Accidental drowning, perhaps a suicide or . . . murder? I like an author who can tell a story in an unusual way. In Josephine Tey's 1936 mystery novel, A Shilling for Candle, a woman's body is found on a beach in the opening pages of the novel. Spotted by an early morning walker nothing is known about her initially. Curious since she is actually a beautiful,young, world-famous actress who had been hiding away on the coast under an assumed name. But once word is out, the world mourns, and it is only through a fairly extensive cast of suspects does the reader come to know Christine Clay. Everyone has a story, or an opinion.
Josephine Tey published only a handful of books. Six of them feature Scotland Yard detective Alan Grant, and in a hodge podge and very glacial sort of way I have been making my way through them. She seems an interesting person, and sadly she died quite young. Josephine Tey is the penname for Elizabeth Mackintosh who it seems had wanted to make a name for herself, as a playwright. I'm not sure, however, that she was looking for fame as we know it, as she appears to have been a very private person. I have a feeling she is better known now as one of the Golden Age era mystery writers, though this is not the first book by her that I have read that has a decidedly theatrical slant to it.
Inspector Grant, sitting as unobtrusively as he can at the inquest, is called down to Kent by the local constabulary who assumes this case, if indeed it is murder, will be trickier than they like. The press is already hot on his heels as one newspaper reporter spots Grant tucked under his hat and knows immediately he is on to something big. What better place to kill oneself than on the seaside cliffs, but why would Christine Clay want such a thing. No, it is murder, plain and simple. It might have been a convincing case of suicide had not one small clue been washed to sea rather than tangled into the hair of the murdered actress.
And there is one man who surely must have done it. It's not just a lack of suspects, but the most obvious person is likely the one to have committed murder. And in this case, it is a young man who has been staying with Christine. He knows her, however, as Chris. Not as a famous actress but simply a kind woman who has allowed him to stay with her temporarily. He denies it. He would, right? Grant is sure he has his man, and the man has no alibi, rather he's been acting suspicious all along.
One definite clue. One missing jacket. One altered will. A flight from the scene of the crime, even if he did turn around and come back. And worse, just as he is in the process of getting arrested he loses courage and faith and goes on the lamb. So there is the mystery of the fleeing man, and perhaps still the mystery of who killed Christine Clay. Are they one in the same?
There is a wonderful set piece in the story where a party takes place with much gossip and talk about the victim. The party happens to include the daughter of the local head of the constabulary, who is surely too smart for her own good and perhaps one of my very favorite characters in the novel. She was a delight and the accused man's champion--lucky for him.
I have read a few of Tey's Grant novels now, where has either been center stage (so to speak) or peripherally part of the story, but I never quite feel like I know him. I learned more about him in the first of Tey's books, though he still strikes me as a detective who relies on general, basic detective work and a strong sixth sense peppered with experience. Perhaps the lack of the personal has to do with the seven year hiatus between first and second Grant novels? He and I will certainly cross paths again, I'm sure.
A Shilling for Candles was last month's prompt book with its theatrical-inspired murder, even though the actress was never actually living and breathing in those pages. I'm slowly reading William Boyd at the moment and hope to finish before the end of the month. I have several rather thick, heavy books on the go right now so I have to try and rotate what I carry with me each day. One more prompt to go after the Boyd! Is it too soon to start thinking about it?