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Blue Decorated Boards in blue slipcase
Customer Review: An important mystery
This is a great book with an excellent mystery at its core that raises a fascinating question: when people seem to have information they shouldn't know unless some claim they're making is true, and yet seem to be lying about who they've come by that information, what is one to do? The mystery in this book, which was inspired by real events, is about a young girl who claims that she was kidnapped and held hostage in an attic room of a house in England. The owners of the house swear that not only is this not the case, but that 1) this girl has never set foot in their house, and 2) they have never seen her before. A character in the book seems to think that the owners of the house are telling the truth, only, there's one problem: the girl can describe details concerning the interior of the house. Does this fact prove that her story is true? No, obviously it does not. Why it does not is an important lesson, and is one that surely extends beyond the confines of this mystery. The answer, for instance, has much to do with how con artists fool people into thinking they are "psychic." Though The Daughter of Time is often hailed as Tey's greatest accomplishment, I must disagree. I found The Franchise Affair to be a far superior novel. This is must reading for mystery fans.
Customer Review: Psychological morality tale
No question that Tey was a fine writer--especially with her characterizations & wonderful turns of phrase. For example, "The Governor to whom a tear in the eye was just a drop of H2O," "Awful to be suffering for port you never drank," & "If you see a giraffe once a year it remains a spectacle; if you see it daily it becomes part of the scenery." The crime is cleverly drawn, esp. the question of how the girl's description of "The Franchise" house could be so accurate, though Tey never really explains it--it is implied in the conspiratorial relationships. The activities of the protagonist (a country lawyer) reminds me of a Dick Francis novel. Still, I think the plot/mystery is quite obvious and the resolution rather banal--though I liked the final ending. It's not "Daughter of Time," but if you're looking for a very enjoyable read, this would be a fine choice.


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