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Josephine Tey Mysteries is a series of historical mystery novels written by Nicola Upson. The books tell the story of a brilliant mystery writer who solves crimes in the 1930s.
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Order of Josephine Tey Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Expert in Murder | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Angel with Two Faces | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Two for Sorrow | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Fear in the Sunlight | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Death of Lucy Kyte | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | London Rain | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Nine Lessons | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Sorry for the Dead | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The Secrets of Winter / Dead of Winter | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Dear Little Corpses | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | Shot With Crimson | 2023 | Description / Buy |
When readers first meet Josephine in An Expert in Murder, the first novel in the series, she is traveling to Scotland to oversee the production of her play.
Josephine meets a woman on the train who professes her love for Josephine’s work. The two become fast friends, with Josephine having been largely swept away by her new companion’s passion for theater.
When the woman ends up dead, Detective Inspector Archie Penrose begins an investigation which eventually puts Josephine and her play in the crosshairs of a spiteful killer.
To clear her name and keep her play on track, Josephine must work hand in hand with Detective Archie to unmask their mysterious foe.
Nicola Upson’s career gained a lot of traction when she wrote the first Josephine Tey novel. Interestingly enough, many of her fans, even those who absolutely adored the Tey stories, were unaware that Josephine Tey was a real historical figure.
She was born in London in 1896 and she died in 1952. Over the course of her career, she became a celebrated author that wrote plays and novels.
The choice to incorporate Tey into a fictional series makes sense. Even at the height of her career, the woman was such a mystery. Very little was known about her life and she preferred it that way.
Tey worked very hard to keep her life as a writer separate from her other endeavors, not to mention her personal life.
So that gave Upson a lot of leeway to use her imagination to flesh out the author’s personality. Of course, Upson did plenty of research. But she also had to make a few assumptions to bring Tey to life.
Within the confines of the Josephine Tey mysteries series, the heroine isn’t necessarily an amateur sleuth who solves crimes in her free time.
These books are like biographies. They delve into Tey’s life, throwing the spotlight on the people she knew, both ordinary and extraordinary, the events she attended and the projects she pursued.
Along the way, murders happen and mysteries abound. Tey doesn’t seek out trouble. But unfortunate things keep happening around her. And for the most part, she is happy to sit back and watch as Detective Archie does all the heavy lifting.
But things always escalate to a point where the heroine has no choice but to step in, using her keen mind to find clues that elude Archie.
Josephine Tey Mysteries Awards
Fear in the Sunlight was nominated for a Barry Award in 2014.
Josephine Tey Mysteries Books into Movies
An Expert in Murder was turned into a radio drama by BBC Radio 4. It was broadcast in 2008.
Best Josephine Tey Mysteries Books
These novels are dark and violent; they do not hesitate to tackle the most brutal aspects of the 1930s, with some of the best books in the series including:
Angel with Two Faces: In An Expert in Murder, Josephine Tey encountered a traumatizing ordeal. So now Inspector Archie has invited her to Cornwall. He wants her to use his home to recover. And that is exactly what Josephine intended to do.
But then she was confronted by the funeral of a man who died after his horse jumped in the lake.
The Death of Lucy Kyte: Josephine Tey’s godmother left her Red Barn Cottage. To claim it, the writer must travel to the Suffolk countryside. Once there, she learns that an infamous death occurred on the grounds of the cottage.
But everyone in the community refuses to discuss the incident. Tey’s curiosity drives her to investigate the truth behind the superstitions that have gripped her new neighbors.
Other Book Series You May Like
You should also enjoy the Maisie Dobbs Series by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs was just a young housemaid yearning to attend college at Cambridge. Eventually, the war broke out and Maisie discovered her talent for solving puzzles.
Now she works as an investigator in London in 1929.
Reads also enjoy the Inspector Ian Rutledge Series by Charles Todd. Rutledge is an inspector in England. The First World War left him shell-shocked. No one knows his secret, so he does what he can to maintain his sanity even as he solves mysteries and murders in 1919.
What Is The Next Book in The Josephine Tey Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Josephine Tey Series. The newest book is Shot With Crimson and was released on November, 7th 2023.