Across nearly 20 years and 12 novels, Nicola Upson has been entertaining us with her Josephine Tey novels. It must be one of the finest crime series going that has a real-life crime author transformed into a sleuth to solve fictional crimes, and hopefully it’s leading readers to discover Tey’s Golden Age crime stories. (You can find out more about her here on Crime Fiction Lover.) In The Voices of the Dead, as the title suggests, Josephine happens upon a cold case through the discovery of long lost corpse.
The series began with An Expert in Murder, set in 1934, and now we have reached the summer of 1941. The last outing, Shot With Crimson, which came out two years ago, brought us into World War II and traumatic events during the evacuation of children from London. Now, the country faces The Blitz and lives are lived and lost during the constant bombing. The sentiment that life must go on is seen as Josephine’s good friend and ally in detection, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, gets married in Covent Garden – a joyful occasion that nonetheless has to obey the new wartime rules which see the guests forced to leave shortly afterwards for the shelters. When the all clear sounds some time later, they emerge from the dark safety of the Underground to streets torn apart by the devastation. Always a meticulous researcher, Upson creates a vivid landscape so evocative of the times and events.
However, the story shifts on from London soon afterwards as the National Gallery moves its art collection out of the city to stow it away in North Wales, away from the Luftwaffe’s bombs. In his official capacity, Archie is in charge, and with him Josephine, her lover Marta and their friends travel to Port Meirion, the Baroque-style village built in the 1920s, where the 1960s show The Prisoner was filmed. Archie is supervising the transfer of the art to the slate mines of Maned. He is liaising with Lord Penrhyn and working with the local community who know the mines and caves of the region.
Just as everyone is experiencing the novelty of life away from the city, a body is discovered in the debris of a collapsed mine shaft. It might have remained undisturbed if not for this secret project. This section of the mines has not been used for at least 30 years suggesting the body has been here even longer. Archie investigates and, of course, draws on the support of Josephine to solve a mystery that has the potential to tear apart the community with fear and suspicion.
The underpinning of the fictional story with the real history of protecting the nation’s art is impeccably presented by Upson. As the title suggests, interest in the paranormal and séances from that period colours the mystery but to say more would be a spoiler. Other historical figures also appear including Margaret Rutherford and Noel Coward. Nicola Upson is very comfortable with her characters, who are authentic to the time and their conversations and interactions seem natural. At times it feels like eavesdropping on the past.
We come back to long running series for the people and here we are rewarded with personal developments that give us a rounded picture. Archie’s wedding, Josephine’s struggles as a writer and playwright, and changes in the theatre world are important elements in this book. Josephine Tey was, of course, the author of the Inspector Grant mysteries, and this is the author’s own version of Tey not the real woman. However, she gives us a credible and convincing portrait.
When a murder happens in a small community the motivation is often obvious but the game is to find the killer. This is a cleverer mystery and when the motive of the killer becomes clear it is not typical but it does fit perfectly with the surroundings and the times.
Upson is an elegant writer who crafts a plot with a satisfying precision. This is lighter than the previous book in the series, equally respectful of the Golden Age literature that spawned it but rich in modern themes and sensibilities. Last year’s standalone The Christmas Clue was charming and clever and very enjoyable, a riff on the story of the invention of Cluedo, but it is nice to get back to the intelligent and involving world of Josephine Tey.
Despite her phenomenal success in her day, Tey is not as well remembered as Christie or Sayers. These novels not only demonstrate Upson’s skills but invite us to look into Tey’s work too. If you decide to do that, at Crime Fiction Lover we recommend beginning with The Daughter of Time.
I always feel better for reading a Nicola Upson book and this is no exception. An engaging and satisfying read.
Faber & Faber
Print/Kindle/iBook
£8.49
CFL Rating: 5 Stars