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Josephine Tey #11
Shot With Crimson
Violence finds its way to old Hollywood in the eleventh Josephine Tey mystery, perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Jacqueline Winspear.
September 1939, and the worries of war follow Josephine Tey to Hollywood, where a different sort of battle is raging on the set of Hitchcock’s Rebecca.
Then a shocking act of violence reawakens the shadows of the past, with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, and Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves on a trail leading back to the house that inspired a young Daphne du Maurier - a trail that echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, jealousy, and murder.
September 1939, and the worries of war follow Josephine Tey to Hollywood, where a different sort of battle is raging on the set of Hitchcock’s Rebecca.
Then a shocking act of violence reawakens the shadows of the past, with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, and Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves on a trail leading back to the house that inspired a young Daphne du Maurier - a trail that echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, jealousy, and murder.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2023
51 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Upson
31books503followersNicola Upson was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. She has worked in theatre and as a freelance journalist, and is the author of two non-fiction works, and the recipient of an Escalator Award from Arts Council England. She lives with her partner and splits her time between Cambridge and Cornwall.
Nicola is currently writing the sixth book in the 'Josephine Tey' series, and a standalone novel set in the 1920s.
Series:
*
Nicola is currently writing the sixth book in the 'Josephine Tey' series, and a standalone novel set in the 1920s.
Series:
*
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 10, 2024
When I first started this series eleven books ago I was giving each book three stars. Now it is an easy five! Did the books improve or did I just grow attached to the characters? A bit of both I think!
opens where the previous book left off. It is still 1939, Britain is at war and Josephine Tey embarks on what may be the last sailing of the Queen Mary for the duration. She is on her way to visit Marta who is in Hollywood working for Hitchcock on the filming of Rebecca, the famous book by Daphne du Maurier.
In the UK Archie is investigating a murder at Milton Hall in Norfolk. Coincidentally du Maurier visited Milton when she was a child and she used the house as inspiration for Manderley and the housekeeper for Mrs Danvers. She also met James Bartholomew who is now the murder suspect and who has also left on the Queen Mary en route to work for Hitchcock.
Lots of lovely coincidences make up the whole tale, and Josephine and Archie solve the case via the telephone. Who would have thought that possible in 1939! I loved all the historical detail especially about the trip on the famous ocean liner and also the preparations the English were making to try and defend their island. Upson name dropped a number of famous people on Josephine's behalf including Cary Grant and Carol Lombard. Archie also managed a meeting with du Maurier.
A really enjoyable book. After each one I keep my fingers crossed that Upson has the next one already planned!
opens where the previous book left off. It is still 1939, Britain is at war and Josephine Tey embarks on what may be the last sailing of the Queen Mary for the duration. She is on her way to visit Marta who is in Hollywood working for Hitchcock on the filming of Rebecca, the famous book by Daphne du Maurier.
In the UK Archie is investigating a murder at Milton Hall in Norfolk. Coincidentally du Maurier visited Milton when she was a child and she used the house as inspiration for Manderley and the housekeeper for Mrs Danvers. She also met James Bartholomew who is now the murder suspect and who has also left on the Queen Mary en route to work for Hitchcock.
Lots of lovely coincidences make up the whole tale, and Josephine and Archie solve the case via the telephone. Who would have thought that possible in 1939! I loved all the historical detail especially about the trip on the famous ocean liner and also the preparations the English were making to try and defend their island. Upson name dropped a number of famous people on Josephine's behalf including Cary Grant and Carol Lombard. Archie also managed a meeting with du Maurier.
A really enjoyable book. After each one I keep my fingers crossed that Upson has the next one already planned!
March 7, 2024
After the disappointing previous entry in this series, this is back to Upson's best. Josephine travels to Hollywood in the first anxious days of WW2 to join Marta who is working on the set of Hitchcock's . And the whole book takes its lead from du Maurier's tale with themes of queer love, coercion, secrets and death. As in the classic, characters shift and change , and the reverberations play out at different times and places.
This is one of the more complex plots with Archie in England and Josephine in Hollywood finding they hold different parts of the same puzzle. But this is also far more than a genre murder mystery: the attention to Hitchcock's work, the scenes on set and the evocation of 1939 Hollywood are all fascinating, as is the sense of trepidation at the outbreak of war for a generation still hurting from WW1.
Upson writes real emotions: grief, loss, love, pleasure, guilt. It's delightful to meet Lettice Motley again (Ronnie is away) and even du Maurier herself in a cameo role. Upson's research is, as always, excellent but, more importantly, is wound into the story without being info dumpy.
There have been a couple of misfires for me in this series as a whole but at #11 this remains one of my automatic buys for pleasurable, intelligent entertainment.
This is one of the more complex plots with Archie in England and Josephine in Hollywood finding they hold different parts of the same puzzle. But this is also far more than a genre murder mystery: the attention to Hitchcock's work, the scenes on set and the evocation of 1939 Hollywood are all fascinating, as is the sense of trepidation at the outbreak of war for a generation still hurting from WW1.
Upson writes real emotions: grief, loss, love, pleasure, guilt. It's delightful to meet Lettice Motley again (Ronnie is away) and even du Maurier herself in a cameo role. Upson's research is, as always, excellent but, more importantly, is wound into the story without being info dumpy.
There have been a couple of misfires for me in this series as a whole but at #11 this remains one of my automatic buys for pleasurable, intelligent entertainment.
July 10, 2023
A new instalment of Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey series - which features a fictionalised version of the writer - is always a must-read for me. This is the eleventh - I've read them all, but can barely remember the earlier ones now. Time for a full reread at some point.
Here, while war is breaking out in Europe, Josephine sails to the USA to join her lover Marta in Hollywood, where she's working for Alfred Hitchcock on the filming of Rebecca. But although plenty happens on the movie set, the real drama - and murder - of this story is back in England, in the house which served as Daphne du Maurier's inspiration for Manderley. Josephine's friend, police detective Archie Penrose, is on the scene to investigate.
Nicola Upson likes to weave real people into her stories and here we have Hitchcock and his family - wife Alma Reville, daughter Pat - again, having previously appeared in Fear in the Sunlight. Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, producer David O. Selznick and du Maurier herself also make brief appearances.
It's always good to catch up again with Josephine, Marta and Archie. (Though did anyone in 1939 use the word "partner", as Archie does here, in a romantic sense? I don't know, maybe they did, but it feels like a more modern thing.)
An excellent read, as always. Many thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review
Here, while war is breaking out in Europe, Josephine sails to the USA to join her lover Marta in Hollywood, where she's working for Alfred Hitchcock on the filming of Rebecca. But although plenty happens on the movie set, the real drama - and murder - of this story is back in England, in the house which served as Daphne du Maurier's inspiration for Manderley. Josephine's friend, police detective Archie Penrose, is on the scene to investigate.
Nicola Upson likes to weave real people into her stories and here we have Hitchcock and his family - wife Alma Reville, daughter Pat - again, having previously appeared in Fear in the Sunlight. Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, producer David O. Selznick and du Maurier herself also make brief appearances.
It's always good to catch up again with Josephine, Marta and Archie. (Though did anyone in 1939 use the word "partner", as Archie does here, in a romantic sense? I don't know, maybe they did, but it feels like a more modern thing.)
An excellent read, as always. Many thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review
July 16, 2024
This was a wonderfully entertaining mystery by author Nicola Upson in her eleventh mystery in the Josephine Tey series. Upson brings a number of elements together, including Daphne du Maurier's childhood visit to Milton Hall (inspiration for Manderley), the filming of “Rebecca� by Alfred Hitchcock, and a thwarted romance.
Milton Hall was commandeered as a military hospital during WWI, and the du Maurier family visit there. Daphne does a favour for a conscientious objector orderly, James Bartholomew, but the girl is stopped from accomplishing it by a forbidding housekeeper who becomes the inspiration for the dark Mrs. Danvers.
Years later, Josephine stops a man from killing himself; this is James, who has just come from a terrible encounter at Milton Hall. She learns he is one of the modelmakers for the new Hitchcock film, which is rife with conflict between the director and producer David Selznick. Coincidentally, Josephine's longtime partner Marta is working closely with Hitchcock on the film, and Josephine is joining Marta for a short while during this period. Hitchcock's wife, daughter and mother-in-law are on the same ship as Josephine; the women are heading to America to reunite with Hitchcock, but also to find safety from the impending war.
Josephine finds the set contentious, though Hitchcock is doing all he can to get his vision for the gothic story on screen. Meanwhile, DCI Archie Penrose is summoned to Milton Hall; a woman is dead; she happens to be the sister of the man James was in love with at the hospital years earlier. There is a suspect, though Penrose feels something else is going on. Josephine, spending more time with James, learns more about his past at the military hospital, as well as what happened during his recent visit to Milton Hall. This puts Josphine in a difficult position, but she does aid Penrose in solving the surprisingly sad case.
This was thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the way Upson wove real people and events into this story, such as Bob Hope, Clark Gable, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville. Interestingly, Upson not only opens the novel with Daphne du Maurier narrating her visit to Milton Hall, but also has Archie Penrose talk to her while she was busy with the staging of a play of her now classic novel. These details ground the novel, and show off the author's research and facility for characterization. As a fan of du Maurier's book, I also enjoyed the insight the author had into the Hollywood filming of the novel, as well as the personality of the famed director and his wife (and longtime film collaborator).
I think it's safe to say that I hope there is more to come from this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Milton Hall was commandeered as a military hospital during WWI, and the du Maurier family visit there. Daphne does a favour for a conscientious objector orderly, James Bartholomew, but the girl is stopped from accomplishing it by a forbidding housekeeper who becomes the inspiration for the dark Mrs. Danvers.
Years later, Josephine stops a man from killing himself; this is James, who has just come from a terrible encounter at Milton Hall. She learns he is one of the modelmakers for the new Hitchcock film, which is rife with conflict between the director and producer David Selznick. Coincidentally, Josephine's longtime partner Marta is working closely with Hitchcock on the film, and Josephine is joining Marta for a short while during this period. Hitchcock's wife, daughter and mother-in-law are on the same ship as Josephine; the women are heading to America to reunite with Hitchcock, but also to find safety from the impending war.
Josephine finds the set contentious, though Hitchcock is doing all he can to get his vision for the gothic story on screen. Meanwhile, DCI Archie Penrose is summoned to Milton Hall; a woman is dead; she happens to be the sister of the man James was in love with at the hospital years earlier. There is a suspect, though Penrose feels something else is going on. Josephine, spending more time with James, learns more about his past at the military hospital, as well as what happened during his recent visit to Milton Hall. This puts Josphine in a difficult position, but she does aid Penrose in solving the surprisingly sad case.
This was thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the way Upson wove real people and events into this story, such as Bob Hope, Clark Gable, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville. Interestingly, Upson not only opens the novel with Daphne du Maurier narrating her visit to Milton Hall, but also has Archie Penrose talk to her while she was busy with the staging of a play of her now classic novel. These details ground the novel, and show off the author's research and facility for characterization. As a fan of du Maurier's book, I also enjoyed the insight the author had into the Hollywood filming of the novel, as well as the personality of the famed director and his wife (and longtime film collaborator).
I think it's safe to say that I hope there is more to come from this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
December 26, 2023
This one caught my eye immediately as it mentions my favourite book and film Rebecca. I was hooked by this book and enjoyed it immensely. I loved all the mystery throughout this book and the undercurrents of creepiness as well. Loved this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.
October 8, 2023
� 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 �
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Shot With Crimson
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Nicola Upson
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5
“� 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’� 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥-𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴.�
🤍 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🌸 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝘂 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿
🤍 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽 (𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮)
🌸 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
🤍 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿
One of the main points I would like to make about this book early on in this review is that it is a love letter to Daphne du Maurier and therefore explores and reflects on her novel, Rebecca, extensively, meaning that there are plenty of spoilers in Shot With Crimson for those who want to read Rebecca for the first time at some point.
This was an intriguing and perceptive historical crime fiction that grew deep roots in fact and yet had the privilege of creative licensing to dramatize the very real past occurrences. I enjoyed the author’s writing immensely, I thought that this book came across as heavily researched with no stone left untouched.
A couple of things I loved about this novel is the queer rep, although there was homophobic slurs and homophobia implied, it was a reflection of the period, and as already established, Upston seems to be the kind of author that likes to be faithful to the truth, and there are some truths that should not be forgotten. Another element was the settings: set mainly half in Hollywood and half in the manor that inspired du Maurier’s Manderley: Milton Hall. Similarly, Shot With Crimson also echoes the same themes we know and love in Rebecca: obsession, jealousy, and murder.
As it is a part of a series, there were lots of characters that took time to orientate myself to, and some missing context with references to pasts, but this is easily read as a standalone.
—K🤍
�
�
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Shot With Crimson
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Nicola Upson
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5
“� 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’� 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥-𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘴.�
🤍 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
🌸 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝘂 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿
🤍 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽 (𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮)
🌸 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
🤍 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿
One of the main points I would like to make about this book early on in this review is that it is a love letter to Daphne du Maurier and therefore explores and reflects on her novel, Rebecca, extensively, meaning that there are plenty of spoilers in Shot With Crimson for those who want to read Rebecca for the first time at some point.
This was an intriguing and perceptive historical crime fiction that grew deep roots in fact and yet had the privilege of creative licensing to dramatize the very real past occurrences. I enjoyed the author’s writing immensely, I thought that this book came across as heavily researched with no stone left untouched.
A couple of things I loved about this novel is the queer rep, although there was homophobic slurs and homophobia implied, it was a reflection of the period, and as already established, Upston seems to be the kind of author that likes to be faithful to the truth, and there are some truths that should not be forgotten. Another element was the settings: set mainly half in Hollywood and half in the manor that inspired du Maurier’s Manderley: Milton Hall. Similarly, Shot With Crimson also echoes the same themes we know and love in Rebecca: obsession, jealousy, and murder.
As it is a part of a series, there were lots of characters that took time to orientate myself to, and some missing context with references to pasts, but this is easily read as a standalone.
—K🤍
�
�
October 28, 2023
As a fan of the novel Rebecca and its 1940 adaptation, a book about a murder mystery on the set of the film sounded like just my kind of thing. One of the main characters is a fictionalised version of classic crime author Josephine Tey. She is travelling to America to meet with her lover who is working on Alfred Hitchock's version of Rebecca at the start of the narrative. Meanwhile part of the film crew is visiting an old estate in England which is thought to have inspired Manderley in Rebecca. And that's where the book loses its direction and focus. The novel is then split between several different characters (Josephine, a police detective, and a member of the film crew) and never really finds its feet. There are too many subplots and characters unnecessary to the storyline that could easily have been pruned. Also, the "shocking act of violence" taken from the blurb does not occur on the set of Rebecca; in fact, remarkably little time is spent on the set in the book. Sadly, the overall effect is rather messy and leaves Josephine feeling like something of a surplus character. As this is part of a long-running series of books and I haven't read any others, it may be beneficial to catch up with the previous titles before diving into Shot with Crimson. Despite its intriguing premise though, I just couldn't get into the book and was a bit frustrated at all the subplots.
June 29, 2024
Dank an Rebecca
Nach dem letzten belastenden Fall hat inzwischen der zweite Weltkrieg begonnen. Die Autorin Josephine Tey hat sich kurzfristig entschlossen, ihrer Freundin Marta Fox in die USA nachzufolgen. Dazu überquert sie den Atlantik auf der Queen Mary II. Das Schiff bietet so viele Annehmlichkeiten, dass es in Anbetracht der Lage kaum zu glauben ist. Josephine freut sich sehr auf das Wiedersehen mit Marta, die dem Regisseur Alfred Hitchcock bei den Arbeiten an der Verfilmung von Rebecca helfen soll. Zufällig trifft Josephine auf Alfreds Frau Alma und seine Tochter. Inzwischen wird in England eine Frau ermordet aufgefunden und Archie Penrose übernimmt die Ermittlungen.
Im elften Band der Reihe um Josephine Tey, wobei auf Deutsch noch nicht alle Bände erschienen sind, kann Josephine Tey dem Krieg entfliehen und sich mit Marta in Los Angeles treffen. Sie ahnt nicht, dass sie Archie Penrose bei seinen Ermittlungen helfen kann. Allem Anschein nach geht der auf Ereignisse aus dem ersten Weltkrieg zurück und einer der damaligen Beteiligten ist heute in der Filmcrew. Doch zunächst muss Archie Nachforschungen in dem Herrenhaus anstellen, dass inzwischen wieder für militärische Zwecke genutzt wird. Und so sind Josephine Tey und Archie Penrose diesmal durch den großen Teich getrennt und bei ihren Untersuchungen doch irgendwie vereint.
Wenn man den Roman Rebecca gelesen hat und auch Gelegenheit hatte die Verfilmung von Hitchcock zu schauen, findet man die Idee eines Kriminalromans in diesem Setting natürlich klasse. Am Rande wird sogar die Autorin Daphne du Maurier eingebunden, was sehr gelungen ist. Zwar reißt dieser Band nicht so mit wie der vorherige, dennoch ist die Handlung sehr ausgeklügelt. Josephine und Marta sind gut zusammen. Auf der Überfahrt nach Amerika und auch bei den Passagen in England spürt man die Bedrohung durch den Krieg. Trotzdem müssen die Menschen weiter funktionieren. Widerlsinnig, aber notwendig. Das macht den Roman über die Krimihandlung hinaus sehr eindringlich.
Zum einen macht diese Reihe Lust auf mehr, zum anderen macht sie auch neugierig auf ein Buch von Josephine Tey.
Nach dem letzten belastenden Fall hat inzwischen der zweite Weltkrieg begonnen. Die Autorin Josephine Tey hat sich kurzfristig entschlossen, ihrer Freundin Marta Fox in die USA nachzufolgen. Dazu überquert sie den Atlantik auf der Queen Mary II. Das Schiff bietet so viele Annehmlichkeiten, dass es in Anbetracht der Lage kaum zu glauben ist. Josephine freut sich sehr auf das Wiedersehen mit Marta, die dem Regisseur Alfred Hitchcock bei den Arbeiten an der Verfilmung von Rebecca helfen soll. Zufällig trifft Josephine auf Alfreds Frau Alma und seine Tochter. Inzwischen wird in England eine Frau ermordet aufgefunden und Archie Penrose übernimmt die Ermittlungen.
Im elften Band der Reihe um Josephine Tey, wobei auf Deutsch noch nicht alle Bände erschienen sind, kann Josephine Tey dem Krieg entfliehen und sich mit Marta in Los Angeles treffen. Sie ahnt nicht, dass sie Archie Penrose bei seinen Ermittlungen helfen kann. Allem Anschein nach geht der auf Ereignisse aus dem ersten Weltkrieg zurück und einer der damaligen Beteiligten ist heute in der Filmcrew. Doch zunächst muss Archie Nachforschungen in dem Herrenhaus anstellen, dass inzwischen wieder für militärische Zwecke genutzt wird. Und so sind Josephine Tey und Archie Penrose diesmal durch den großen Teich getrennt und bei ihren Untersuchungen doch irgendwie vereint.
Wenn man den Roman Rebecca gelesen hat und auch Gelegenheit hatte die Verfilmung von Hitchcock zu schauen, findet man die Idee eines Kriminalromans in diesem Setting natürlich klasse. Am Rande wird sogar die Autorin Daphne du Maurier eingebunden, was sehr gelungen ist. Zwar reißt dieser Band nicht so mit wie der vorherige, dennoch ist die Handlung sehr ausgeklügelt. Josephine und Marta sind gut zusammen. Auf der Überfahrt nach Amerika und auch bei den Passagen in England spürt man die Bedrohung durch den Krieg. Trotzdem müssen die Menschen weiter funktionieren. Widerlsinnig, aber notwendig. Das macht den Roman über die Krimihandlung hinaus sehr eindringlich.
Zum einen macht diese Reihe Lust auf mehr, zum anderen macht sie auch neugierig auf ein Buch von Josephine Tey.
March 13, 2024
This was excellent. ‘Rebecca� is one of my favourite novels and I love Hitchcock’s film - I have read and seen both (reread/reseen) recently because I am teaching it this year. So it was wonderful to read a novel so immersed in du Maurier’s world.
I didn’t get on with the last one in the series. In fact I didn’t even mark it as DNF but I remember being very disappointed but not why! I gave the series another go with this one and it was outstanding. Really enjoyed it.
I didn’t get on with the last one in the series. In fact I didn’t even mark it as DNF but I remember being very disappointed but not why! I gave the series another go with this one and it was outstanding. Really enjoyed it.
May 9, 2024
Josephine Tey (1896-1952) tritt als Figur in Nicola Upsons Krimiserie gemeinsam mit ihrer Gefährtin Marta und ihrem alten Freund Archibald Penrose auf, der als Ermittler für Scotland Yard arbeitet. Im bisher elften Band der Serie reist Josephine 1939 mit der Queen Mary in die USA, um in Hollywood Marta zu treffen, die bei den Filmarbeiten zu Rebecca als Hitchcocks Assistentin arbeitet. Mit an Bord sind Hitchcocks Frau Alma und Tochter Patricia, die er angesichts des drohenden Zweiten Weltkriegs bei sich in den USA in Sicherheit wissen möchte. Die fiebrige Endzeitstimmung, die durch zahlreiche Emigranten auf der Queen Mary zu spüren war, setzt sich am Drehort fort, weil Hitchcock von verschiedenen Seiten als Deserteur kritisiert wird und sich in den USA noch nicht wirklich sicher fühlt.
Upson nutzt ihr bewährtes Plotmodell, in dem durch Verknüpfung von Ereignissen ermittelt wird, die rund 20 Jahre auseinander liegen. 1917 war Daphne du Maurier als Kind (1907-89, Autorin von Rebecca) während des Ersten Weltkriegs in Milton Hall zu Besuch, das ihr später als Anregung zu Manderley dienen sollte. Ereignisse zu der Zeit, in der der Landsitz als Militär-Lazarett diente, sind offenbar mit dem aktuellen Mordfall in Milton Hall verknüpft, in dem Archie Penrose zur Unterstützung der lokalen Polizei ermittelt. Die 10jährige Daphne erzählte zu Beginn aus der Ichperspektive von ihrer Begegnung mit einem Sanitäter in Milton Hall, der inzwischen für Hitchcock als Bühnenbildner und Modellbauer arbeitet. Mit Hilfe seines Kontakts zu Josephine und Marta verspricht sich Penrose Einblick in die Beziehung zwischen Bewohnern, ihrem Personal und James, dem damaligen Sanitäter.
Fazit
„Drehbuch des Todes� konnte mich unerwartet fesseln durch einen Blick hinter die Kulissen Hollywoods, dort, wo gesägt, geleimt und gezündelt wurde und durch Figuren, die noch von Ersten Weltkrieg gezeichnet sind. Den größten Reiz hatte allerdings die enge Beziehung zwischen Penrose, Josephine und Marta, die alle drei ungewöhnlich liebenswürdig, empathisch und loyal wirken. Archie beeindruckt mich wieder durch seinen farbenfrohen Lebenslauf: Als Schauspielerkind, über ein begonnenes Medizinstudium zum Star-Ermittler. Upsons Vorsatz, Josephine Tey mit dieser Reihe zu feiern, ist ihr mit diesem Band wieder erfolgreich gelungen
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Serieninfo: Band 11 von 11, bisher übersetzt: 1,2, 9, 10, 11
Upson nutzt ihr bewährtes Plotmodell, in dem durch Verknüpfung von Ereignissen ermittelt wird, die rund 20 Jahre auseinander liegen. 1917 war Daphne du Maurier als Kind (1907-89, Autorin von Rebecca) während des Ersten Weltkriegs in Milton Hall zu Besuch, das ihr später als Anregung zu Manderley dienen sollte. Ereignisse zu der Zeit, in der der Landsitz als Militär-Lazarett diente, sind offenbar mit dem aktuellen Mordfall in Milton Hall verknüpft, in dem Archie Penrose zur Unterstützung der lokalen Polizei ermittelt. Die 10jährige Daphne erzählte zu Beginn aus der Ichperspektive von ihrer Begegnung mit einem Sanitäter in Milton Hall, der inzwischen für Hitchcock als Bühnenbildner und Modellbauer arbeitet. Mit Hilfe seines Kontakts zu Josephine und Marta verspricht sich Penrose Einblick in die Beziehung zwischen Bewohnern, ihrem Personal und James, dem damaligen Sanitäter.
Fazit
„Drehbuch des Todes� konnte mich unerwartet fesseln durch einen Blick hinter die Kulissen Hollywoods, dort, wo gesägt, geleimt und gezündelt wurde und durch Figuren, die noch von Ersten Weltkrieg gezeichnet sind. Den größten Reiz hatte allerdings die enge Beziehung zwischen Penrose, Josephine und Marta, die alle drei ungewöhnlich liebenswürdig, empathisch und loyal wirken. Archie beeindruckt mich wieder durch seinen farbenfrohen Lebenslauf: Als Schauspielerkind, über ein begonnenes Medizinstudium zum Star-Ermittler. Upsons Vorsatz, Josephine Tey mit dieser Reihe zu feiern, ist ihr mit diesem Band wieder erfolgreich gelungen
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Serieninfo: Band 11 von 11, bisher übersetzt: 1,2, 9, 10, 11
October 30, 2023
I don't think that I have read Nicola Upson's books before - how I have missed out ! I will have to start at the beginning of the series and spend my winter with Josephine Tey. A delightfully old fashioned (classic) Agatha Christie vibe book. I loved it.
February 21, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this. As with her other books in the Josephine Tey series, Upson has used some historical figures--the Hitchcocks (they've been in at least one of her other books), Daphne du Maurier, a very quick glimpse (literally) of Clark Gable. Upson does excellent research and her bibliography at the end is well worth looking through if you are curious about Alfred Hitchcock and his life and times when he first came to Hollywood and Daphne du Maurier as well. The underlying theme of this book is du Maurier's novel "Rebecca" and, as in "Rebecca", a stately house plays a prominent part.
But the actual plot of "Shot With Crimson," to do with murder, jealousy, etc., is only tangentially related, through the house and a character whom du Maurier is inspired to use for her Danvers-the-malevolent-housekeeper character in "Rebecca." The Upson book centers around Josephine Tey, per usual, and her encounters with a tortured young man scarred by his experience working at Milton Hall during WW1. She meets him while traveling to Hollywood to meet up with her partner Marta who is an assistant to Alfred Hitchcock while he films "Rebecca." Josephine sails on the Queen Mary, together with Alma Hitchcock, then they take the famous Santa Fe Railway from Chicago to Pasadena. The book is full of wonderful, a bit harrowing, descriptions of the old Queen Mary, of traveling at the start of WW2 and of what Pasadena/Culver City looked like at that period. Upson does a terrific job of describing locales and scenery, I never felt she was going overboard with it. So interested was I in her descriptions of the Queen Mary, which I visited about 30 years ago in Long Beach, that I looked up a video tour of what she is like now on Youtube. Only a shadow of the magnificence that Upson describes but, yes, I can envision it.
Still, the main driver in the book is what happened during WW1 at Milton Hall in England and how that led to the crime that the book opens with. And then midway through the book, the plot twists a bit and the crime becomes more confusing, becomes two crimes and perhaps more. As with the previous Upson book I read, I finished the book feeling sad for the people who were caught up in their emotions and made terrible mistakes but also satisfied with the time I'd spent reading this engrossing story. The mystery is very good, writing is excellent, it's going to be hard not to immediately leap into another Upson when I have a pile of other books waiting.
But the actual plot of "Shot With Crimson," to do with murder, jealousy, etc., is only tangentially related, through the house and a character whom du Maurier is inspired to use for her Danvers-the-malevolent-housekeeper character in "Rebecca." The Upson book centers around Josephine Tey, per usual, and her encounters with a tortured young man scarred by his experience working at Milton Hall during WW1. She meets him while traveling to Hollywood to meet up with her partner Marta who is an assistant to Alfred Hitchcock while he films "Rebecca." Josephine sails on the Queen Mary, together with Alma Hitchcock, then they take the famous Santa Fe Railway from Chicago to Pasadena. The book is full of wonderful, a bit harrowing, descriptions of the old Queen Mary, of traveling at the start of WW2 and of what Pasadena/Culver City looked like at that period. Upson does a terrific job of describing locales and scenery, I never felt she was going overboard with it. So interested was I in her descriptions of the Queen Mary, which I visited about 30 years ago in Long Beach, that I looked up a video tour of what she is like now on Youtube. Only a shadow of the magnificence that Upson describes but, yes, I can envision it.
Still, the main driver in the book is what happened during WW1 at Milton Hall in England and how that led to the crime that the book opens with. And then midway through the book, the plot twists a bit and the crime becomes more confusing, becomes two crimes and perhaps more. As with the previous Upson book I read, I finished the book feeling sad for the people who were caught up in their emotions and made terrible mistakes but also satisfied with the time I'd spent reading this engrossing story. The mystery is very good, writing is excellent, it's going to be hard not to immediately leap into another Upson when I have a pile of other books waiting.
November 12, 2023
In Shot With Crimson, writer Josephine Tey heads to Hollywood. Her partner Marta is out there with Alfred Hitchcock, filming the movie version of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. Travelling on the sumptuous Queen Mary, she bumps into Hitchcock's wife and daughter and witnesses an unpleasant scene with another guest who accuses Hitchcock of killing her father.
Meanwhile, back in England, set builder James Bartholomew is at Milton Hall looking for inspiration in designing Manderley. It is a return trip to him after his role as a carer for soldiers injured during the First World War. There he met and fell in love with an injured soldier, Matthew who sadly committed suicide. While at Milton, he visits Matthew's mother wanting some kind of closure, asking her where Matthew is buried but she is nasty and cold and he looses his temper with her.
Josephine and Matthew's paths cross when they arrive in America and she can tell he is a troubled soul. Meanwhile, back in England, Josephine's friend police detective Archie Penrose is called to Milton Hall to investigate a murder.
Shot With Crimson is the 11th book featuring Josephine Tey (a real life Scottish author) but it is cleverly written so it didn't matter that I haven't read the previous books. What a fantastic idea to set a crime thriller amongst the glamour of a Hollywood movie, featuring real life people! Of course, I spent the whole books Googling the filming of Rebecca to find out how much of the events were true! I'm a huge fan of the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier although I haven't seen either of the movie adaptations. I loved the glamour of this book - the descriptions of the Queen Mary were amazing and I loved the behind the scenes glimpse of movie making and how they did the special effects back in 1939! I also liked reading the fictionalised events between such great real life characters.
As well as all this, there is a crime to be solved and that was also a fantastic plot. Arthur's investigation, soon leads him to suspect James and he is worried for the safety of Josephine but I couldn't have guessed the outcome.
I absolutely loved this and am thrilled to find out I have 10 more books I can go back and discover. Mixing fiction with facts, Shot With Crimson, is a thrilling and glamourous read, set against the back drop of World War 2 which I highly recommend. Now to go and read the other books and watch the movie Rebecca...
Meanwhile, back in England, set builder James Bartholomew is at Milton Hall looking for inspiration in designing Manderley. It is a return trip to him after his role as a carer for soldiers injured during the First World War. There he met and fell in love with an injured soldier, Matthew who sadly committed suicide. While at Milton, he visits Matthew's mother wanting some kind of closure, asking her where Matthew is buried but she is nasty and cold and he looses his temper with her.
Josephine and Matthew's paths cross when they arrive in America and she can tell he is a troubled soul. Meanwhile, back in England, Josephine's friend police detective Archie Penrose is called to Milton Hall to investigate a murder.
Shot With Crimson is the 11th book featuring Josephine Tey (a real life Scottish author) but it is cleverly written so it didn't matter that I haven't read the previous books. What a fantastic idea to set a crime thriller amongst the glamour of a Hollywood movie, featuring real life people! Of course, I spent the whole books Googling the filming of Rebecca to find out how much of the events were true! I'm a huge fan of the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier although I haven't seen either of the movie adaptations. I loved the glamour of this book - the descriptions of the Queen Mary were amazing and I loved the behind the scenes glimpse of movie making and how they did the special effects back in 1939! I also liked reading the fictionalised events between such great real life characters.
As well as all this, there is a crime to be solved and that was also a fantastic plot. Arthur's investigation, soon leads him to suspect James and he is worried for the safety of Josephine but I couldn't have guessed the outcome.
I absolutely loved this and am thrilled to find out I have 10 more books I can go back and discover. Mixing fiction with facts, Shot With Crimson, is a thrilling and glamourous read, set against the back drop of World War 2 which I highly recommend. Now to go and read the other books and watch the movie Rebecca...
July 17, 2024
September 1939. Kurz nach dem Ausbruch des Zweiten Weltkriegs gelingt es der Schriftstellerin Josephine Tey, eines der letzten Schiffe in die USA zu erwischen. Dort will sie ihre Lebensgefährtin Marta wiedertreffen, die für Alfred Hitchcock am Set von „Rebecca� arbeitet. Doch schon während der Überfahrt auf der Queen Mary gibt es den ersten Zwischenfall und gleichzeitig geschieht in Milton Hall in Cambridgeshire, dem Haus, das Daphne du Maurier zu dem berühmten Manderlev inspirierte, ein Mord. Vor Ort ermittelt Josephines guter Freund Archie Penrose, Inspektor bei Scotland Yard, und so ergibt sich ein einzigartiger Fall, der den großen Teich überspannt.
„Drehbuch des Todes� ist bereits der elfte Band der Krimireihe von Nicola Upson, ins Deutsche übersetzte hier Anna-Christin Kramer. Durch das nicht-chronologische Erscheinen der Reihe, ergibt sich eine etwas seltsame Lesereihenfolge, das macht sie aber nicht weniger interessant. Auch dieses Mal wird aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven und auf verschiedenen Zeitebenen erzählt. Im Vereinigten Königreich ermittelt Archie Penrose, in den Staaten Josephine Tey, so dass wir von allen relevanten Ereignissen und Erkenntnissen erfahren. Auch in die Vergangenheit wird zurückgeblickt und so aufgedeckt, was zu dem Mord in Milton Hall geführt hat.
Für mich ist dieser Band der beste der Reihe. Der Schauplatz am Filmset von „Rebecca� ist ungemein interessant, vor allem dann, wenn er auch in Beziehung zur Schriftstellerin und deren Erlebnissen in dem alten Herrenhaus gesetzt wird. Gleichzeitig gibt der historische Hintergrund der Geschichte eine gewisse Eindringlichkeit. Archie wurde aufgrund seines Alters nicht mehr für den Krieg eingezogen und sieht sich nun all seinen älteren Kollegen gegenüber, den Übriggebliebenen, die nun den Polizeidienst verrichten. Er fühlt sich schuldig, aber auch gleichzeitig erleichtert. Eine ähnliche Situation erlebt Josephine, die zwar eine gewisse Distanz zwischen sich und den Krieg gebracht hat, dafür aber nicht weiß, ob sie England jemals wiedersehen wird.
Ich hoffe wirklich, dass dies noch nicht das Ende der Reihe ist!
„Drehbuch des Todes� ist bereits der elfte Band der Krimireihe von Nicola Upson, ins Deutsche übersetzte hier Anna-Christin Kramer. Durch das nicht-chronologische Erscheinen der Reihe, ergibt sich eine etwas seltsame Lesereihenfolge, das macht sie aber nicht weniger interessant. Auch dieses Mal wird aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven und auf verschiedenen Zeitebenen erzählt. Im Vereinigten Königreich ermittelt Archie Penrose, in den Staaten Josephine Tey, so dass wir von allen relevanten Ereignissen und Erkenntnissen erfahren. Auch in die Vergangenheit wird zurückgeblickt und so aufgedeckt, was zu dem Mord in Milton Hall geführt hat.
Für mich ist dieser Band der beste der Reihe. Der Schauplatz am Filmset von „Rebecca� ist ungemein interessant, vor allem dann, wenn er auch in Beziehung zur Schriftstellerin und deren Erlebnissen in dem alten Herrenhaus gesetzt wird. Gleichzeitig gibt der historische Hintergrund der Geschichte eine gewisse Eindringlichkeit. Archie wurde aufgrund seines Alters nicht mehr für den Krieg eingezogen und sieht sich nun all seinen älteren Kollegen gegenüber, den Übriggebliebenen, die nun den Polizeidienst verrichten. Er fühlt sich schuldig, aber auch gleichzeitig erleichtert. Eine ähnliche Situation erlebt Josephine, die zwar eine gewisse Distanz zwischen sich und den Krieg gebracht hat, dafür aber nicht weiß, ob sie England jemals wiedersehen wird.
Ich hoffe wirklich, dass dies noch nicht das Ende der Reihe ist!
November 21, 2023
It's always a cause of excitement when a new instalment in one of my very favourite series is published, and met all my expectations.
The book opens with a haunting prologue set during World War 1, as future award-winning author visits Milton Hall in Norfolk as a child. The events du Maurier witnesses will form the seed that will later become the setting of her novel and the inspiration for one of the most memorable characters in twentieth century fiction, housekeeper Mrs. Danvers.
The remainder of the novel is set in late 1939, as war is declared in Europe and series heroine, author , sails to America on the Queen Mary to join her partner Marta Fox on the set of and 's film adaptation of British author 's recent bestselling novel, . Meanwhile, gifted miniaturist James Bartholomew returns to Milton Hall after a twenty-two year hiatus, part of a small deputation sent by Hitchcock from Hollywood to gather footage for the production of Rebecca.
When a woman is discovered murdered in the grounds of Milton Hall, the property once again requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence for wartime use, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose's attendance is requested in Norfolk to spearhead an investigation that may become sensitive, given the presence of the military on the site.
The book opens with a haunting prologue set during World War 1, as future award-winning author visits Milton Hall in Norfolk as a child. The events du Maurier witnesses will form the seed that will later become the setting of her novel and the inspiration for one of the most memorable characters in twentieth century fiction, housekeeper Mrs. Danvers.
The remainder of the novel is set in late 1939, as war is declared in Europe and series heroine, author , sails to America on the Queen Mary to join her partner Marta Fox on the set of and 's film adaptation of British author 's recent bestselling novel, . Meanwhile, gifted miniaturist James Bartholomew returns to Milton Hall after a twenty-two year hiatus, part of a small deputation sent by Hitchcock from Hollywood to gather footage for the production of Rebecca.
When a woman is discovered murdered in the grounds of Milton Hall, the property once again requisitioned by the Ministry of Defence for wartime use, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose's attendance is requested in Norfolk to spearhead an investigation that may become sensitive, given the presence of the military on the site.
January 5, 2024
I have read a few books in Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey mysteries and they have been a mixed bag. Some i really enjoyed, others not so much. What drew me to reading her latest offering in the series was mostly the fact that a large chunk of the book's action is associated with Hitchcock adapting Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. I have loved reading Rebecca and have watched the film too, so I felt that I would enjoy reading Shot with Crimson as well. Luckily, I was proved right.
Shot with Crimson brings together a good central mystery with a lot of historical detailing and characters taken from real life making fictional appearances alongside their imaginary counterparts. I loved the tid-bits about the set and the shooting of Rebecca that find place here, the atmosphere of the war was quite well done and the fact that the mystery connected what happened in England during the last war to the shooting of Rebecca in California has been brought about in quite a deft and assured manner.
I have enjoyed just one of Tey's novels, the famous The Daughter of Time. I tried reading a few more but found they weren't for me, but I really enjoyed reading about Tey's fictional avatar in Upson's latest novel. Quite a good book to start the year with.
Shot with Crimson brings together a good central mystery with a lot of historical detailing and characters taken from real life making fictional appearances alongside their imaginary counterparts. I loved the tid-bits about the set and the shooting of Rebecca that find place here, the atmosphere of the war was quite well done and the fact that the mystery connected what happened in England during the last war to the shooting of Rebecca in California has been brought about in quite a deft and assured manner.
I have enjoyed just one of Tey's novels, the famous The Daughter of Time. I tried reading a few more but found they weren't for me, but I really enjoyed reading about Tey's fictional avatar in Upson's latest novel. Quite a good book to start the year with.
December 30, 2024
Jospehine crosses paths again with Alma Hitchcock and their daughter on the last civilian voyage aboard the Queen Mary to the USA. At dinner one evening, a woman stops and tells Alma that she will be sorry before she is led away by a waiter. Is there more to this than meets the eye? Josephine stops a young man jumping in front of a train but meets him again on the train taking them to California where she learns more of his story. Meanhile, back at home, Archie is investigating the murder of a young woman at Milton Hall. Although several thousand miles apart there is a current connection to Josephine. and the film she is watching being made.
Really enjoyed the latest outing. Set in America and Cambridgeshire, it is a dual story but it ties together well at the end. The characters are continuing the develop and historical detail is well researched when it's needed. Looking forward to the next one, whenver that may be.
Really enjoyed the latest outing. Set in America and Cambridgeshire, it is a dual story but it ties together well at the end. The characters are continuing the develop and historical detail is well researched when it's needed. Looking forward to the next one, whenver that may be.
March 20, 2024
this was okay- it definitely got better as i read, and i think delving into these characters and this setting at the very last book in the series was possibly a bad idea, but i feel like there could have been a VERY simple summary of characters at the beginning! i did love josephine’s character & the lowkey inclusion of SO MANY lgbtqia+ characters- massive slay!!!
December 5, 2023
The story set during the filming of Rebecca, Hitchcock’s first film shot in America was so interesting. The mystery inside it going back to the English manor house that inspired Manderly during WWI and the present day of the story, the outbreak of WWII was almost as good as Rebecca.
October 28, 2023
This is a brilliant new instalment in Nicola Upson's 'Golden Age' crime series featuring Josephine Tey as detective. It's a genius idea to have an actual crime writer as a detective, something that Upson has sustained beautifully over 11 books - 'Shot with Crimson' being the latest.
I've followed this series from the start and was delighted to be granted a copy of 'Shot with Crimson' for review by NetGalley. As always, opinions are entirely my own.
This book takes us into a world poised on the edge of the terrors of World War II. It's September 1939 and - as war is declared - Josephine Tey is headed to Hollywood on a transatlantic voyage to meet her partner who is working on the film version of 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier. As her journey becomes suddenly more dangerous, DCI Archie Penrose remains in newly-at-war England to try to unravel a crime that also has its own links to 'Rebecca'; it centres on the house that inspired Daphne du Maurier who herself appears in some flashback scenes to when the property was used as a hospital in the first war. As past secrets begin to surface, it becomes apparent that Josephine and Archie have different perspectives on the same story�
I loved that 'Rebecca' was so central to this novel. While I don't actually love 'Rebecca' (I know, I know�.shocking!), it is so cleverly integrated into Upson's own novel. The fact that Upson can weave together her own mystery with real-life people and events is truly impressive and seamlessly done. The reader is treated to an insight into a 1939 movie set, complete with cast, on-set tensions, Hollywood executives - and the Hitchcocks, who have appeared before in Upson's series. It made me want to Google everything 'Rebecca'-related and dig out a copy of the 1940 film! There is evidence of some serious research here on Upson's part and the period detail is on point (as with this whole series).
It should also be noted that 'Rebecca' is the PERFECT book and film for Upson to use as a backdrop for her own mystery. All of Daphne du Maurier's key themes and ideas - gender inequality, murder, jealousy, past misdeeds, hidden secrets - are all writ large in Upson's book too. I also loved that the house that inspired Manderley in 'Rebecca' also got a starring role, as did the young novelist herself.
As with all of Upson's novels, the mystery is far from straightforward in moral terms; the reader is left to grapple with some real grey areas in terms of the punishment fitting the crimes especially in light of the outdated attitudes of the time. As with previous books, Upson uses elements of the story to highlight tragedies in LGBTQ+ lives in an intolerant and hostile world and it is - quite frankly - heartbreaking.
This is an absolute gem in an already fabulous series - the mystery is well-constructed as it plays out on both sides of the Atlantic and I'm always totally sold on a book that features a transatlantic journey on a huge, glitzy ship! If you're a fan of Upson's books, 'Rebecca', 1930s crime novels, Golden Age mysteries with a contemporary twist, retro Hollywood glamour or just clever plotting, I think this might just be your thing.
Also, just as an observation, this was a tricky review to write without completely over-using the phrase 'Golden Age' - of detective novels, of Hollywood, of transatlantic travel…this book really does combine the best of the best!
I've followed this series from the start and was delighted to be granted a copy of 'Shot with Crimson' for review by NetGalley. As always, opinions are entirely my own.
This book takes us into a world poised on the edge of the terrors of World War II. It's September 1939 and - as war is declared - Josephine Tey is headed to Hollywood on a transatlantic voyage to meet her partner who is working on the film version of 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier. As her journey becomes suddenly more dangerous, DCI Archie Penrose remains in newly-at-war England to try to unravel a crime that also has its own links to 'Rebecca'; it centres on the house that inspired Daphne du Maurier who herself appears in some flashback scenes to when the property was used as a hospital in the first war. As past secrets begin to surface, it becomes apparent that Josephine and Archie have different perspectives on the same story�
I loved that 'Rebecca' was so central to this novel. While I don't actually love 'Rebecca' (I know, I know�.shocking!), it is so cleverly integrated into Upson's own novel. The fact that Upson can weave together her own mystery with real-life people and events is truly impressive and seamlessly done. The reader is treated to an insight into a 1939 movie set, complete with cast, on-set tensions, Hollywood executives - and the Hitchcocks, who have appeared before in Upson's series. It made me want to Google everything 'Rebecca'-related and dig out a copy of the 1940 film! There is evidence of some serious research here on Upson's part and the period detail is on point (as with this whole series).
It should also be noted that 'Rebecca' is the PERFECT book and film for Upson to use as a backdrop for her own mystery. All of Daphne du Maurier's key themes and ideas - gender inequality, murder, jealousy, past misdeeds, hidden secrets - are all writ large in Upson's book too. I also loved that the house that inspired Manderley in 'Rebecca' also got a starring role, as did the young novelist herself.
As with all of Upson's novels, the mystery is far from straightforward in moral terms; the reader is left to grapple with some real grey areas in terms of the punishment fitting the crimes especially in light of the outdated attitudes of the time. As with previous books, Upson uses elements of the story to highlight tragedies in LGBTQ+ lives in an intolerant and hostile world and it is - quite frankly - heartbreaking.
This is an absolute gem in an already fabulous series - the mystery is well-constructed as it plays out on both sides of the Atlantic and I'm always totally sold on a book that features a transatlantic journey on a huge, glitzy ship! If you're a fan of Upson's books, 'Rebecca', 1930s crime novels, Golden Age mysteries with a contemporary twist, retro Hollywood glamour or just clever plotting, I think this might just be your thing.
Also, just as an observation, this was a tricky review to write without completely over-using the phrase 'Golden Age' - of detective novels, of Hollywood, of transatlantic travel…this book really does combine the best of the best!
November 6, 2023
While I have to admit that I may have missed a title or two, I can honestly say that I have loved Nicola Upson’s Josephine Tey mysteries since I first read An Expert in Murder thirteen years (13!) ago. Right from the start I’ve loved Upson’s attention to detail, gentle voice, vivid descriptions, clever introduction of real historical figures, and perfectly plotted mysteries, and Shot With Crimson was filled with all those qualities.
This isn’t the first Josephine Tey mystery featuring Alfred and Alma Hitchcock and fortunately, the first one, Fear in the Sunlight, is among the previous titles I have read (click the title for my thoughts on that book). The quote below, taken from that older review could have been written today for Shot With Crimson.
In fact, there were times when I had to remind myself that I was reading a work of fiction featuring real historical figures. There is such detail in the descriptions in this story that it is quite possible to believe that all of it really happened.
Shot With Crimson starts with a prologue set in an English country house during WWI. The house is used as a hospital for wounded soldiers, and we are witness to a six-year-old Daphne du Maurier undertaking but not completing a task set by James, a medical orderly there.
Fast forward to the start of WWII and James is now a special effects artist working on Rebecca for Alfred Hitchcock. He is back at the estate where he worked two decades ago and discoveries about what happened then lead to him lashing out in the worst possible way.
When we meet James again, he is on his way back to America on the same boat as Josephine Tey who is on her way to visit her lover Martha in Hollywood. He is obviously distressed, and Josephine reaches out in the hope of calming him.
Meanwhile, back in England Josephine’s friend DCI Archie Penrose is sent to the country house to investigate the murder of a woman there.
Finding themselves on different sides of the Atlantic, Archie and Josephine are unaware that they are both dealing with the same case and, as they both dig deeper, the issue only becomes more complicated until it leads to its final, rather sad, conclusion.
For a long time, I thought this was the kind of story where the writer might have revealed too much information at the start of the book. Since I had read books by Nicola Upson before, I should have known better. Layer upon layer of secrets still waited to be exposed and absolutely nothing was quite as it seemed at first. In other words, this is a very cleverly plotted mystery.
Apart from Alfred Hitchcock, his wife Alma, and his daughter Pat, quite a few other famous people feature in this story: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, producer David O. Selznick, and du Maurier herself also make brief appearances. For film buffs, there was also quite a bit of detailed information about the making of a film in Hollywood in the late 1930s.
I loved the parallels between Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and the mystery. They added to the sense of realism and were all too plausible. As I said before, I had to remind myself occasionally that what I was reading was fiction.
Overall, I loved this book. The plot fascinated me, the writing was smooth, the conversations flowed naturally, and the mystery was intriguing, leaving me truly baffled before providing a very satisfying, be it devasting solution.
This isn’t the first Josephine Tey mystery featuring Alfred and Alma Hitchcock and fortunately, the first one, Fear in the Sunlight, is among the previous titles I have read (click the title for my thoughts on that book). The quote below, taken from that older review could have been written today for Shot With Crimson.
In fact, there were times when I had to remind myself that I was reading a work of fiction featuring real historical figures. There is such detail in the descriptions in this story that it is quite possible to believe that all of it really happened.
Shot With Crimson starts with a prologue set in an English country house during WWI. The house is used as a hospital for wounded soldiers, and we are witness to a six-year-old Daphne du Maurier undertaking but not completing a task set by James, a medical orderly there.
Fast forward to the start of WWII and James is now a special effects artist working on Rebecca for Alfred Hitchcock. He is back at the estate where he worked two decades ago and discoveries about what happened then lead to him lashing out in the worst possible way.
When we meet James again, he is on his way back to America on the same boat as Josephine Tey who is on her way to visit her lover Martha in Hollywood. He is obviously distressed, and Josephine reaches out in the hope of calming him.
Meanwhile, back in England Josephine’s friend DCI Archie Penrose is sent to the country house to investigate the murder of a woman there.
Finding themselves on different sides of the Atlantic, Archie and Josephine are unaware that they are both dealing with the same case and, as they both dig deeper, the issue only becomes more complicated until it leads to its final, rather sad, conclusion.
For a long time, I thought this was the kind of story where the writer might have revealed too much information at the start of the book. Since I had read books by Nicola Upson before, I should have known better. Layer upon layer of secrets still waited to be exposed and absolutely nothing was quite as it seemed at first. In other words, this is a very cleverly plotted mystery.
Apart from Alfred Hitchcock, his wife Alma, and his daughter Pat, quite a few other famous people feature in this story: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, producer David O. Selznick, and du Maurier herself also make brief appearances. For film buffs, there was also quite a bit of detailed information about the making of a film in Hollywood in the late 1930s.
I loved the parallels between Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and the mystery. They added to the sense of realism and were all too plausible. As I said before, I had to remind myself occasionally that what I was reading was fiction.
Overall, I loved this book. The plot fascinated me, the writing was smooth, the conversations flowed naturally, and the mystery was intriguing, leaving me truly baffled before providing a very satisfying, be it devasting solution.
November 7, 2023
September 1939. The reality of living in a country at war is starting to hit home, as author Josephine Tey says goodbye to her dear friend DCI Archie Penrose and steps aboard the Queen Mary, wondering if she will ever return. She is looking forward to a tender reunion with her lover Marta, who is working with Alfred Hitchcock on his film production of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.
The crossing is fraught with anxiety, despite the luxurious surroundings, and not just from the fear of German U-Boats lurking beneath the Atlantic waves. Josephine finds herself worrying for the safety of Hitchcock's wife and daughter, who she bumps into on board, after an upsetting incident with a grieving young woman. Her concern grows all the way across America to their final destination, glamorous Hollywood.
Meanwhile, back home in Blighty, Archie is called to Milton Hall, the very house that inspired du Maurier to write Rebecca after she visited it as a child, to investigate the murder of a member of the household staff. Although this seems a simple crime at first sight, Archie gradually comes to see that the murder might be the result of events that actually took place at Milton Hall some twenty years ago... events that somehow involve a troubled young man who has been befriended by Josephine on the Rebecca set in LA. And just like du Maurier's compelling tale that was inspired by this place, this is a tragedy that revolves around obsession, jealousy, and revenge.
Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey books make up one of my absolute favourite series. Upson's skill at combining the perfect period setting, with great characters, and devilishly sophisticated plotlines that evoke everything I love about the Golden Age of Crime, is a joy to behold - and she always contrives to weave the most delicious themes within her stories to cut you to the emotional quick.
At the beginning of the tale, Josephine gives us a glimpse of the fears of a nation adjusting to living under the shadow of war, but this is actually a story that mostly concerns itself wuth the echoes that resound from the losses of the earlier Great War. Upson sows her unsettling seeds in events that took place at Milton Hall around World War One, and she threads the resulting shoots throughout a novel that layers menace and suspicion on both sides of the Atlantic, to bring in parallel storylines for Josephine and Archie that link to du Maurier in all manner of spellbinding ways.
Before you know it, Josephine and Archie are embroiled in different sides of the same story which plays out in classic Upson style, keeping you guessing right up to the eleventh hour. As usual there are appearances from a cast of famous faces, who spring from the page in that magical way Upson has of bringing them alive, and this instalment is packed with stellar names like never before: from Hollywood royalty, to Hitchcock's entourage, all the way to beloved author Daphne du Maurier no less - who has an intriguing role in solving the crime at Milton Hall.
The details behind the scenes of the making of Rebecca immerse you completely in the world of movie making in the 1930s, especially when it comes to Hitchcock's very particular way of working - and the man behind the myth. The in-infighting between Hitchcock and blockbuster producer David Selznick (who was also working on Gone with the Wind at the same time) is especially fascinating. And I love the way Upson runs with the theme of conflict between the authors of best-selling books and the movie makers who adapt them for the screen, which is made all the better by Josephine's previous run in with Hitchcock earlier in the series.
Eleven books in and this series continues to make my heart sing. Shot with Crimson might just be my favourite one yet.
The crossing is fraught with anxiety, despite the luxurious surroundings, and not just from the fear of German U-Boats lurking beneath the Atlantic waves. Josephine finds herself worrying for the safety of Hitchcock's wife and daughter, who she bumps into on board, after an upsetting incident with a grieving young woman. Her concern grows all the way across America to their final destination, glamorous Hollywood.
Meanwhile, back home in Blighty, Archie is called to Milton Hall, the very house that inspired du Maurier to write Rebecca after she visited it as a child, to investigate the murder of a member of the household staff. Although this seems a simple crime at first sight, Archie gradually comes to see that the murder might be the result of events that actually took place at Milton Hall some twenty years ago... events that somehow involve a troubled young man who has been befriended by Josephine on the Rebecca set in LA. And just like du Maurier's compelling tale that was inspired by this place, this is a tragedy that revolves around obsession, jealousy, and revenge.
Nicola Upson's Josephine Tey books make up one of my absolute favourite series. Upson's skill at combining the perfect period setting, with great characters, and devilishly sophisticated plotlines that evoke everything I love about the Golden Age of Crime, is a joy to behold - and she always contrives to weave the most delicious themes within her stories to cut you to the emotional quick.
At the beginning of the tale, Josephine gives us a glimpse of the fears of a nation adjusting to living under the shadow of war, but this is actually a story that mostly concerns itself wuth the echoes that resound from the losses of the earlier Great War. Upson sows her unsettling seeds in events that took place at Milton Hall around World War One, and she threads the resulting shoots throughout a novel that layers menace and suspicion on both sides of the Atlantic, to bring in parallel storylines for Josephine and Archie that link to du Maurier in all manner of spellbinding ways.
Before you know it, Josephine and Archie are embroiled in different sides of the same story which plays out in classic Upson style, keeping you guessing right up to the eleventh hour. As usual there are appearances from a cast of famous faces, who spring from the page in that magical way Upson has of bringing them alive, and this instalment is packed with stellar names like never before: from Hollywood royalty, to Hitchcock's entourage, all the way to beloved author Daphne du Maurier no less - who has an intriguing role in solving the crime at Milton Hall.
The details behind the scenes of the making of Rebecca immerse you completely in the world of movie making in the 1930s, especially when it comes to Hitchcock's very particular way of working - and the man behind the myth. The in-infighting between Hitchcock and blockbuster producer David Selznick (who was also working on Gone with the Wind at the same time) is especially fascinating. And I love the way Upson runs with the theme of conflict between the authors of best-selling books and the movie makers who adapt them for the screen, which is made all the better by Josephine's previous run in with Hitchcock earlier in the series.
Eleven books in and this series continues to make my heart sing. Shot with Crimson might just be my favourite one yet.
October 22, 2023
In 1917, a wounded soldier in a military hospital apparently shot himself. Suicide or murder? Don’t risk scandal! In 1939 the conspiracy of silence starts to crack. The military hospital was housed in Milton Hall, a stately home in Cambridgeshire and the soldier, Michael, was the son of the Housekeeper. He had formed a close friendship with James, a medical orderly � illegally close � which was why his mother had confined him to a room away from the rest. But she had briefly left the room because she had been distracted by a ten-year-old girl visiting the family for the summer. The girl was Daphne du Maurier, who would later use Milton as model for Manderley and the fearsome Housekeeper as a model for Mrs Danvers. James had been transferred away after the incident but had always felt the loss. In 1939, shortly after the outbreak of WWII, James was working as a set and model builder for Alfred Hitchcock, now based in Hollywood and filming “Rebecca�. He and a small second-unit crew had been sent to take some interiors shots of Milton for use in the film, and he seized the opportunity to try and find, and question, the old Housekeeper, still living in the grounds. This goes dramatically wrong, but, fortunately for him, the second-unit have to swiftly return to LA and are booked aboard the RMS Queen Mary. Also on the ship are Josephine Tey, the famous crime writer, Hitchcock’s wife and daughter, and assorted film stars. Josepine is taking the chance to meet her partner, Marta, who is a production assistant on “Rebecca�, before all travelling is suspended because of the war. She stops James from jumping in front of a train and thus becomes enmeshed in his problems. Meanwhile, back at Milton Hall, a body has been found and DCI Penrose, Josephine’s friend with whom she has previously worked, is assigned to investigate. So the two of them are gathering information on the same case, but unaware of this for several days.
This is the 11th Josephine Tey novel in the Historical-Crime genre but works perfectly well as a stand-alone. As usual it mixes reality with fiction, which means the reader can have a whole separate game of find the real people � I’ll give you a start: Daphne Du Maurier is real and was really at Milton Hall, aged ten, in the summer of 1917. The author does a marvellous job of weaving her fictional characters in with the real people, places and events of the autumn and early winter of 1939 which she has meticulously researched. The writing style is also faithful to the actual books written by Josephine Tey. The plot appears fairly simple at first but becomes much more complicated and challenging as details emerge from the two separate investigators. It become a case of who did what, and with which, and to whom. In solving the case I was always one step behind, catching up only at the reveal stage, which is rare for me and merits the 5 stars. This is definitely one of the better stories in this excellent series.
This is the 11th Josephine Tey novel in the Historical-Crime genre but works perfectly well as a stand-alone. As usual it mixes reality with fiction, which means the reader can have a whole separate game of find the real people � I’ll give you a start: Daphne Du Maurier is real and was really at Milton Hall, aged ten, in the summer of 1917. The author does a marvellous job of weaving her fictional characters in with the real people, places and events of the autumn and early winter of 1939 which she has meticulously researched. The writing style is also faithful to the actual books written by Josephine Tey. The plot appears fairly simple at first but becomes much more complicated and challenging as details emerge from the two separate investigators. It become a case of who did what, and with which, and to whom. In solving the case I was always one step behind, catching up only at the reveal stage, which is rare for me and merits the 5 stars. This is definitely one of the better stories in this excellent series.
October 27, 2023
'Shot with Crimson' is another great instalment in Nicola Upson's historical detective series featuring the real-life Golden Age crime writer Josephine Tey. Once again, Upson combines other well-known figures and events from this period with a fictional mystery.
It is 1939 and the start of the Second World War, and as the novel begins, Josephine is saying goodbye to her close friend Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose as she boards a ship to join her lover Marta in Hollywood where she is working on Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'. No sooner has Josephine set sail than Archie is called to investigate a murder at Milton Hall in Cambridgeshire, a stately home that is being used for military training - but was also the inspiration for du Maurier's Manderley. Archie suspects that the army may be trying to cover something up - but the truth may lie in events that took place over two decades before when Milton Hall was used to house wounded soldiers and a young Daphne du Maurier visited the house for the first time...
Over on the other side of the Atlantic, Marta is trying to keep the peace on the set of 'Rebecca' where tensions are rising between Hitchcock and the producer David Selznick. Meanwhile, Josephine is increasingly concerned about a young woman who is determined to get her revenge on the Hitchcock family for her father's death, and a troubled young man she has met on her journey whose story may be relevant to Archie's investigation, Working across two continents (and with a little bit of help from Daphne du Maurier herself), Archie, Josephine and Marta must piece together the various clues that hold the key to what happened at Milton Hall.
As with Upson's previous novels in this series, its pleasures are twofold. Firstly, we are given another ingenious and well-plotted whodunnit. The use of different settings and at least five different characters; perspectives helps to keep us hooked throughout and, even if there are a few extraordinary coincidences that help Archie to finally unravel the mystery, the solution is still satisfying. However, for me this is secondary to all the meticulously researched historical detail Upson includes, allowing us to discover the original Manderley and go behind the scenes on a Hitchcock film. This novel is also deeply concerned with war, both the long shadow cast by WW1 and the anxieties experienced at the start of WW2, both of which are deftly and sensitively handled.
Overall, this is another brilliant read - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
It is 1939 and the start of the Second World War, and as the novel begins, Josephine is saying goodbye to her close friend Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose as she boards a ship to join her lover Marta in Hollywood where she is working on Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca'. No sooner has Josephine set sail than Archie is called to investigate a murder at Milton Hall in Cambridgeshire, a stately home that is being used for military training - but was also the inspiration for du Maurier's Manderley. Archie suspects that the army may be trying to cover something up - but the truth may lie in events that took place over two decades before when Milton Hall was used to house wounded soldiers and a young Daphne du Maurier visited the house for the first time...
Over on the other side of the Atlantic, Marta is trying to keep the peace on the set of 'Rebecca' where tensions are rising between Hitchcock and the producer David Selznick. Meanwhile, Josephine is increasingly concerned about a young woman who is determined to get her revenge on the Hitchcock family for her father's death, and a troubled young man she has met on her journey whose story may be relevant to Archie's investigation, Working across two continents (and with a little bit of help from Daphne du Maurier herself), Archie, Josephine and Marta must piece together the various clues that hold the key to what happened at Milton Hall.
As with Upson's previous novels in this series, its pleasures are twofold. Firstly, we are given another ingenious and well-plotted whodunnit. The use of different settings and at least five different characters; perspectives helps to keep us hooked throughout and, even if there are a few extraordinary coincidences that help Archie to finally unravel the mystery, the solution is still satisfying. However, for me this is secondary to all the meticulously researched historical detail Upson includes, allowing us to discover the original Manderley and go behind the scenes on a Hitchcock film. This novel is also deeply concerned with war, both the long shadow cast by WW1 and the anxieties experienced at the start of WW2, both of which are deftly and sensitively handled.
Overall, this is another brilliant read - thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.
March 15, 2024
The latest novel in the series that features Josephine Tey, pseudonym for Elizabeth MacKintosh, 20th century Scottish playwright and novelist, deftly moves between England and Hollywood. Tensions around the inevitable outbreak of war in September, 1939 are mounting. Josephine boards the Queen Mary on its last voyage from London to New York to join her partner, Marta Fox, who is working with Alfred Hitchcock filming “Rebecca.� Alma Hitchcock and her young daughter, Patricia, are also passengers, joining her husband in Hollywood, happy to leave England as the country prepares for war. On the voyage to New York, Josephine, who has worked with Hitchcock before, is drawn in to Alma’s conversation of tensions between Hitchcock and producer, David Selznick, and the disagreements about who should be cast in the latest project, “Rebecca.�
With Upson’s masterful touch, plot lines develop, connecting a murder at Milton Hall in England, which serves as the model for Rebecca’s Manderley, back to WW I when Milton Hall was used as a hospital for injured soldiers. Daphne DuMaurier was often a young visitor there. Enter Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Archie Penrose, Josephine’s dear friend, to solve the brutal murder of Evelyn Young, who works at Milton Hall.
As complicated as the investigation at Milton Hall is, there are entanglements with characters among the technical crew in Hollywood, including Josephine’s prevention of an attempted suicide and a simmering threat to the Hitchcock family.
The tension between Hitchcock and David Selznick ranging from the choice of cast to the film schedule; from Hitchcock’s need to control every camera shot to Selznick’s eye to the slow schedule; Hitchcock coaching Joan Fontaine as a tentative young actor; (Dame) Judith Anderson in a formidable role; and Laurence Olivier moving deftly in and out of scenes, the details surrounding the film will please readers.
While the make believe world in Hollywood goes on, taking every step of filmmaking seriously, brief scenes with Archie’s roommates and cousins, Lettice and Ronnie Motley, stage and costume designers, remind the reader of the horror that is about to unfold. “It’s all starting to fall apart, isn’t it?� Lettice asks Archie.
A cameo appearance from Daphne du Maurier, called into the investigation in England, and a turn of events I never anticipated but appreciated, the murder is solved, leaving a trail of sinister details. Nicola Upson established two strong places for this novel and once again, demonstrated her respect for the talented and complicated Josephine Tey.
With Upson’s masterful touch, plot lines develop, connecting a murder at Milton Hall in England, which serves as the model for Rebecca’s Manderley, back to WW I when Milton Hall was used as a hospital for injured soldiers. Daphne DuMaurier was often a young visitor there. Enter Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Archie Penrose, Josephine’s dear friend, to solve the brutal murder of Evelyn Young, who works at Milton Hall.
As complicated as the investigation at Milton Hall is, there are entanglements with characters among the technical crew in Hollywood, including Josephine’s prevention of an attempted suicide and a simmering threat to the Hitchcock family.
The tension between Hitchcock and David Selznick ranging from the choice of cast to the film schedule; from Hitchcock’s need to control every camera shot to Selznick’s eye to the slow schedule; Hitchcock coaching Joan Fontaine as a tentative young actor; (Dame) Judith Anderson in a formidable role; and Laurence Olivier moving deftly in and out of scenes, the details surrounding the film will please readers.
While the make believe world in Hollywood goes on, taking every step of filmmaking seriously, brief scenes with Archie’s roommates and cousins, Lettice and Ronnie Motley, stage and costume designers, remind the reader of the horror that is about to unfold. “It’s all starting to fall apart, isn’t it?� Lettice asks Archie.
A cameo appearance from Daphne du Maurier, called into the investigation in England, and a turn of events I never anticipated but appreciated, the murder is solved, leaving a trail of sinister details. Nicola Upson established two strong places for this novel and once again, demonstrated her respect for the talented and complicated Josephine Tey.
November 28, 2023
“Dear old Milton, the essence of Manderley � a fine country mansion, set in sprawling parkland and loved by one family for generations. Milton was as open as Manderley would be secretive, her life lived robustly in the present moment, but the spirit of those rooms found its way so easily to the pages of Rebecca�
My thanks to Faber & Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Shot with Crimson� by Nicola Upson.
This is Book 11 in her series of literary historical mysteries featuring a fictional version of the Golden Age mystery writer, Josephine Tey. Ages ago I had read a couple of the early books in the series and while I enjoyed them I wasn’t as interested in cosy mysteries as I am now.
Despite this gap I found that Nicola Upson provided enough background for me to slot easily into Josephine’s world.
Prologue. In the summer of 1917 ten-year-old Daphne du Maurier arrives at Milton Hall, a country estate in Cambridgeshire. It is serving as a military hospital and while there she has an encounter with James Bartholomew, a young Quaker working as an orderly. Later in her life Milton Hall becomes an inspiration for Manderley and its severe housekeeper for Mrs Danvers.
In September 1939 war has just broken out in Europe and Josephine Tey travels on the Queen Mary to join her friend, Marta, in Hollywood where she is working on the set of ‘Rebecca�. Also, on board are Alfred and Alma Hitchcock. Josephine later meets James, who is working on the production as a set designer.
When a shocking death reawakens shadows of the past with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves involved in a mystery that leads back to the house that inspired the young Daphne du Maurier and echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, jealousy and murder. No further details to avoid spoilers.
I found this a well crafted mystery that seamlessly incorporated plenty of period detail and information about the film business in this turbulent era.
It proved an engaging whodunnit and I was grateful for the background material on the film adaptation of ‘Rebecca� provided by Upson in her Acknowledgments; including that Hitchcock and David Selnick had sent a second unit to scout Milton Hall. ‘Rebecca� is one of my favourite classic films.
Overall, ‘Shot with Crimson� had the same qualities that I had noted in my 2008 review of Book 1, ‘An Expert in Murder�, of being a genteel, character driven novel that honours the traditions of the Golden Age. I feel that I am now keen to dip back into the earlier books.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
My thanks to Faber & Faber for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Shot with Crimson� by Nicola Upson.
This is Book 11 in her series of literary historical mysteries featuring a fictional version of the Golden Age mystery writer, Josephine Tey. Ages ago I had read a couple of the early books in the series and while I enjoyed them I wasn’t as interested in cosy mysteries as I am now.
Despite this gap I found that Nicola Upson provided enough background for me to slot easily into Josephine’s world.
Prologue. In the summer of 1917 ten-year-old Daphne du Maurier arrives at Milton Hall, a country estate in Cambridgeshire. It is serving as a military hospital and while there she has an encounter with James Bartholomew, a young Quaker working as an orderly. Later in her life Milton Hall becomes an inspiration for Manderley and its severe housekeeper for Mrs Danvers.
In September 1939 war has just broken out in Europe and Josephine Tey travels on the Queen Mary to join her friend, Marta, in Hollywood where she is working on the set of ‘Rebecca�. Also, on board are Alfred and Alma Hitchcock. Josephine later meets James, who is working on the production as a set designer.
When a shocking death reawakens shadows of the past with consequences on both sides of the Atlantic, Josephine and DCI Archie Penrose find themselves involved in a mystery that leads back to the house that inspired the young Daphne du Maurier and echoes Rebecca's timeless themes of obsession, jealousy and murder. No further details to avoid spoilers.
I found this a well crafted mystery that seamlessly incorporated plenty of period detail and information about the film business in this turbulent era.
It proved an engaging whodunnit and I was grateful for the background material on the film adaptation of ‘Rebecca� provided by Upson in her Acknowledgments; including that Hitchcock and David Selnick had sent a second unit to scout Milton Hall. ‘Rebecca� is one of my favourite classic films.
Overall, ‘Shot with Crimson� had the same qualities that I had noted in my 2008 review of Book 1, ‘An Expert in Murder�, of being a genteel, character driven novel that honours the traditions of the Golden Age. I feel that I am now keen to dip back into the earlier books.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
May 26, 2024
Originally posted on my blog .
Shot With Crimson is the 11th Josephine Tey mystery by . Released 7th Nov 2023 by , it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The series is written around real life history, with verifiable political and news stories of the time seamlessly interwoven into the narrative. The author's ability to place her characters peripheral to real history and really allow the reader to feel like they're there is effective, unforced, and profoundly engaging. This volume sees Josephine in Hollywood in 1939 along with her compatriot DCI Archie Penrose. As always, there are literary references, this time to du Maurier's Rebecca.
Although it's the 11th book in the series, the mystery is self-contained in this volume. There are a number of character arcs which are developed in previous books which will be spoiled by being read out of order; and the series as a whole is so well done that it will repay being read in order (but it's not strictly necessary).
Having read the series (and looking forward to new installments), one thing that has impressed me very much is the author's facility with a really well planned and executed story arc. They're all well written, enjoyable books. The dialogue is pitch perfect, the characters and setting are stellar, the writing is great, and the plot adheres to the 10 commandments of detective fiction (the reader gets all the info to 'solve' the crime, no hidden perpetrators, no heretofore hidden 'evil twins' etc etc).
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours and 19 minutes and is beautifully read by series narrator Helen Lloyd. Her voice is well modulated, precise, and very easy to listen to. She does a virtuoso job of the wide ranging dialects for the characters and the dialogue is crisp and well delivered. Sound and production values are high quality throughout.
Four and a half solid stars for the narrative, five for the audiobook.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Shot With Crimson is the 11th Josephine Tey mystery by . Released 7th Nov 2023 by , it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The series is written around real life history, with verifiable political and news stories of the time seamlessly interwoven into the narrative. The author's ability to place her characters peripheral to real history and really allow the reader to feel like they're there is effective, unforced, and profoundly engaging. This volume sees Josephine in Hollywood in 1939 along with her compatriot DCI Archie Penrose. As always, there are literary references, this time to du Maurier's Rebecca.
Although it's the 11th book in the series, the mystery is self-contained in this volume. There are a number of character arcs which are developed in previous books which will be spoiled by being read out of order; and the series as a whole is so well done that it will repay being read in order (but it's not strictly necessary).
Having read the series (and looking forward to new installments), one thing that has impressed me very much is the author's facility with a really well planned and executed story arc. They're all well written, enjoyable books. The dialogue is pitch perfect, the characters and setting are stellar, the writing is great, and the plot adheres to the 10 commandments of detective fiction (the reader gets all the info to 'solve' the crime, no hidden perpetrators, no heretofore hidden 'evil twins' etc etc).
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 10 hours and 19 minutes and is beautifully read by series narrator Helen Lloyd. Her voice is well modulated, precise, and very easy to listen to. She does a virtuoso job of the wide ranging dialects for the characters and the dialogue is crisp and well delivered. Sound and production values are high quality throughout.
Four and a half solid stars for the narrative, five for the audiobook.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
October 19, 2023
Nicola Upson's latest in her historical Josephine Tey series is set in 1939, paying homage to Daphne du Maurier, and her classic Rebecca, and Norfolk's Elizabethan Milton Hall that inspired Manderley. As a child, Daphne, with her family, were on holiday there, when it was being used as a military hospital, she carries out a favour for a 'conchie' orderly, James Bartholomew, running into the housekeeper who later helped shape her vision of Mrs Danvers. Tey is boarding the packed Queen Mary to join Marta in Hollywood, who is assisting Hitchcock in the filming of Rebecca, strewn with problems and conflict with the producer, David Selznick, and Hitch's unorthodox and manipulative direction of actress Joan Fontaine. There is no escaping the war on the Atlantic crossing, Tey bumps into Alma Reville, Hitch's wife, with her mother and daughter, Patricia, and is present when a griefstricken Lee Hessel confronts Alma.
At Dearborn station, Tey is involved in a incident with Hitch's troubled but gifted model maker, Bartholomew, returning from Milton Hall, where his emotional triggers were pushed by the elderly Marion, resulting in him behaving in a way that is so out of character that he is plunged into a state of darkness. Back in England, DCI Archie Penrose is making his way to Milton Hall which is now being used as a base for special operations, he is on a delicate mission to solve the brutal and grisly murder of Eve Young, her body found in woodland. The army are keen to protect the soldiers from being seen as suspects, there is the resentful, jealous and bitter husband, Donald, and possibly members of a film crew that have since returned to the US. Tey liaises with Penrose in what is rather a twisted investigation that leads to a surprising conclusion.
Upson has clearly engaged with deep, indepth research in her adroit blend of fact and fiction, a narrative littered with numerous real characters from the period, including Bob Hope, Clark Gable, and du Maurier herself, involved in a London theatre production of Rebecca with Margaret Rutherford as Mrs Danvers. This is a wonderful read, capturing the turbulence that comes with the start of WW2, and an insightful glimpse into Hitch's family life and the process of filming Rebecca in Hollywood. Fans of du Maurier's Rebecca are likely to adore this historical addition to the series with its echoes of themes from the original novel. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
At Dearborn station, Tey is involved in a incident with Hitch's troubled but gifted model maker, Bartholomew, returning from Milton Hall, where his emotional triggers were pushed by the elderly Marion, resulting in him behaving in a way that is so out of character that he is plunged into a state of darkness. Back in England, DCI Archie Penrose is making his way to Milton Hall which is now being used as a base for special operations, he is on a delicate mission to solve the brutal and grisly murder of Eve Young, her body found in woodland. The army are keen to protect the soldiers from being seen as suspects, there is the resentful, jealous and bitter husband, Donald, and possibly members of a film crew that have since returned to the US. Tey liaises with Penrose in what is rather a twisted investigation that leads to a surprising conclusion.
Upson has clearly engaged with deep, indepth research in her adroit blend of fact and fiction, a narrative littered with numerous real characters from the period, including Bob Hope, Clark Gable, and du Maurier herself, involved in a London theatre production of Rebecca with Margaret Rutherford as Mrs Danvers. This is a wonderful read, capturing the turbulence that comes with the start of WW2, and an insightful glimpse into Hitch's family life and the process of filming Rebecca in Hollywood. Fans of du Maurier's Rebecca are likely to adore this historical addition to the series with its echoes of themes from the original novel. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
October 16, 2023
I would like to thank Netgalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for an advance copy of Shot with Crimson, the eleventh novel to feature a fictionalised Josephine Tey, set in 1939.
Josephine travels to Hollywood to spend time with her partner Marta Fox, who is working on the set of Hitchcock’s latest film, based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca. Meanwhile her friend, Chief Inspector Archie Penrose is sent to Milton Hall, the house that inspired the novel, to investigate some serious crime.
I have mixed feelings about Shot with Crimson. On the one hand it is wonderfully atmospheric, but on the other I found it slow and a bit of a slog at times. The narrative is split between Josephine in Hollywood and Archie in England. At the time international calls were very expensive, so there is not much contact between them. Instead they come at the same story from different angles and priorities. I was amazed at how well it works, building a narrative from different perspectives and working from the present situation to find its roots in past hurt and emotion.
As I said there are times when the novel is slow going, but, boy, does it have a story to tell. There are explosive truths and, in a sense, even more explosive misconceptions and emotions and several excellent twists. Sometimes, though, that explosiveness gets masked by a welter of emotional analysis and period detail. I was particularly struck by the author’s ability to bring the character’s beliefs about people to life and show how these beliefs affect their behaviour, even if the beliefs are no more than delusions. It’s powerful.
While in Hollywood Josephine spends time on the Rebecca set. I haven’t read the book or watched the film, so I wasn’t particularly interested, but I like the link between the events at Milton Hall and the film as it fits the two perspectives and the events. I don’t recognise some of the character names, like Joan Fontaine (apparently an Oscar winning actress), and that is a bit of a downside to the mixing of real and fictional characters, knowing who is real and who isn’t.
Shot with Crimson is a good read that I can recommend.
Josephine travels to Hollywood to spend time with her partner Marta Fox, who is working on the set of Hitchcock’s latest film, based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca. Meanwhile her friend, Chief Inspector Archie Penrose is sent to Milton Hall, the house that inspired the novel, to investigate some serious crime.
I have mixed feelings about Shot with Crimson. On the one hand it is wonderfully atmospheric, but on the other I found it slow and a bit of a slog at times. The narrative is split between Josephine in Hollywood and Archie in England. At the time international calls were very expensive, so there is not much contact between them. Instead they come at the same story from different angles and priorities. I was amazed at how well it works, building a narrative from different perspectives and working from the present situation to find its roots in past hurt and emotion.
As I said there are times when the novel is slow going, but, boy, does it have a story to tell. There are explosive truths and, in a sense, even more explosive misconceptions and emotions and several excellent twists. Sometimes, though, that explosiveness gets masked by a welter of emotional analysis and period detail. I was particularly struck by the author’s ability to bring the character’s beliefs about people to life and show how these beliefs affect their behaviour, even if the beliefs are no more than delusions. It’s powerful.
While in Hollywood Josephine spends time on the Rebecca set. I haven’t read the book or watched the film, so I wasn’t particularly interested, but I like the link between the events at Milton Hall and the film as it fits the two perspectives and the events. I don’t recognise some of the character names, like Joan Fontaine (apparently an Oscar winning actress), and that is a bit of a downside to the mixing of real and fictional characters, knowing who is real and who isn’t.
Shot with Crimson is a good read that I can recommend.
November 3, 2023
Nicola Upson has once again created an intriguing mystery featuring her fictionalised version of crime writer Josephine Tey. Using historical events and actual events from Tey’s life as a background, she skillfully weaves these into her reimagined character’s life as an amateur sleuth.
It’s September 1939 and Britain once again finds itself at war. With her lover Marta working on Alfred Hitchcock’s �Rebecca� in Hollywood, Josephine decides to take the risk of sailing for America on the last voyage of the ‘Queen Mary�. Also on board are Hitchcock’s wife Alma and young daughter Pat, who the real life Josephine met when Hitchcock adapted her novel ‘A Shilling for Candles� into the film ‘Young and Innocent� two years previously.
Also on board, are Hitchcock’s film crew who had been taking footage of Milton Hall, the stately home Daphne Du Maurier visited as a child and later used to depict Manderley in �Rebecca�. It’s also where she met the housekeeper who she would model as Mrs Danvers. After they leave for America, the body of a woman working at Milton Hall is found shot in the woods. Josephine’s good friend DCI Archie Penrose of Scotland Yard now has to find out if someone at Milton Hall or someone on the film crew was responsible. Fortunately, with Josephine now in Hollywood, they are able to work together across the Atlantic to solve the case.
The plot works well with a mystery full of secrets, lies and hate from the past playing out in the present. The historical details are well done with Britain in the early days of mobilizing and preparing its citizens for war, in contrast to the luxury on board the Queen Mary and business as usual in Hollywood. Details about the filming of �Rebecca� were really interesting with cameos of the actors and actresses involved and descriptions of the models used for the house. Overall, a cleverly crafted historical mystery, especially if you are a fan of Du Maurier’s �Rebecca�. 4.5�
With thanks to Faber and Faber via Netgalley for a copy to read.
It’s September 1939 and Britain once again finds itself at war. With her lover Marta working on Alfred Hitchcock’s �Rebecca� in Hollywood, Josephine decides to take the risk of sailing for America on the last voyage of the ‘Queen Mary�. Also on board are Hitchcock’s wife Alma and young daughter Pat, who the real life Josephine met when Hitchcock adapted her novel ‘A Shilling for Candles� into the film ‘Young and Innocent� two years previously.
Also on board, are Hitchcock’s film crew who had been taking footage of Milton Hall, the stately home Daphne Du Maurier visited as a child and later used to depict Manderley in �Rebecca�. It’s also where she met the housekeeper who she would model as Mrs Danvers. After they leave for America, the body of a woman working at Milton Hall is found shot in the woods. Josephine’s good friend DCI Archie Penrose of Scotland Yard now has to find out if someone at Milton Hall or someone on the film crew was responsible. Fortunately, with Josephine now in Hollywood, they are able to work together across the Atlantic to solve the case.
The plot works well with a mystery full of secrets, lies and hate from the past playing out in the present. The historical details are well done with Britain in the early days of mobilizing and preparing its citizens for war, in contrast to the luxury on board the Queen Mary and business as usual in Hollywood. Details about the filming of �Rebecca� were really interesting with cameos of the actors and actresses involved and descriptions of the models used for the house. Overall, a cleverly crafted historical mystery, especially if you are a fan of Du Maurier’s �Rebecca�. 4.5�
With thanks to Faber and Faber via Netgalley for a copy to read.
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