The Daughter Of Time
The daughter of time by Josephine Tey is a quite extraordinary detective novel - I can guarantee that you'll never read anything quite like it. It's been influential (Colin Dexter borrowed the format for The Wench Is Dead), but Daughter of time remains an odd, and oddly satisfying amalgam of fact and fiction.
Inspector Grant is tied to his hospital bed after breaking a leg while in pursuit of a criminal, with boredom setting in a friend produces a set of portraits of historical criminals, and Grant starts to investigate the case of Richard III. Everyone "knows" that he murdered his nephews and was a thoroughly nasty piece of work, but Grant, with the aid of a researcher, soon discovers that what everyone "knows" is not necessarily the truth. It's a fascinating read, and fascinating on so many levels. If you're into detective fiction, you'll enjoy it as a detective story, whether or not you're into history. If you're into history you'll get something else from the novel. It's also a gently humorous read, with some lovely digs at Josephine Tey's own principal profession as a playwright, and even a joke at her own expense.
For more info on Richard III, and whether he really was the monster he is commonly portrayed, have a look here
Inspector Grant is tied to his hospital bed after breaking a leg while in pursuit of a criminal, with boredom setting in a friend produces a set of portraits of historical criminals, and Grant starts to investigate the case of Richard III. Everyone "knows" that he murdered his nephews and was a thoroughly nasty piece of work, but Grant, with the aid of a researcher, soon discovers that what everyone "knows" is not necessarily the truth. It's a fascinating read, and fascinating on so many levels. If you're into detective fiction, you'll enjoy it as a detective story, whether or not you're into history. If you're into history you'll get something else from the novel. It's also a gently humorous read, with some lovely digs at Josephine Tey's own principal profession as a playwright, and even a joke at her own expense.
For more info on Richard III, and whether he really was the monster he is commonly portrayed, have a look here
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