Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Pushkin Vertigo (2023). 256p.
Description
The fifth book in the Inspector Alan Grant series. The Daughter of Time remains Josephine Tey's most enduringly popular mystery. Can a bed-ridden 20th-century detective solve a 500-year-old crime? The murder of the young princes in the Tower of London in 1483 is the most notorious crime in English royal history. The prime suspect has long been Richard III, portrayed as a monster by everyone from early propagandists writing immediately after Richard's death to Shakespeare himself. In this, the book repeatedly voted one of the best mystery novels of all time, queen of Golden Age crime Josephine Tey tackles the question of Richard's guilt via her own celebrated detective.
User reviews
LibraryThing member rhussey174
My mystery book group met this past weekend to discuss Josephine Tey’s mystery The Daughter of Time. In a way, I’d like to write simply that while it’s not a historical novel, it’s all about Richard III, that you have to be prepared for some serious history, and that it’s really good and
I was glad not to know more because I was delighted to discover the structure of the novel: the fact that it takes place solely in a hospital room and that nothing happens action-wise except people coming and going, bringing books and having conversations about them. What an unusual structure for a mystery novel, and how cleverly done! I love that the mystery is entirely historical, about the question of whether Richard killed the two princes in the Tower and if he didn’t, then who did. (As a side note, I was in the Tower just a few weeks ago, and now I wish I’d read this book beforehand. They had an exhibit about the question of Richard’s guilt, and you could vote on who you think the murderer was. Alas, I can’t remember who the other options were.) I love that the mystery is solved solely through historical research and logical deduction. Although there’s a lot of intuition involved as well, as the whole mystery gets going when Tey’s detective, Grant, decides that Richard does not look like a murderer. He has this feeling, based on his years working with criminals, that Richard isn’t one.
Read the rest of the review at Of Books and Bicycles.
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I liked it a lot, and leave it at that. Because that it wasn’t historical fiction but was all about Richard III is all I knew about it when I picked the book up, and I’m glad I didn’t know more. So if you’re interested in reading this book, you might stop here.I was glad not to know more because I was delighted to discover the structure of the novel: the fact that it takes place solely in a hospital room and that nothing happens action-wise except people coming and going, bringing books and having conversations about them. What an unusual structure for a mystery novel, and how cleverly done! I love that the mystery is entirely historical, about the question of whether Richard killed the two princes in the Tower and if he didn’t, then who did. (As a side note, I was in the Tower just a few weeks ago, and now I wish I’d read this book beforehand. They had an exhibit about the question of Richard’s guilt, and you could vote on who you think the murderer was. Alas, I can’t remember who the other options were.) I love that the mystery is solved solely through historical research and logical deduction. Although there’s a lot of intuition involved as well, as the whole mystery gets going when Tey’s detective, Grant, decides that Richard does not look like a murderer. He has this feeling, based on his years working with criminals, that Richard isn’t one.
Read the rest of the review at Of Books and Bicycles.
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LibraryThing member WinterFox
Over the years, one learns all sorts of pieces of trivia that may or may not be true, just from being in the culture, or hearing bits and pieces of common knowledge in discussions, or getting fed the received wisdom in history classes or children's stories. In most cases, the story is more complex,
Her particular illustration comes through the personage of Inspector Alan Grant, in the hospital after falling through a trap door while trapping a criminal, looking into historical mysteries, since he can't go out chasing down new ones. An actress friend of his brings him a picture of Richard III, and he falls into the question of what happened to Richard's two young nephews, the Princes in the Tower. Common belief holds that Richard killed the two boys to help cement his hold on the throne. Grant starts off with the feeling that the man in the picture doesn't look like a criminal, and then starts investigating the crime from his bed, with the help of his nurses, friends, and an American researcher that becomes attached to the story, as well.
Since this is a mystery, I won't discuss the twists and turns of the story, but I will say that I found it an engrossing read, with an acerbic tone to the writing and interesting characters. Even the explanation of the historical research, which could have been quite dry, comes across as lively. Digging into who the historic players were, and how people actually work versus how we sometimes think of them through the filter of many years, as paper cutouts who just did what they did. That's Tey's real triumph here; you can see the people, both in the story's present and in the past, as real and sympathetic.
This is the best mystery I've read in a while, and it's helped by the unusual format of searching through history. This one's highly recommended.
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and some of the time, the story's just wrong. That's the point of Tey's book, largely: you should be more inquisitive and find out whether the world is what it looks like.Her particular illustration comes through the personage of Inspector Alan Grant, in the hospital after falling through a trap door while trapping a criminal, looking into historical mysteries, since he can't go out chasing down new ones. An actress friend of his brings him a picture of Richard III, and he falls into the question of what happened to Richard's two young nephews, the Princes in the Tower. Common belief holds that Richard killed the two boys to help cement his hold on the throne. Grant starts off with the feeling that the man in the picture doesn't look like a criminal, and then starts investigating the crime from his bed, with the help of his nurses, friends, and an American researcher that becomes attached to the story, as well.
Since this is a mystery, I won't discuss the twists and turns of the story, but I will say that I found it an engrossing read, with an acerbic tone to the writing and interesting characters. Even the explanation of the historical research, which could have been quite dry, comes across as lively. Digging into who the historic players were, and how people actually work versus how we sometimes think of them through the filter of many years, as paper cutouts who just did what they did. That's Tey's real triumph here; you can see the people, both in the story's present and in the past, as real and sympathetic.
This is the best mystery I've read in a while, and it's helped by the unusual format of searching through history. This one's highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member herebedragons
#13, 2006
Wow. This was an amazing book, and it's reminded me that "history" as we know it should not be taken at face value. So much of what we are taught as children (and hear on the news, etc.) is at best a biased account, and at worst, outright lies. That's the underlying message of this book,
LJ Discussion
Wow. This was an amazing book, and it's reminded me that "history" as we know it should not be taken at face value. So much of what we are taught as children (and hear on the news, etc.) is at best a biased account, and at worst, outright lies. That's the underlying message of this book,
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which very cleverly follows the "investigation" of a Scotland Yard detective and a young researcher, as they search for a solution to one of history's most infamous mysteries: what really did happen to the two young nephews of Richard III? Richard himself was accused of their murder, and tradition tells us that he was a monster who had them killed to secure his own position as king of England. That's certainly the story I grew up hearing . . . but was it the truth? Not only did I learn a fair bit from this book, but I found it riveting at times - the "evidence" was charmingly presented as dialogue between the detective and the researcher, and I found it a very satisfying and exciting read (contrary to my expectations when I learned it was some historical thing about Richard III). I would highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who enjoys either history or a good mystery. And if you enjoy both, well, you're in for a treat! And I owe a big thanks to my mom, for sending it to me for Christmas.LJ Discussion
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LibraryThing member bell7
Alan Grant is laid up in the hospital after a fall through a trap door, and incredibly bored as a result. Best-sellers brought by well-meaning friends do not help his situation, but when Marta brings him some historical photographs, he suddenly takes an interest. Grant studies faces, and he comes
For a story in which there is not much action and little immediacy, the pace is fast and the mystery surprisingly intriguing. I enjoyed Tey's dry sense of humor from the beginning, and once Grant started sending people off to research Richard III and continuing with historical tidbits, I was pretty well hooked. I think I would have followed Grant and his friends' research better had I been better versed in the history of the British monarchy. As it was, there was one chapter thick with historical summary that bored me incredibly. I also wished for a bibliography or author's note or something as an endnote to tell me where to look up more information about Richard II or Henry VII or the Princes in the Tower. I was intrigued enough, however, to follow up with a nonfiction title and will certainly read more by this author in the future.
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across a photograph of a man he would have guessed to be a leader and a good man - only to find out it is Richard III. Surprised at his uncharacteristically wrong guess, he embarks on a research project to find more about the last Plantaganet king and the mystery of the murder of his nephews.For a story in which there is not much action and little immediacy, the pace is fast and the mystery surprisingly intriguing. I enjoyed Tey's dry sense of humor from the beginning, and once Grant started sending people off to research Richard III and continuing with historical tidbits, I was pretty well hooked. I think I would have followed Grant and his friends' research better had I been better versed in the history of the British monarchy. As it was, there was one chapter thick with historical summary that bored me incredibly. I also wished for a bibliography or author's note or something as an endnote to tell me where to look up more information about Richard II or Henry VII or the Princes in the Tower. I was intrigued enough, however, to follow up with a nonfiction title and will certainly read more by this author in the future.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Alan Grant of Scotland Yard is getting stir-crazy. He's in hospital recuperating from an injury and he's bored. He misses his work, and he begs his friend, actress Marta Hallard, to bring him faces to study. She brings him a portfolio and one portrait in particular catches his interest. Richard III
Josephine Tey's novel has possibly done more to rehabilitate Richard III's reputation than any number of non-fiction historical works. Perhaps if students were exposed to Tey's novel it would spark their interest in history. With minimal guidance, students could learn a lot about historical research from Grant and Carradine's investigation – the importance of primary sources, evaluation of bias, what questions to ask, and how to spot gaps in the historical record. Although Tey is known as a mystery writer, this novel doesn't fit neatly into that genre. It will appeal to a broader spectrum of readers, especially historical fiction enthusiasts. Although Grant appears in several other novels, this one works very well as a stand-alone. Highly recommended!
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is known as the vile murderer of his nephews, the princes in the Tower, yet he doesn't look like a murderer. Soon Grant is begging for history books. Marta obliges again by introducing Grant to a young American researcher, a hanger-on at the theatre. With Carradine to do the leg work, Grant is soon hot on the trail of a historical puzzle that causes him to question everything he's been taught about history.Josephine Tey's novel has possibly done more to rehabilitate Richard III's reputation than any number of non-fiction historical works. Perhaps if students were exposed to Tey's novel it would spark their interest in history. With minimal guidance, students could learn a lot about historical research from Grant and Carradine's investigation – the importance of primary sources, evaluation of bias, what questions to ask, and how to spot gaps in the historical record. Although Tey is known as a mystery writer, this novel doesn't fit neatly into that genre. It will appeal to a broader spectrum of readers, especially historical fiction enthusiasts. Although Grant appears in several other novels, this one works very well as a stand-alone. Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member gaskella
Most people if asked, including me, would think of Richard III as the hunchback who murdered the princes in the tower. Our information generally comes from Sir Thomas More's hatchet-job of him by way of Shakespeare and Laurence Olivier or Anthony Sher with a crutch capering around the stage.
Tey combines history with the modern detective novel in a clever plot device in which her bored policeman is laid up in hospital and decides to investigate a crime from the past. Colin Dexter was later to use this for Inspector Morse in The Wench is Dead.
Inspector Grant is an expert on reading faces; when his actress friend Marta brings him some portraits to look at, he is intrigued by the one of Richard III and decides to investigate the deeply troubled soul he sees. Looking at the portrait in question (in the National Portrait Gallery, London), he does look worried doesn't he? Fiddling with his ring is a giveaway surely?
With the help of a young American acquaintance of Marta's, Brent Carradine, Grant sets out to find out about the last Plantagenet and Yorkist king. They soon discover that the main texts, particularly that of the 'sainted Thomas More' were written much later during the reign of Henry VII from the Lancastrian line who defeated Richard at Bosworth Field. They start looking for contemporary accounts, and soon discover that Richard had no motive to dispose of the princes, that his reign was actually fairly enlightened. They conclude that he shouldn't have been as maligned as he was. By this time Grant is recovered enough to go home, and Brent has an idea for a book. Finis!
I must admit that my knowledge of the Wars of the Roses comes almost entirely from Shakespeare, so although this is a very gentle novel, it is almost shocking to discover that Richard might be innocent of his nephews' murders! Tey presents a sympathetic portrait that is at odds with many other viewpoints, notably Alison Weir in her 1995 book, (which I've not read). Another more balanced book, Audrey Williamson's The Mystery of the Princes suggests that there is no evidence against Richard, or Henry for that matter.
Whatever you think about Richard, this was a very enjoyable novel indeed; I'd recommend it to teenagers who like history too. Grant was a likeable and solid detective and I would enjoy reading him on his feet in one of his other outings. Also, now I've read a novel by Josephine Tey and read a little about her background, I can read Nicola Upson's two novels which feature Tey as a slightly Marplesque detective - I'm looking forward to them!
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Josephine Tey does her best to rehabilitate him in her novel published back in 1951. Such is The Daughter in Time's influence, that although it is fiction, it has almost become an established text.Tey combines history with the modern detective novel in a clever plot device in which her bored policeman is laid up in hospital and decides to investigate a crime from the past. Colin Dexter was later to use this for Inspector Morse in The Wench is Dead.
Inspector Grant is an expert on reading faces; when his actress friend Marta brings him some portraits to look at, he is intrigued by the one of Richard III and decides to investigate the deeply troubled soul he sees. Looking at the portrait in question (in the National Portrait Gallery, London), he does look worried doesn't he? Fiddling with his ring is a giveaway surely?
With the help of a young American acquaintance of Marta's, Brent Carradine, Grant sets out to find out about the last Plantagenet and Yorkist king. They soon discover that the main texts, particularly that of the 'sainted Thomas More' were written much later during the reign of Henry VII from the Lancastrian line who defeated Richard at Bosworth Field. They start looking for contemporary accounts, and soon discover that Richard had no motive to dispose of the princes, that his reign was actually fairly enlightened. They conclude that he shouldn't have been as maligned as he was. By this time Grant is recovered enough to go home, and Brent has an idea for a book. Finis!
I must admit that my knowledge of the Wars of the Roses comes almost entirely from Shakespeare, so although this is a very gentle novel, it is almost shocking to discover that Richard might be innocent of his nephews' murders! Tey presents a sympathetic portrait that is at odds with many other viewpoints, notably Alison Weir in her 1995 book, (which I've not read). Another more balanced book, Audrey Williamson's The Mystery of the Princes suggests that there is no evidence against Richard, or Henry for that matter.
Whatever you think about Richard, this was a very enjoyable novel indeed; I'd recommend it to teenagers who like history too. Grant was a likeable and solid detective and I would enjoy reading him on his feet in one of his other outings. Also, now I've read a novel by Josephine Tey and read a little about her background, I can read Nicola Upson's two novels which feature Tey as a slightly Marplesque detective - I'm looking forward to them!
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LibraryThing member jcbrunner
An early 20th century Da Vinci Code type mystery novel in which the main protagonist educates the reader about Richard III and the murder of the two princes in the tower. In a supposedly didactic discourse the reader is led towards the understanding that Richard III has been framed for the murder
Following the publication of the Da Vinci Code, the expression "to be danbrowned" was coined for tricking gullible readers to hold fiction for fact. While reading historical fiction is both convenient and enlarges potential readership, it is a poor substitute for actual history. Tey quite shamelessly muddies this fact by tainting professional history books with the necessary simplifications and adaptations of children's history books, doing history a disservice. While over 2.500 members have cataloged her book, only 1.000 have cataloged Alison Weir's The Princes in the Tower and only 300 Paul Murray Kendall's classic biography. In this case, truth is inverse to popularity.
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and the true culprit, Henry VII, ignored. How does the author achieve this? By holding Richard III and Henry VII to completely different standards. While any doubt is seen as exculpatory for Richard III, any hearsay counts as inculpatory for Henry VII. Highlighting the unjust Shakespearean accusations, she prepares the ground to dismiss all charges against Richard III and muddies the facts about Richard's control of the Tower where the princes were last seen.Following the publication of the Da Vinci Code, the expression "to be danbrowned" was coined for tricking gullible readers to hold fiction for fact. While reading historical fiction is both convenient and enlarges potential readership, it is a poor substitute for actual history. Tey quite shamelessly muddies this fact by tainting professional history books with the necessary simplifications and adaptations of children's history books, doing history a disservice. While over 2.500 members have cataloged her book, only 1.000 have cataloged Alison Weir's The Princes in the Tower and only 300 Paul Murray Kendall's classic biography. In this case, truth is inverse to popularity.
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LibraryThing member Smiler69
Right. I wasn't going to write a review for this one, as I feel like I'm not qualified to do so for reasons I shall explain shortly. Here is the book description from Amazon, since I don't think I could really improve upon it: "In [Daughter of Time], Tey focuses on the legend of Richard III, the
Why can't I write a proper review? Because truth be told, probably 90% of the story went right over my head. But the 10% I did get, I absolutely loved. Well and truly. Having read one [[Josephine Tey]] novel before—[The Franchise Affair]—and tremendously enjoyed her unique style and amusing, snappy dialogue, I was looking forward to this one, which came highly recommended. I was hesitant to read it for the simple reason that I know... well, nothing about British history, and even less about it's monarchs, even though Queen Elizabeth II has graced most of our currency, including all our coins and our $20 (and former $2) bills for as far back as I can remember. But that was of no help whatsoever here—further proof that money is definitely not the solution to everything. I had asked, on one of the many mystery threads here on LT, whether one should have some historical background to enjoy this novel and was told 'absolutely not necessary'. Well. I beg to differ. So basically, all the bits describing the court intrigues during Richard III's reign, to me seemed to have altogether too many characters I wasn't even a little bit familiar with running around doing a lot of things I didn't understand involving the usual greed, envy, ambition, etc. But all the other bits were an absolute delight; here, a sample from the opening lines of the book as poorly copied by me from the audiobook version (punctuation my own, obviously):
Grant lay on his high, white cot and stared at the ceiling. Stared at it with loathing. He knew by heart every last minute crack on it's nice clean surface. He'd made maps of the ceiling and gone exploring on them; rivers, islands and continents. He'd made guessing games of it and discovered hidden objects; faces, birds and fishes. He had made mathematical calculations of it and rediscovered his childhood; theorems angles and triangles. There was practically nothing else he could do but look at it. He hated the sight of it. He had suggested to the midget that she might turn his bed around a little so he could have a new patch of ceiling to explore. But it seemed that that would spoil the symmetry of the room and in hospitals, symmetry ranks just a short head behind cleanliness and a whole length in front of godliness. Anything out of the parallel was hospital profanity. Why didn't he read? She asked, Why didn't he go on reading some of those expensive new novels that his friends kept on bringing him? "There are far too many people born in to the world, and far too many words written; millions and millions of them, pouring from the presses every minute; it's a horrible thought." "You sound constipated" said the midget. 'The Midget' was nurse Ingham, and she was in so per fact a very nice 5 feet 2 with everything in just proportion. Grant called her 'The Midget' to compensate himself for being bossed around by a piece of Dresden china which he could pick up in one hand. When he was on his feet, that is to say.
Add to this Sir Derek Jacobi's wonderfully expressive narration, and it's obvious why I couldn't let the simple matter of 'not being able to make out the better part of the novel' get in the way of me enjoying it till the very end. So really, it's completely unfair of me to give such a low rating to such an excellent and entertaining piece of literature, as I know it's entirely my fault that I didn't—at the very least—acquaint myself with the wikipedia page about Richard III. I hope I'll be forgiven by Tey's fans for this lack of consideration on my part, especially since you can now count me among her fans too.
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evil hunchback of British history accused of murdering his young nephews. While at a London hospital recuperating from a fall, Inspector Alan Grant becomes fascinated by a portrait of King Richard. A student of human faces, Grant cannot believe that the man in the picture would kill his own nephews. With an American researcher's help, Grant delves into his country's history to discover just what kind of man Richard Plantagenet was and who really killed the little princes."Why can't I write a proper review? Because truth be told, probably 90% of the story went right over my head. But the 10% I did get, I absolutely loved. Well and truly. Having read one [[Josephine Tey]] novel before—[The Franchise Affair]—and tremendously enjoyed her unique style and amusing, snappy dialogue, I was looking forward to this one, which came highly recommended. I was hesitant to read it for the simple reason that I know... well, nothing about British history, and even less about it's monarchs, even though Queen Elizabeth II has graced most of our currency, including all our coins and our $20 (and former $2) bills for as far back as I can remember. But that was of no help whatsoever here—further proof that money is definitely not the solution to everything. I had asked, on one of the many mystery threads here on LT, whether one should have some historical background to enjoy this novel and was told 'absolutely not necessary'. Well. I beg to differ. So basically, all the bits describing the court intrigues during Richard III's reign, to me seemed to have altogether too many characters I wasn't even a little bit familiar with running around doing a lot of things I didn't understand involving the usual greed, envy, ambition, etc. But all the other bits were an absolute delight; here, a sample from the opening lines of the book as poorly copied by me from the audiobook version (punctuation my own, obviously):
Grant lay on his high, white cot and stared at the ceiling. Stared at it with loathing. He knew by heart every last minute crack on it's nice clean surface. He'd made maps of the ceiling and gone exploring on them; rivers, islands and continents. He'd made guessing games of it and discovered hidden objects; faces, birds and fishes. He had made mathematical calculations of it and rediscovered his childhood; theorems angles and triangles. There was practically nothing else he could do but look at it. He hated the sight of it. He had suggested to the midget that she might turn his bed around a little so he could have a new patch of ceiling to explore. But it seemed that that would spoil the symmetry of the room and in hospitals, symmetry ranks just a short head behind cleanliness and a whole length in front of godliness. Anything out of the parallel was hospital profanity. Why didn't he read? She asked, Why didn't he go on reading some of those expensive new novels that his friends kept on bringing him? "There are far too many people born in to the world, and far too many words written; millions and millions of them, pouring from the presses every minute; it's a horrible thought." "You sound constipated" said the midget. 'The Midget' was nurse Ingham, and she was in so per fact a very nice 5 feet 2 with everything in just proportion. Grant called her 'The Midget' to compensate himself for being bossed around by a piece of Dresden china which he could pick up in one hand. When he was on his feet, that is to say.
Add to this Sir Derek Jacobi's wonderfully expressive narration, and it's obvious why I couldn't let the simple matter of 'not being able to make out the better part of the novel' get in the way of me enjoying it till the very end. So really, it's completely unfair of me to give such a low rating to such an excellent and entertaining piece of literature, as I know it's entirely my fault that I didn't—at the very least—acquaint myself with the wikipedia page about Richard III. I hope I'll be forgiven by Tey's fans for this lack of consideration on my part, especially since you can now count me among her fans too.
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LibraryThing member cogitno
A bed-ridden and bored Inspector Grant is given a selection of portrait prints to ease his contemplative burthen. Richard III's portrait catches his attention; he cannot reconcile the face in the portrait with the crimes assigned to the man. With the help of a young American researcher, Grant
The journey is largely an intellectual one conducted entirely from a hospital bed, and is supported by documentary (offstage) evidence gathered by the young researcher. Keen historians of the period will anticipate the journey, but should not be deterred from tramping over this familiar ground - the journey is as important as the destination. Non historians may be surprised.
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applies his forensic skills to arrive at a reconciliation.The journey is largely an intellectual one conducted entirely from a hospital bed, and is supported by documentary (offstage) evidence gathered by the young researcher. Keen historians of the period will anticipate the journey, but should not be deterred from tramping over this familiar ground - the journey is as important as the destination. Non historians may be surprised.
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LibraryThing member AMQS
"I'll never again believe anything I read in a history book, as long as I live, so help me."
I read this in honor of Mystery March, but I could easily categorize this read as "Rescued From the Bottom of the Pile," "What Was I Waiting For?" or "Awesome." Such a fun read! Scotland Yard Inspector Alan
I read this in honor of Mystery March, but I could easily categorize this read as "Rescued From the Bottom of the Pile," "What Was I Waiting For?" or "Awesome." Such a fun read! Scotland Yard Inspector Alan
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Grant is confined to a hospital bed after breaking his leg. His friends try books and other diversions to keep him from going crazy, but what captivates him is a portrait of Richard III -- the awful murderer of the two princes in the Tower. Grant prides himself on "reading" faces, but is surprised at his reaction to Richard. His friends and nurses procure history books for him -- first from school, then from Charing Cross book stores, the British Museum, and the British Library. While history has made up its mind about Richard, the detective mind of Grant is thoroughly unimpressed by the evidence and leading sources -- history's best authorities consist of gossip and hearsay. He and an eager American researcher pour over historical records and uncover layer after layer of historical inconsistency -- enough to look at Richard and his successor Henry VII in a whole new light, and consider the bias "history" assumes based on who is doing the telling, or on popular sentiment/propaganda of the day. A fascinating read, particularly after the very recent -- and real -- discovery of the remains of the real Richard III. Show Less
LibraryThing member katiekrug
What a delight! I have never read any of Josephine Tey’s books but have seen glowing reviews here on LT. I stumbled across this audio book at my local library and decided to give it a try during my drive from Dallas to Houston. Never has I-45 passed by so quickly…
Daughter of Time is not a
There is very little action in this book, but it’s filled with wonderfully-drawn characters and sharp dialogue. Highly recommended for fans of mysteries, history, or just darn-good stories.
Daughter of Time is not a
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traditional mystery. It is the story of a Scotland Yard detective who is laid up in the hospital after an injury and who, in an effort to alleviate the boredom of being bed-ridden, begins a historical investigation into King Richard III of England. Richard is widely believed to have had his two nephews killed in order to secure the throne for himself. A detailed explanation of all the political and familial machinations would be too difficult to attempt here, and some of it was a bit difficult to follow on audio (had I been reading the book, I would have been flipping back a lot). But Tey does a wonderful job of elucidating the situation and laying out the evidence.There is very little action in this book, but it’s filled with wonderfully-drawn characters and sharp dialogue. Highly recommended for fans of mysteries, history, or just darn-good stories.
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LibraryThing member Figgles
The recent confirmation that the bones discovered beneath a Leicester car park are those of Richard III drew me back to Josephine Tey's excellent historical detective novel. Inspector Grant is hospitalised with a spinal injury and in an effort to keep away the "prickles" of boredom takes up the
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case of why Richard III murdered the Princes in the Tower - only to find that there is no evidence he did so. A fabulously engaging novel that actually draws you in to the process of historical research using original sources (Grant is assisted by a young American historian who does all the digging in the archives). Really enjoyable and will make cynical about popular history AND make you want to join the Richard the Third society and clear his name. Recommended to mystery fans and historians alike! Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
The premise of this book is that Inspector Grant is hospitalized after a fall when he becomes fascinated with a portrait of King Richard III. The face in the picture strikes him as someone who "belongs on the bench, not in the dock" and, over the weeks of his convalescence, he tries to solve the
The resulting blend of mystery with historical fiction fascinated me; I couldn't wait to get back to the book. Most creditable historians acknowledge that there is no way to determine a clear culprit...there are problems with each of the major suspects...and the weighing of this factor versus that one draws the reader into this spirited debate. Tey's presentation is a little skewed in that she does not mention a couple of facts that are unexplained by what has become known as the "Markham/Tey" position but, as a story, the whole progression of analysis is convincing to the reader.
I've enjoyed all of Tey's books but, as a fan of historical tales, this is probably my favorite to date.
This was an audio book and I found the reader, Derek Jacobi, absolutely wonderful. I'd pick up something else he narrates in a heartbeat.
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mystery of who really murdered the two princes. The resulting blend of mystery with historical fiction fascinated me; I couldn't wait to get back to the book. Most creditable historians acknowledge that there is no way to determine a clear culprit...there are problems with each of the major suspects...and the weighing of this factor versus that one draws the reader into this spirited debate. Tey's presentation is a little skewed in that she does not mention a couple of facts that are unexplained by what has become known as the "Markham/Tey" position but, as a story, the whole progression of analysis is convincing to the reader.
I've enjoyed all of Tey's books but, as a fan of historical tales, this is probably my favorite to date.
This was an audio book and I found the reader, Derek Jacobi, absolutely wonderful. I'd pick up something else he narrates in a heartbeat.
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
As they say, ’history is written by the victors’, so when we study the past, we probably need to keep that in mind. We should also remember that someone who has been cast in the history books as a villain might have a different perspective on events. Richard III has been vilified throughout the
In The Daughter of Time, police detective Alan Grant is bedridden, recovering from a bullet wound from a previous case. Bored to tears, he finds his hospital stay to be agonizing until a friend visits him and gives him a set of postcards depicting a variety of famous paintings. As a police detective, Grant has honed the skill of analyzing faces to assess a possible suspect’s nature. Going through the photos, he sees the portrait of a man who appears pensive and introspective. When he finds out that the portrait is Richard III, he is surprised that the man’s image does not match the evil personality of a murderer attributed to him. From his bedside, Grant conducts his murder investigation using historic documents instead of collected evidence.
I thought I would love this mystery. It was voted the best mystery of all time and the combination of mystery and historic fiction has always appealed to me. But, what I enjoy about historic fiction is getting a feel for life during that time. Rather than taking the reader to medieval England, we hear about the times and situation indirectly. It was interesting to learn about the discrepancies that make it questionable that Richard III really ordered the murder of the young princes, but I missed the aspect of what it was like to live during that time. Overall, it was interesting, but not as compelling as other historic mysteries.
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centuries as the greedy king who killed his young nephews, the princes in the Tower, so that he could ascend the throne. But although people accept that Richard III was the person who ordered the death of the young princes, the bodies of the princes were never found. In The Daughter of Time, police detective Alan Grant is bedridden, recovering from a bullet wound from a previous case. Bored to tears, he finds his hospital stay to be agonizing until a friend visits him and gives him a set of postcards depicting a variety of famous paintings. As a police detective, Grant has honed the skill of analyzing faces to assess a possible suspect’s nature. Going through the photos, he sees the portrait of a man who appears pensive and introspective. When he finds out that the portrait is Richard III, he is surprised that the man’s image does not match the evil personality of a murderer attributed to him. From his bedside, Grant conducts his murder investigation using historic documents instead of collected evidence.
I thought I would love this mystery. It was voted the best mystery of all time and the combination of mystery and historic fiction has always appealed to me. But, what I enjoy about historic fiction is getting a feel for life during that time. Rather than taking the reader to medieval England, we hear about the times and situation indirectly. It was interesting to learn about the discrepancies that make it questionable that Richard III really ordered the murder of the young princes, but I missed the aspect of what it was like to live during that time. Overall, it was interesting, but not as compelling as other historic mysteries.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Read The Daughter of Time - that really is magnificent. I haven't done any research on the matter myself, but if Tey is correct in her reporting the conclusion is undeniable. And the fact that such a theoretically dry concept - correcting history's verdict on Richard III - is an engaging story as
It's very difficult to review this, because it's so firmly embedded in my worldview now. I first read it more than 10 years ago - 15? 20? - now it's like revisiting an old friend. The story is less important than the small stuff, the parts I forget about between readings. It's also one of very few audio books I enjoy - I have the Derek Jacobi reading, and love the way I can tell who's speaking every time without anything as obvious as names or blatant accents. Wonderful book, will reread again and again...
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well shows how good a writer Tey is. I love this story. The history is fascinating (I knew basically nothing about the era before I read this the first time; now I've read quite a few about the Wars of the Roses and the immediate aftermath, but this doesn't lose any power thereby); the characters are magnificent. I love the way they're described so that I can see them perfectly, without bothering with anything as unimportant as, say, hair color. The Amazon, the Midget, the woolly lamb, Marta, Sergeant Williams, Mrs. Tinker...this was my introduction to Grant and his friends and colleagues, and a very good introduction it was. I also enjoyed the Tonypandy theme. I knew about the Boston Massacre before I read the book; I forget about the Welsh (Tonypandy itself) and Scottish examples shown here in between readings of the book, but the concept remains.It's very difficult to review this, because it's so firmly embedded in my worldview now. I first read it more than 10 years ago - 15? 20? - now it's like revisiting an old friend. The story is less important than the small stuff, the parts I forget about between readings. It's also one of very few audio books I enjoy - I have the Derek Jacobi reading, and love the way I can tell who's speaking every time without anything as obvious as names or blatant accents. Wonderful book, will reread again and again...
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LibraryThing member RaucousRain
Recently, I received a copy of the book The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. I'd heard of it before, but never read it. It's fiction, and is about a modern day British detective (well, 1950s "modern" because that's when the book was written). This detective fellow is laid up in a hospital after
When I started reading the book, I found I liked it a lot and thought I'd read a bit more of it on the following day. However, when I turned on my computer the next morning and looked at the news ... lo & behold, the morning news reported that the remains of Richard III were uncovered under a parking lot in England and just been positively identified. It just seemed uncanny – Richard III had been buried for about 500 years, and then news regarding his remains is announced right when I start reading the book. What excellent timing! I finished the Tey book that same day – and I highly recommend it!
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an accident and he, together with a research assistant who is a new acquaintance of his, have fun delving into the lies & conspiracies connected to the life & death of King Richard III. The Tey book is wonderful and quite entertaining!When I started reading the book, I found I liked it a lot and thought I'd read a bit more of it on the following day. However, when I turned on my computer the next morning and looked at the news ... lo & behold, the morning news reported that the remains of Richard III were uncovered under a parking lot in England and just been positively identified. It just seemed uncanny – Richard III had been buried for about 500 years, and then news regarding his remains is announced right when I start reading the book. What excellent timing! I finished the Tey book that same day – and I highly recommend it!
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LibraryThing member Meredy
Six-word review: Admirable puzzle solving, but arguably overpraised.
Extended review:
Given all the extravagant acclaim that I have seen for this novel over the decades since its publication, I was expecting something stunningly marvelous. It wasn't.
Yes, it's a fine piece of historical sleuthing, and
However, it simply didn't knock me out. I don't see why it's been touted with superlatives for sixty-plus years or held up as a supreme standard of mystery writing. Competent, entertaining, engagingly written, certainly--but is it really brilliant? Is it? The most compelling character, in my opinion, is the much-maligned King Richard. Alan Grant, Marta, the young researcher, the two nurses, and the housekeeper all seem very brittle and limited to me, their interactions rather forced and phony, the historical data and the sequence of revelations creating a contrived appearance like the mechanics of fire or ocean waves on a theatrical stage. You can go along with the illusion for the sake of the production, but you don't for a moment take it to be genuine.
The book's reputation, of course, is not the fault of the book. If it falls short of that, as in my opinion it does, that's only to say that it's been overhyped and not that the book itself lacks merit. I enjoyed it well enough, and I liked taking a closer look at a putative villain who may deserve a tremendous apology from history. But three and a half stars are enough.
Extended review:
Given all the extravagant acclaim that I have seen for this novel over the decades since its publication, I was expecting something stunningly marvelous. It wasn't.
Yes, it's a fine piece of historical sleuthing, and
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it works superbly in its own terms. I think it loses nothing by the fact that very recent developments have enlarged both scholars' and the public's knowledge of Richard III's demise.However, it simply didn't knock me out. I don't see why it's been touted with superlatives for sixty-plus years or held up as a supreme standard of mystery writing. Competent, entertaining, engagingly written, certainly--but is it really brilliant? Is it? The most compelling character, in my opinion, is the much-maligned King Richard. Alan Grant, Marta, the young researcher, the two nurses, and the housekeeper all seem very brittle and limited to me, their interactions rather forced and phony, the historical data and the sequence of revelations creating a contrived appearance like the mechanics of fire or ocean waves on a theatrical stage. You can go along with the illusion for the sake of the production, but you don't for a moment take it to be genuine.
The book's reputation, of course, is not the fault of the book. If it falls short of that, as in my opinion it does, that's only to say that it's been overhyped and not that the book itself lacks merit. I enjoyed it well enough, and I liked taking a closer look at a putative villain who may deserve a tremendous apology from history. But three and a half stars are enough.
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LibraryThing member mmyoung
One of the rare books that conveys the shear addictive glory of researching. It isn't so much the matter of what is being investigated it is how. It is a paean to the use of primary sources and wonderful reminder that conventional wisdom, even the conventional wisdom found in schoolbooks, should
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not be blindly accepted. Show Less
LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
The Daughter of Time was the wrong genre for what it intended to do. Josephine Tey set out to restore the reputation of the much-maligned Richard III, which is a worthy goal - he was a complicated man, not the hunchbacked personification of evil that some people remember him to be. If she wanted,
Thomas More gets sarcastically called "the sainted More" for his biased account literally almost every time he's mentioned, which is annoying. But Josephine Tey is guilty of exactly his opposite - by arguing so hard and one-sidedly for Richard's innocence, she makes him into Saint Richard, who is just as unrealistic as the aforementioned personification of evil. If there is anything Tey and her readers should take away from this book, it's not that Richard was an innocent lamb. But history is more nuanced than could ever be recorded, and the biases of both author and reader shape a simplified narrative out of it to their own ends.
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she could have made it into real scholarship, as people certainly do still publish texts about Richard III, he's quite controversial. But she sets her research against a very dull backdrop of an inspector laid up in a hospital bed, and really he just talks to people, most exclaiming about the untrustworthiness of history texts. Thomas More gets sarcastically called "the sainted More" for his biased account literally almost every time he's mentioned, which is annoying. But Josephine Tey is guilty of exactly his opposite - by arguing so hard and one-sidedly for Richard's innocence, she makes him into Saint Richard, who is just as unrealistic as the aforementioned personification of evil. If there is anything Tey and her readers should take away from this book, it's not that Richard was an innocent lamb. But history is more nuanced than could ever be recorded, and the biases of both author and reader shape a simplified narrative out of it to their own ends.
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LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
So, this probably is obvious to a lot of people, but it wasn't to me: THE DAUGHTER OF TIME is not the place to start if you don't know anything at all about the Wars of the Roses. Partly because Tey tosses a lot of names and events at the reader, and if you don't already know who Edward IV is, or
I also think that THE DAUGHTER OF TIME is designed, like so many mysteries, to surprise the reader. If you open up the pages believing that Richard III is an evil murderer of children, woah, would you be shocked to have evidence presented bit by little bit to show that actually, he is most likely innocent of that crime and a wonderful, upstanding individual besides. Since I had hardly any notion of who the Princes in the Tower were, nor any ill opinion of Richard III, I felt no surprise.
THE DAUGHTER OF TIME is a really fun book, even though I had to keep my Wikipedia open to follow along. As in so many mysteries, our protagonist is a sleuth. A police inspector, Alan Grant, confined to bedrest after a bad accident. He investigates Richard III to pass the time, because a centuries-old cold case is the only kind he can take on from his hospital room, and Tey lays out the historical evidence the same way that Agatha Christie distributes clues. There are twists and turns, unexpected reversals. It's really satisfying to reach the last page and feel like untruths have been cleared away, answers found, a man's reputation vindicated.
I'm interested in reading more about the Wars of the Roses now, which I feel is a little backwards. Still, good read.
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what happened at the Battle of Bosworth, you'll find yourself checking Wikipedia a lot and sort of scrambling to understand. THE DAUGHTER OF TIME has a really zippy pace, the writing is bright and lively, so if you've got a great big blank spot in your education under the heading "Wars of the Roses," Tey is not the person to provide much in the way of painstaking detail. I also think that THE DAUGHTER OF TIME is designed, like so many mysteries, to surprise the reader. If you open up the pages believing that Richard III is an evil murderer of children, woah, would you be shocked to have evidence presented bit by little bit to show that actually, he is most likely innocent of that crime and a wonderful, upstanding individual besides. Since I had hardly any notion of who the Princes in the Tower were, nor any ill opinion of Richard III, I felt no surprise.
THE DAUGHTER OF TIME is a really fun book, even though I had to keep my Wikipedia open to follow along. As in so many mysteries, our protagonist is a sleuth. A police inspector, Alan Grant, confined to bedrest after a bad accident. He investigates Richard III to pass the time, because a centuries-old cold case is the only kind he can take on from his hospital room, and Tey lays out the historical evidence the same way that Agatha Christie distributes clues. There are twists and turns, unexpected reversals. It's really satisfying to reach the last page and feel like untruths have been cleared away, answers found, a man's reputation vindicated.
I'm interested in reading more about the Wars of the Roses now, which I feel is a little backwards. Still, good read.
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LibraryThing member rosalita
I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this classic mystery, which has a most unusual set-up. Tey's detective Alan Grant (this is the fifth in a series) is flat on his back in hospital with injuries incurred in the course of duty. He's bored out of his mind until his friend Marta gets him
I confess that the parade of similarly named English royalty often confounds me, and I couldn't coherently distinguish between Edward II and Edward III, or the multitude of Henrys, without a cheat sheet. Fortunately Tey, through Grant and his legman, American researcher Brent Carradine, provides plenty of easily digestible background material to fill in the blanks.
It's always pleasantly surprising when books where the conclusion is known in advance remain compelling to read (cf. Erik Larson's Dead Wake about the sinking of the Lusitania), and that was the case for me here. I knew the bloodthirsty image of Richard III promulgated by Shakespeare and others had been debunked, but I still followed every twist and turn in the story with anticipation. And Tey's ability to make a book set entirely in a hospital room compelling is a tour de force.
I don't know if or how the rest of the series can live up to this singular book, but I think I'd like to give it a try.
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interested in trying to solve a historical mystery: Was Richard III really a monster who had his young nephews murdered in order to steal the throne of England?I confess that the parade of similarly named English royalty often confounds me, and I couldn't coherently distinguish between Edward II and Edward III, or the multitude of Henrys, without a cheat sheet. Fortunately Tey, through Grant and his legman, American researcher Brent Carradine, provides plenty of easily digestible background material to fill in the blanks.
It's always pleasantly surprising when books where the conclusion is known in advance remain compelling to read (cf. Erik Larson's Dead Wake about the sinking of the Lusitania), and that was the case for me here. I knew the bloodthirsty image of Richard III promulgated by Shakespeare and others had been debunked, but I still followed every twist and turn in the story with anticipation. And Tey's ability to make a book set entirely in a hospital room compelling is a tour de force.
I don't know if or how the rest of the series can live up to this singular book, but I think I'd like to give it a try.
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LibraryThing member xtofersdad
One of the best books about history; in this case the deaths of the little Princes in the Tower in 1483. Opened up the idea to me when I read it that some history isn't always what it may seem, and that invariably history is written by the victors (cf Churchill and WW2). History should always be
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approached using a two way mirror, recognising always that your view may be influenced by the shape of the hall of mirrors from which you are viwing. Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
When I was young I was deeply impressed by this book and believed its argument for Richard III's innocence. I still think it is beautifully written and gets across the excitement of historical research very well, but having done professional research on Richard III I believe the evidence strongly
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favors the view that he wrongfully usurped the throne and in all probability eliminated the princes, though I concede there is no "smoking dagger." Show Less
LibraryThing member dagda2
One of the better books in the genre (immobilized detective). In this case they try to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the nephews of Richard III. The way the research is done is very true to how academic researchers go about their process, but there are certainly knocks on
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historical writers and their biases. This is very interesting when police are also known for having pig-headed bias in investigating crimes. It is certainly the pot calling the kettle black. Still, it is a very good read and covers all the bases in its investigation of the disappearance. Show Less
LibraryThing member passion4reading
Having broken his leg in the pursuit of duty, Inspector Alan Grant is now laid up in his hospital bed, with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling all day long. When a friend recommends to him to pursue an academic investigation and brings along some printed portraits from history with whom some
I've always been fascinated by the controversial figure of Richard III and the accepted version of events that he murdered his two young nephews. Here Josephine Tey attempts to solve a centuries-old mystery by applying a policeman's logic and method (Who benefits? Who was where and when? Is there a break in the pattern?), and she appears to have done her research admirably: the few facts that I double checked are all on public record (well – a quick look on Wikipedia, but I'm planning to re-read the book armed with proper historical sources next time). All in all, she makes a convincing case for Richard's innocence and implicates Henry VII instead, but one has to like history a lot to appreciate the finer points of the research that are unearthed, otherwise the novel may indeed seem incredibly boring as the action never shifts from Grant's hospital room. (I've never understood how one can find history boring as history is about people, and people are never boring when the whole gamut of human emotions is involved.) The one thing that was indeed missing, as another reviewer remarked, was a comprehensive genealogical table, hence the slightly lower rating.
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kind of mystery is associated, Grant is fascinated by the face of Richard III and decides to solve the murder of the Princes in the Tower, with someone acting as his research worker in various archives and then bringing him the information.I've always been fascinated by the controversial figure of Richard III and the accepted version of events that he murdered his two young nephews. Here Josephine Tey attempts to solve a centuries-old mystery by applying a policeman's logic and method (Who benefits? Who was where and when? Is there a break in the pattern?), and she appears to have done her research admirably: the few facts that I double checked are all on public record (well – a quick look on Wikipedia, but I'm planning to re-read the book armed with proper historical sources next time). All in all, she makes a convincing case for Richard's innocence and implicates Henry VII instead, but one has to like history a lot to appreciate the finer points of the research that are unearthed, otherwise the novel may indeed seem incredibly boring as the action never shifts from Grant's hospital room. (I've never understood how one can find history boring as history is about people, and people are never boring when the whole gamut of human emotions is involved.) The one thing that was indeed missing, as another reviewer remarked, was a comprehensive genealogical table, hence the slightly lower rating.
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Subjects
Awards
Julian Symons' 100 Best Crime Stories (1951 — 1951)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1951
Physical description
256 p.; 15.39 inches
ISBN
1782278427 / 9781782278429
Local notes
Alan Grant, Scotland Yard Inspector is feeling bored while confined to bed in hospital with a broken leg. Marta Hallard, an actress friend of his, suggests that he should amuse himself by researching a historical mystery. She brings him some pictures of historical characters, aware of Grant's interest in human faces. He becomes intrigued by a portrait of King Richard III.
Other editions
The Daughter Of Time by Josephine Tey (Paperback)
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Hardcover)