It's always a bit tricky when an author uses a real person as a character in a book. It's not such a problem with historical fiction where the figure is placed into his natural setting and circumstances, rather the problem arises when he's dropped into a made-up situation. In An Expert in Murder Nicola Upson takes author Josephine Tey and involves her in a murder mystery. Although some readers seemed dissatisfied with the set up, it worked for me for a variety of reasons. I found it to be a well written and carefully researched literary mystery, though I will say this is one best read with full attention as there are lots of details to keep track of and characters to follow.
I'm afraid I don't know much about the real Josephine Tey, which probably worked to my benefit. I have read only one of her novels, Brat Farrar, ages ago, which I recollect enjoying. Tey is actually a pseudonym for Scottish writer and playwright Elizabeth Mackintosh best known for her detective novels. Upson uses the facts of Tey's life as a jumping off place to begin this mystery series. In this case Upson draws on Tey's experiences in the theatre, another cultural area where I am woefully lacking in knowledge. I suspect I missed out on references to people and biographical details of Tey's life that were only thinly disguised in the novel (so I'm grateful for the author's note at the end). For me, this novel was fictional in more than one way, but it was a world (based on reality or not) that I enjoyed immersing myself in.
The story revolves around the murder of a young woman Josephine meets on a train. Travelling from her home in Scotland to London's West End, Josephine plans to attend the final performances of her play, Richard of Bordeaux, which has enjoyed a hugely successful run at the New Theatre. Elspeth Simmons finds herself seated in the same compartment with the famed Josephine Tey. Josephine would prefer to be anonymous, but Elspeth's excitement over meeting the playwright is infectious and the two (particularly Elspeth) share confidences. Elspeth is delivering a shipment of hats she and her mother made to her uncle in London, but what she's really looking forward to is seeing her boyfriend and attending Richard of Bordeaux yet again before it closes. Both Elspeth and her uncle share a great love for the theatre and Hedley, her beau, works at the New, as it is fondly called. This is a special weekend for Elspeth and Hedley and she can hardly contain her anticipation. Before parting Josephine and Elspeth make plans to meet up later in the weekend.
They'll not get the chance. Elspeth doesn't even get out of the train compartment. As she's gathering her bags someone enters and murders her with a hatpin. They shave a snatch of hair from her head and leave behind a souvenir doll from the play, which had proved to be so popular with theatregoers, propping both body and doll up in the seat. It's a macabre scene that the police first encounter. This all happens unbeknownst to Josephine who's meeting friends just outside on the platform including one of the actresses from the play. It's all a muddle as Josephine will find herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. Is she a suspect or was she really the intended victim? Josephine's very good friend Archie Penrose who works as a detective at Scotland Yard is called in to head up the case.
This is a complex mystery that goes behind the scenes in the theatre and digs into the private and sometimes painful lives of the victim and her family. Although Josephine is central to the mystery, being the last person to speak to Elspeth as well as having such a strong association to the theatre, it's really Archie who drives the investigation and pieces together the complicated puzzle that will reveal the murderer. To find a solution Archie will have to reach all the way back to events that occurred in the Great War, which still hangs over the lives of nearly every character.
Upson's London of 1934 is richly atmospheric. Even though I don't know much about the world of the theatre, I managed a peek at it through this book--gossipy and at times backstabbing and characters with heavy egos bumping into each other. The characters are interesting and nicely rounded and I'm especially curious to see where Archie and Josephine are headed. Friends before the War, their connection was Josephine's lover and Archie's best friend, who died on the battlefield. The War is still fresh in everyone's minds and there are painful glimpses backwards. All in all I found this to be a totally satisfying read and am looking forward to getting my hands on Upson's new book, Angel with Two Faces, which is not even listed yet on Amazon here in the US. Since I am trying to rein in my spending (just a little anyway), I'm not allowing myself to splurge on the hardcover as that's all that's available from the UK right now. I wonder if it's too soon to contemplate interlibrary loan? Of course maybe I should pick up a book by the real Josephine Tey, or another Golden Age mystery that An Expect in Murder pays such wonderful homage to!