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hope_bolton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
janettedv's review
5.0
This is a thoroughly enjoyable historical crime novel. Dear Little Corpses is Nicola Upson’s latest novel in her brilliant series featuring the novelist and playwright, Josephine Tey and I think it is possibly her best yet. Although it is part of a series, it is entirely possible to read this as a stand-alone.
The book is set right on the eve of WWII as the country waits for war to be declared. It opens with three apparently unconnected scenes, a murder victim is discovered in a block of flats in London, a family say goodbye to their 5 year old daughter as the evacuation of children begins and in Suffolk, Josephine and her lover Marta are preparing to help with the arrival of the evacuees.
The scene setting and historical detail is brilliant and you really get a feel for what it might have been like in September 1939. The story unfolds very gradually which allows you time to get to know the cast of characters many of whom have their dark secrets. I loved the introduction of Margery Allingham into the novel and the new friendship between her and Josephine was delightful. The plot is brilliantly worked out and as the story develops, we see how the three opening scenes are in fact, connected after all.
I would definitely recommend this book and am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Faber and Faber for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The book is set right on the eve of WWII as the country waits for war to be declared. It opens with three apparently unconnected scenes, a murder victim is discovered in a block of flats in London, a family say goodbye to their 5 year old daughter as the evacuation of children begins and in Suffolk, Josephine and her lover Marta are preparing to help with the arrival of the evacuees.
The scene setting and historical detail is brilliant and you really get a feel for what it might have been like in September 1939. The story unfolds very gradually which allows you time to get to know the cast of characters many of whom have their dark secrets. I loved the introduction of Margery Allingham into the novel and the new friendship between her and Josephine was delightful. The plot is brilliantly worked out and as the story develops, we see how the three opening scenes are in fact, connected after all.
I would definitely recommend this book and am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers, Faber and Faber for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
travelsalongmybookshelf's review
5.0
‘There’s something very levelling about Village life, isn’t there?’
I’m back in the 30’s and the eve of war with Josephine Tey. She is at her cottage in Polstead, Suffolk and the war machine is gearing up ready with a horde of evacuees descending. Even Josephine and Marta cannot refuse to help.
I love all the little historical snippets in these novels, in this one Tey references her cottage to ‘The Red Barn Murder’ , an infamous murder from the 1700’s.
Margery Allingham also features in this mystery and is wonderfully written. The characterisations are fabulous, I really fully expect some of these people to step out of the pages of the book and into my living room! There are idyllic country Village scenes, a church fete, cake judging and fancy dress competitions but beneath this something darker is lurking. The story is told from different viewpoints initially and trying to link everything together in my mind was difficult but the author draws you in and very cleverly untangles these threads for the ‘oh’ moment.
‘You never know what’s going on behind a front door once it’s closed.’
When a village girl goes missing, you can feel the tension and heartbreak in the writing. There are plenty of secrets here and people start to look at themselves. This book is atmospheric and quite poignant with the declaration of war and restrictions imposed it felt similar to our lockdowns in a small way. As the hunt for the missing child intensifies, things become much darker and when the horrifying truth is revealed it was shocking and unexpected.
This is such a wonderful series of books, I haven’t read them all yet so I’m glad I can spend more time sleuthing with Josephine Tey.
✩✩✩✩✰
I’m back in the 30’s and the eve of war with Josephine Tey. She is at her cottage in Polstead, Suffolk and the war machine is gearing up ready with a horde of evacuees descending. Even Josephine and Marta cannot refuse to help.
I love all the little historical snippets in these novels, in this one Tey references her cottage to ‘The Red Barn Murder’ , an infamous murder from the 1700’s.
Margery Allingham also features in this mystery and is wonderfully written. The characterisations are fabulous, I really fully expect some of these people to step out of the pages of the book and into my living room! There are idyllic country Village scenes, a church fete, cake judging and fancy dress competitions but beneath this something darker is lurking. The story is told from different viewpoints initially and trying to link everything together in my mind was difficult but the author draws you in and very cleverly untangles these threads for the ‘oh’ moment.
‘You never know what’s going on behind a front door once it’s closed.’
When a village girl goes missing, you can feel the tension and heartbreak in the writing. There are plenty of secrets here and people start to look at themselves. This book is atmospheric and quite poignant with the declaration of war and restrictions imposed it felt similar to our lockdowns in a small way. As the hunt for the missing child intensifies, things become much darker and when the horrifying truth is revealed it was shocking and unexpected.
This is such a wonderful series of books, I haven’t read them all yet so I’m glad I can spend more time sleuthing with Josephine Tey.
✩✩✩✩✰
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘The full moon made a nonsense of the blackout.’
This is the tenth book in in a series based on an imagined life of Scottish novelist and playwright Josephine Tey, whose novel ‘The Daughter of Time’ is amongst my favourite reads. Very little is known about Josephine Tey’s private life, and Ms Upson has imagined her involved in investigating the sort of mysteries she wrote about.
This novel opens on 31 August 1939 as Great Britain prepares to declare war on Germany. Josephine Tey is living in Polstead, Suffolk, in the cottage she inherited from her godmother (‘The Death of Lucy Kyte’ Josephine Tey #5). Her lover Marta is staying with her, and they are looking forward to spending a quiet week together.
Children are being evacuated from London, and the vicar’s wife has asked Josephine to help with the arrival of a busload of evacuees allocated to Polstead. But, while Polstead is expecting twenty children, each of whom has been allocated to a family, a significantly larger number of children arrive. The welcoming committee is thrown into chaos as they try to find homes for each of the additional children. One boy, Noah, is left without a place to stay. The spinster sisters who have taken his sister refuse to take him as well. Reluctantly, Josephine offers Noah temporary accommodation.
The next day, at the village fete, where Josephine has been invited to judge a series of events culminating in a fancy-dress parade, a local family realise that their four-year-old daughter Annie is missing. Annie, annoyed that her mother was taking in extra children, had gone off on her own across the street to stay with her grandmother. But Annie never arrived, and neither her mother nor her grandmother realised she was missing until they arrived at the fancy dress parade.
Josephine’s friend, DCI Archie Penrose of Scotland Yard is visiting friends in the village and organises a thorough search. The search itself uncovers some secrets that several villagers would prefer to remain hidden. There are a few twists in this story, and heartbreak for more than one family. Ms Upson has peopled this novel with some well-drawn characters and has also included a role for Margery Allingham.
While this novel can be read as a standalone, I recommend the series. Which reminds me: there are still a few that I have not yet read.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This is the tenth book in in a series based on an imagined life of Scottish novelist and playwright Josephine Tey, whose novel ‘The Daughter of Time’ is amongst my favourite reads. Very little is known about Josephine Tey’s private life, and Ms Upson has imagined her involved in investigating the sort of mysteries she wrote about.
This novel opens on 31 August 1939 as Great Britain prepares to declare war on Germany. Josephine Tey is living in Polstead, Suffolk, in the cottage she inherited from her godmother (‘The Death of Lucy Kyte’ Josephine Tey #5). Her lover Marta is staying with her, and they are looking forward to spending a quiet week together.
Children are being evacuated from London, and the vicar’s wife has asked Josephine to help with the arrival of a busload of evacuees allocated to Polstead. But, while Polstead is expecting twenty children, each of whom has been allocated to a family, a significantly larger number of children arrive. The welcoming committee is thrown into chaos as they try to find homes for each of the additional children. One boy, Noah, is left without a place to stay. The spinster sisters who have taken his sister refuse to take him as well. Reluctantly, Josephine offers Noah temporary accommodation.
The next day, at the village fete, where Josephine has been invited to judge a series of events culminating in a fancy-dress parade, a local family realise that their four-year-old daughter Annie is missing. Annie, annoyed that her mother was taking in extra children, had gone off on her own across the street to stay with her grandmother. But Annie never arrived, and neither her mother nor her grandmother realised she was missing until they arrived at the fancy dress parade.
Josephine’s friend, DCI Archie Penrose of Scotland Yard is visiting friends in the village and organises a thorough search. The search itself uncovers some secrets that several villagers would prefer to remain hidden. There are a few twists in this story, and heartbreak for more than one family. Ms Upson has peopled this novel with some well-drawn characters and has also included a role for Margery Allingham.
While this novel can be read as a standalone, I recommend the series. Which reminds me: there are still a few that I have not yet read.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith