AN EXPERT IN MURDER

An Expert in Murder

'An ingenious concept, beautifully realised.' Reginald Hill

'A clever and evocative debut.' Mark Lawson, Guardian

'A satisfying array of backstage jealousies, betrayals, long-buried family secrets, adultery, illegitimacy and the tragic consequences of the first world war.' The Times

'[A] blithely spirited debut...shot through with palpable surprise and emotion.' Los Angeles Times

'An obvious work of love, An Expert in Murder is also a distinguished debut with great promise. Tey fans will devour it in one long night. And who could blame them, for in Upson's deft hands, the Golden Age is recalled to life with authenticity and civility.' Richmond Times-Dispatch

An Expert in Murder is the first in a new series which features crime writer Josephine Tey as its lead character.

It’s March, 1934, and Tey is travelling from Scotland to London for the final week of her celebrated play, Richard of Bordeaux – but joy turns to horror when her arrival coincides with murder.

Detective Inspector Archie Penrose is convinced that the killing is connected to the play. Richard of Bordeaux has been the surprise hit of the season, with pacifist themes which strike a chord in a world still haunted by war, but now it seems that Josephine Tey could become the victim of her own success, as her reputation – and even her life - are put at risk.

A second murder confirms Penrose’s suspicions that somewhere amongst this flamboyant theatre set is a ruthless and spiteful killer. As his investigations lead him from the romance of the West End to the stark reality of the trenches, he and Tey must confront their own ghosts in a search for someone who will stop at nothing to right the wrongs of a past generation

Cleverly blending elements of the Golden Age author’s real life with a fictional murder mystery, An Expert in Murder is both a tribute to one of the most enduringly popular writers of crime and a richly atmospheric detective novel in its own right.

'An arm reached out towards her, drawing her into a deadly embrace which seemed to mock the physical affection she had so recently come to know. There was no time to scream. The hand that gripped the back of her neck, holding her close, was swift and sure, and by now no strength was needed. Surprise had given way to a paralysing horror and she had no more control over her limbs than the doll which fell to the floor and lay staring upwards, an indifferent witness to her final moments. She tried to breathe normally, to stay calm, but her face was pressed into her assailant’s chest and panic welled up in her as she realised that this must surely be death. Please God, no, she thought, not now, not when I’m so happy.' An Expert in Murder

Click here to read an interview with Nicola on An Expert in Murder.

An Expert in Murder was dramatised by BBC Radio Scotland for the Woman's Hour Serial in April, adapted by Robin Brooks and produced by Gaynor Macfarlane. Click here to listen to a documentary on the making of the programme, produced by Mandy Morton and first broadcast on The Eclectic Light Show, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.