of historical context is flawless. This book is no exception to her usually high standards of research and beautifully written prose. In the latest instalment Josephine is once again called upon to reconcile past events with present ones, with murder at the heart of the story.
The book centres on the events of 1915 with the death of a young girl at a horticultural school in the Sussex Downs. Josephine, as a witness to the events in her capacity as a teacher at the college is called upon, almost 25 years later, to re-evaluate the circumstances surrounding the death. Returning to the scene of the crime - now much changed - Josephine realises that there is a darker mystery at the heart of the events, other than the love between women that dared not speak its name. Here Upson creates a beautifully poignant story that is as much about the human condition, its passion and frailties, as it is about the intriguing murder mystery at the heart of this novel. Nicola Upson has skillfully risen to the occasion once again creating not just one murder mystery but also an intricately constructed plot in which other mysteries and also the complexities of personal relationships run through the novel. The complicated but neatly and seamlessly woven plot-lines keep the reader gripped throughout. Fiction on fiction, or 'faction' as this genre is known, this is a magnificent crime novel with Upson at her very best.
The 8th Josephine Tey mystery is a worthwhile addition to this unforgettable series of novels. With its masterful characterisation, taut plotting and wonderful dialogue, Upson cements her place as one of the most gifted historical mystery novelists writing today.
I could not recommend this book highly enough.
Another stunning historical mystery from an immensely gifted author.
Ever since I discovered 'An Expert in Murder', the 1st book in this series, I have been a huge fan of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey mysteries. For the uninitiated, Josephine Tey was one of the golden era crime writers of the 1930s and 1950s with Upson reimagining the author as the fictionalised protagonist of her own crime stories. The sense of time and place Upson brings to her novels are impeccable and we see Josephine rubbing shoulders throughout the series with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Vanessa Bell and Clough William Ellis (to name but a few). It is hardly surprising then given Upson's background as a Cambridge scholar that her grasp of historical context is flawless. This book is no exception to her usually high standards of research and beautifully written prose. In the latest instalment Josephine is once again called upon to reconcile past events with present ones, with murder at the heart of the story.
The book centres on the events of 1915 with the death of a young girl at a horticultural school in the Sussex Downs. Josephine, as a witness to the events in her capacity as a teacher at the college is called upon, almost 25 years later, to re-evaluate the circumstances surrounding the death. Returning to the scene of the crime - now much changed - Josephine realises that there is a darker mystery at the heart of the events, other than the love between women that dared not speak its name. Here Upson creates a beautifully poignant story that is as much about the human condition, its passion and frailties, as it is about the intriguing murder mystery at the heart of this novel. Nicola Upson has skillfully risen to the occasion once again creating not just one murder mystery but also an intricately constructed plot in which other mysteries and also the complexities of personal relationships run through the novel. The complicated but neatly and seamlessly woven plot-lines keep the reader gripped throughout. Fiction on fiction, or 'faction' as this genre is known, this is a magnificent crime novel with Upson at her very best.
The 8th Josephine Tey mystery is a worthwhile addition to this unforgettable series of novels. With its masterful characterisation, taut plotting and wonderful dialogue, Upson cements her place as one of the most gifted historical mystery novelists writing today.
I could not recommend this book highly enough.
August 23, 2022
SORRY FOR THE DEAD
Nicola Upson
My first book by Upson and I enjoyed it well enough. It is a golden age mystery, flipping back and forth between 1915 and 1938. The final timeline is 1948 and it was pretty good. I enjoyed all of the timelines about equally, so that is something because I find that one is always more enjoyable than the other.
In 1915, Josephine Tey is working for a college that teaches young women horticulture. When one of the girls dies and of course, there are repercussions and recriminations. The school closes this class based on social intervention and problems. This comes back to haunt Josephine in the 1938 timeline while she is overseeing her play and reads about the issues in a scandal rag. Now there is the suggestion that Dorthy was murdered and by implication Josephine might have something to do with it.
I liked the characters in the book, they were fully developed and all had appropriate flaws. It is more difficult to have characters that are all good and all bad, but these were just trying to get it right and live their lives. I don't know if this is my jam, but I enjoyed it well enough.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Nicola Upson
My first book by Upson and I enjoyed it well enough. It is a golden age mystery, flipping back and forth between 1915 and 1938. The final timeline is 1948 and it was pretty good. I enjoyed all of the timelines about equally, so that is something because I find that one is always more enjoyable than the other.
In 1915, Josephine Tey is working for a college that teaches young women horticulture. When one of the girls dies and of course, there are repercussions and recriminations. The school closes this class based on social intervention and problems. This comes back to haunt Josephine in the 1938 timeline while she is overseeing her play and reads about the issues in a scandal rag. Now there is the suggestion that Dorthy was murdered and by implication Josephine might have something to do with it.
I liked the characters in the book, they were fully developed and all had appropriate flaws. It is more difficult to have characters that are all good and all bad, but these were just trying to get it right and live their lives. I don't know if this is my jam, but I enjoyed it well enough.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
October 17, 2020
To be honest, a bit of a slog. I don’t think it helped that this is not the first of the Josephine Tey mysteries..there were lots of allusions and references to former relationships and career that left me a bit lost, not having read any of the others.
Worse, there are a lot of characters, and it’s not until almost half way through that their personalities start to become more distinct. I found myself constantly asking “Which one is Josephine/Jeannie/Joyce/George again?”. Not to mention the fact that some of the women have male nicknames. And barely any physical descriptions.
Anyway the plot is okay (mid war horticultural college, girl found dead apparently having fallen through a greenhouse), and when, decades later,
the sister of the dead girl prompts a re-investigation into the case, the pace picks up a bit and different suspects start to emerge. The descriptions of the Sussex countryside are pleasant.
But on balance, this didn’t really make me want to rush out and buy any others in the series.
Worse, there are a lot of characters, and it’s not until almost half way through that their personalities start to become more distinct. I found myself constantly asking “Which one is Josephine/Jeannie/Joyce/George again?”. Not to mention the fact that some of the women have male nicknames. And barely any physical descriptions.
Anyway the plot is okay (mid war horticultural college, girl found dead apparently having fallen through a greenhouse), and when, decades later,
the sister of the dead girl prompts a re-investigation into the case, the pace picks up a bit and different suspects start to emerge. The descriptions of the Sussex countryside are pleasant.
But on balance, this didn’t really make me want to rush out and buy any others in the series.
November 5, 2020
A book about a detective that has the name of a well-known author but a detective that does not actually solve a crime in which she has become embroiled. The characters were not to my taste and came more from the "Girl's Own Magazine" than reality. A lot of the book centred on the lesbian relationships of the detective and the main characters. Red herrings not very good and twists didn't twist enough. On top of everything else is the use of a well-known literary giant and using them as fictional characters are not to my taste feeling that authors should use their own imagination to forge their characters.
No idea why I purchased this in the book store but I did read it through. Not to my taste. Gave it 2 stars initially but it really is a one.
No idea why I purchased this in the book store but I did read it through. Not to my taste. Gave it 2 stars initially but it really is a one.
December 11, 2021
First time I’ve read this author and loved every minute of this story. Intriguing plot. Interesting characters. Historically accurate and evocative time-switching from 1915 to 1938 to 1948. Occasional passages of beautiful, insightful and incisive writing of characters and historical periods. Want to read more of Upson. A real treat!
February 2, 2020
As the book was set in Sussex it had an extra interest. It was an interesting read, an entertaining murder mystery.
July 31, 2020
Had the makings of a good story however it was really quite dull and forgettable
September 24, 2024
Like Nicola Upson but this book failed to hold my attention.
July 21, 2020
Brilliant
Read
August 22, 2022After coming back to try again several times over a few weeks, it’s just not for me. DNF
October 20, 2019
The story begins in 1948 with a very unsettling prologue and immediately my interest was piqued. Who was this person, what was the connection with Josephine and why? We then go back 10 years earlier when Josephine is directing one of her own plays and a newspaper story appears over the death of a young girl at a college where Josephine was a teacher over 20 years previously which is now being treated as suspicious. Although she isn’t directly accused, her name is included in the article, the implication being enough to give the gossips a field day. Josephine feels that she has no option but to investigate further, especially when she realises that she has a connection to the dead girl’s sister, now an actress. Further, Josephine is particularly unsettled when confronted by a face from the past which bring to the fore all kinds of unwelcome emotions.
The main part of the story is set in 1915 and at Charleston Farmhouse, a horticultural college during WW1 where young girls are sent from Moira House, a nearby school to learn horticulture to help with the war effort, under the tutorship of the two women running the college, Harriet Barker and George Hartford-Wroe. It is at Charleston that the death occurs, and sets in motion a whole set of circumstances which will have repercussions for years to come.
For newcomers to the series like me, it was helpful to have explained how Josephine first met Archie Penrose, (now a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard) and a character in previous stories. Archie and his friend Jack (who became Josephine’s fiancé) were stationed at a nearby army camp. Although they don’t have a leading role in this story, their inclusion does set some background history for Josephine.
Sorry for the Dead is as much about the characters and their complex relationships as it is about the mystery and the author perfectly articulates the difficulties and the emotional impact of having to be discreet about same sex relationships and keeping any relationships secret because of prejudice and attitudes of the time and even fear of violence. Once rumours start circulating and gaining momentum, lives and reputations can be ruined. There were several events involving local neighbours and villagers which were really very sad to read but one in particular made me gasp in horror.
I really enjoyed this, and although at first I did find the introduction of so many characters at once a little confusing, I soon settled in to an intelligent and intriguing story that weaves its way seamlessly between timelines to a surprising and disturbing conclusion. The last thing I did was to go back and read the prologue again.
For fans of this series, (of which I now count myself), this will be another excellent addition to the collection.
The main part of the story is set in 1915 and at Charleston Farmhouse, a horticultural college during WW1 where young girls are sent from Moira House, a nearby school to learn horticulture to help with the war effort, under the tutorship of the two women running the college, Harriet Barker and George Hartford-Wroe. It is at Charleston that the death occurs, and sets in motion a whole set of circumstances which will have repercussions for years to come.
For newcomers to the series like me, it was helpful to have explained how Josephine first met Archie Penrose, (now a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard) and a character in previous stories. Archie and his friend Jack (who became Josephine’s fiancé) were stationed at a nearby army camp. Although they don’t have a leading role in this story, their inclusion does set some background history for Josephine.
Sorry for the Dead is as much about the characters and their complex relationships as it is about the mystery and the author perfectly articulates the difficulties and the emotional impact of having to be discreet about same sex relationships and keeping any relationships secret because of prejudice and attitudes of the time and even fear of violence. Once rumours start circulating and gaining momentum, lives and reputations can be ruined. There were several events involving local neighbours and villagers which were really very sad to read but one in particular made me gasp in horror.
I really enjoyed this, and although at first I did find the introduction of so many characters at once a little confusing, I soon settled in to an intelligent and intriguing story that weaves its way seamlessly between timelines to a surprising and disturbing conclusion. The last thing I did was to go back and read the prologue again.
For fans of this series, (of which I now count myself), this will be another excellent addition to the collection.
January 11, 2020
This novel opens in 1948, teeming with mystery, a fateful ending for someone, then moves between 1915 and 1938, times in the world, especially England, that are fraught with peril. In 1915, Josephine Tey spends a summer teaching at Charleston, a sprawling estate designed for horticultural training, perhaps for sustainability for England for the challenging years ahead. Years later, Tey is implicated by the press in a criminal act at Charleston; despite her responsibilities to her current theater production and the publication of her fourth novel, "The Franchise Affair," she commits herself to discovering the truth of that fateful summer in 1915. Launching this fourth detective novel, Peter Davies, the manager of the firm that published her novels, is quoted, " Josephine has us doubting in turn the victim and the victimized. One minute has central characters seem capable of almost anything; the next we are firmly on their side as they battle the poisonous atmosphere of small-town gossip." Indeed.
This is the eighth book in the series; I have only read a few and have not had any difficulties understanding Josephine Tey's background, characters from earlier novels, how they connect to Tey and each other because the author seamlessly provides details as she extends the complicated plot of this novel. By 1938 and 1948, Josephine Tey has successfully published novels and written plays. The author's deep research into Josephine Tey's professional life and her extreme privacy is reflected in the development of the plot and characters with unexpected turns, a most unexpected ending, all with the underpinning of a world disrespectful and prejudiced against women. The side trips with Tey's professional relationship with Alfred Hitchcock are a reminder of her extensive body of work.
There are scenes in this novel so shocking that I wondered how anyone could recover: the murder of a teenager, the complete destruction of property, and the bleach attack of a middle-aged woman, but they are the reflections of deep anger/misunderstanding/fear toward same-sex relationships in 1915...1938...1948...and today.
How complicated our lives are, at any age, the assumptions we make, the perceptions we hold on to. One of the things the author calls my attention to, through characters' introspection, is "What do I think?"..."What would I do?" Josephine, in 1915, a young woman experiencing a small town's visceral reaction to the death of a young woman and the relationship between the heads of the horticultural enterprise questions herself: was she strong enough to follow her heart?
Finally, one of the many quotes I loved: "If you can't be brave, at least be kind. Don't blame the person who loves you for what you can't face."
This is the eighth book in the series; I have only read a few and have not had any difficulties understanding Josephine Tey's background, characters from earlier novels, how they connect to Tey and each other because the author seamlessly provides details as she extends the complicated plot of this novel. By 1938 and 1948, Josephine Tey has successfully published novels and written plays. The author's deep research into Josephine Tey's professional life and her extreme privacy is reflected in the development of the plot and characters with unexpected turns, a most unexpected ending, all with the underpinning of a world disrespectful and prejudiced against women. The side trips with Tey's professional relationship with Alfred Hitchcock are a reminder of her extensive body of work.
There are scenes in this novel so shocking that I wondered how anyone could recover: the murder of a teenager, the complete destruction of property, and the bleach attack of a middle-aged woman, but they are the reflections of deep anger/misunderstanding/fear toward same-sex relationships in 1915...1938...1948...and today.
How complicated our lives are, at any age, the assumptions we make, the perceptions we hold on to. One of the things the author calls my attention to, through characters' introspection, is "What do I think?"..."What would I do?" Josephine, in 1915, a young woman experiencing a small town's visceral reaction to the death of a young woman and the relationship between the heads of the horticultural enterprise questions herself: was she strong enough to follow her heart?
Finally, one of the many quotes I loved: "If you can't be brave, at least be kind. Don't blame the person who loves you for what you can't face."
April 27, 2020
So very glad I got to read this book. I'm going to search out more by Nicola Upson. It was not through lack of trying that I didn't finish this in one sitting!
April 13, 2021
I absolutely love this series but this wasn’t my favourite. Still intriguing as always though. Slightly sad not to have the usual interaction with Archie but it’s good to have a bit of variety.
April 24, 2021
Too slow. Characters not well differentiated. Other books and plays done better. Read the stories referenced.
August 14, 2020
This is my first of Upson’s books and initially I struggled slightly at placing real people in a fictional narrative, and, potentially making up characters for them.
That slight uneasiness aside, I enjoyed reading this book. It flips between past and present, with a top and tail 10 years later to bookend. The time shifts really worked though, avoiding the confusion this can sometimes lead too.
There’s a theme of betrayal running through this book which really makes the characters human. The plot is clever and gripping. I will read more!
That slight uneasiness aside, I enjoyed reading this book. It flips between past and present, with a top and tail 10 years later to bookend. The time shifts really worked though, avoiding the confusion this can sometimes lead too.
There’s a theme of betrayal running through this book which really makes the characters human. The plot is clever and gripping. I will read more!
August 26, 2020
I bought this because the heroine is Josephine Tey - THE Josephine Tey, who wrote The Daughter of Time (among other things) and introduced me to historical research.
But I really enjoyed this novel, and would recommend it to lovers of whodunnits.
But I really enjoyed this novel, and would recommend it to lovers of whodunnits.
July 7, 2021
This book had my heart beating as I’ve after the other surprise occurred . Beautifully written with detailed descriptions of the English countryside and the art of gardening . Takes place over a 20 period .
Murders, secrets, gossip and want are the themes . Very dark . Excellent book. I’ve enjoyed following these characters over the years .
Murders, secrets, gossip and want are the themes . Very dark . Excellent book. I’ve enjoyed following these characters over the years .
Read
August 5, 2021DNF
October 4, 2023
Well done - surprise, surprise!
Did Not Finish
April 13, 2026I did not finish this book but not as did not like. I love this series and have read/am reading all. I found some reviews/commentary indicating this will terribly sad and focused somewhat on extreme intolerance and I felt I could not read now.
February 10, 2024
So very sad
I found this to be the saddest of the Tey books so far. Well written as usual but just so very sad. And I wonder if the “end” of the book was really the end for the murderer? Crimes of passion repeated, what was going to happen the next time that person encountered passion?
I enjoy the series, it makes me think, has a lot of reminders of books and things that I grew up with. But this one was very sad.
I found this to be the saddest of the Tey books so far. Well written as usual but just so very sad. And I wonder if the “end” of the book was really the end for the murderer? Crimes of passion repeated, what was going to happen the next time that person encountered passion?
I enjoy the series, it makes me think, has a lot of reminders of books and things that I grew up with. But this one was very sad.
August 15, 2020
I would like to preface this by saying that I read this book as a one-off and haven't read the other books containing Josephine Tey. I don't know if they link together in some way, but I gather that the story stands alone. Maybe my view on this book would be slightly different if I'd read more of them, but as the book doesn't specify that you read any of them in a certain order I thought I'd review it from my perspective.
I enjoyed the book a lot, and read it very quickly. The book has an amazing plot-line (a schoolgirl is murdered and Josephine is trying to find out who had done it years later). It left me guessing towards the end, and I thought it could have been any of the main characters that had committed the murder, which shows how good of a novel it is.
However, my problem with this book is not the story-line but the characters. I didn't care for the characters- even Josephine- the way I should have done, and found myself not minding who the killer turned out to be. Some characters seemed unfinished- For example Marta was the only character who didn't have a link to the farmhouse, and just felt like a love interest. Even when (slight spoiler alert) she threatens to leave Josephine I found myself wishing she would just go. Their relationship felt forced, and used just as an excuse for Josephine and Jeannie not to get back together. Similarly, I thought both Jeannie and Betty/Elizabeth should have appeared more than once in the book (Josephine's present day). I was disappointed that Jeannie wasn't as involved as she should have been, because she was an interesting character. The involvement of Archie also made no sense to me- if you'd taken him out of the whole story it hardly would have made a difference. It was frustrating how many characters didn't seem to have a definite ending.
There are a lot of plot twists, which I enjoyed, but I felt slightly disappointed by the ending. It was hardly the worst ending I've ever read, but I thought it was bit of a cop out. All the chapters set in 1915 (I believe it's around that time) were in my opinion so much better than Josephine's present day. Luckily for me, most of it was based in 1915. The story spends a lot of time telling us about Josephine's past, which was mostly the reason why I really enjoyed the book because it was so well written. The present day chapters just felt slightly rushed and underdeveloped to me- but that's just my opinion. If you don't mind getting straight into the action then this is definitely the book for you.
Overall, I would have rated this 3 1/2 stars if it had given me the choice. It would have been a really great book if I'd cared about the characters enough, but this just wasn't the case. The story-line (particularly at the beginning) really reeled me in, but I wish the ending could have been slightly different. A good book if you want to sink your teeth into a mystery, but don't expect it to change your life.
I enjoyed the book a lot, and read it very quickly. The book has an amazing plot-line (a schoolgirl is murdered and Josephine is trying to find out who had done it years later). It left me guessing towards the end, and I thought it could have been any of the main characters that had committed the murder, which shows how good of a novel it is.
However, my problem with this book is not the story-line but the characters. I didn't care for the characters- even Josephine- the way I should have done, and found myself not minding who the killer turned out to be. Some characters seemed unfinished- For example Marta was the only character who didn't have a link to the farmhouse, and just felt like a love interest. Even when (slight spoiler alert) she threatens to leave Josephine I found myself wishing she would just go. Their relationship felt forced, and used just as an excuse for Josephine and Jeannie not to get back together. Similarly, I thought both Jeannie and Betty/Elizabeth should have appeared more than once in the book (Josephine's present day). I was disappointed that Jeannie wasn't as involved as she should have been, because she was an interesting character. The involvement of Archie also made no sense to me- if you'd taken him out of the whole story it hardly would have made a difference. It was frustrating how many characters didn't seem to have a definite ending.
There are a lot of plot twists, which I enjoyed, but I felt slightly disappointed by the ending. It was hardly the worst ending I've ever read, but I thought it was bit of a cop out. All the chapters set in 1915 (I believe it's around that time) were in my opinion so much better than Josephine's present day. Luckily for me, most of it was based in 1915. The story spends a lot of time telling us about Josephine's past, which was mostly the reason why I really enjoyed the book because it was so well written. The present day chapters just felt slightly rushed and underdeveloped to me- but that's just my opinion. If you don't mind getting straight into the action then this is definitely the book for you.
Overall, I would have rated this 3 1/2 stars if it had given me the choice. It would have been a really great book if I'd cared about the characters enough, but this just wasn't the case. The story-line (particularly at the beginning) really reeled me in, but I wish the ending could have been slightly different. A good book if you want to sink your teeth into a mystery, but don't expect it to change your life.
December 30, 2019
I love this series. I listen to it and the narrator - Sandra Duncan - reads very well indeed. I liked Josephine Tey’s novels which is what drew me to the series but the author has taken a really interesting perspective on her life. Clearly lots of research has been done. Central to all the novels is the relationship between women, in all its variants - friends, lovers, supporters, enemies.
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