Reviews

‘My favourite type of mystery, suspenseful, and where everyone is not what they appear . . . Christine is great at creating atmosphere . . . she evokes the magic of the stage, and her characters [have] a past to be uncovered before the mystery is solved.’ [Stage Fright]

- Lizzie Hayes, MYSTERY WOMEN

Josephine Tey, P.D. James – and me

Posted on Jul 7, 2025 in Donna Tartt, Gladys Mitchell, Josphine Tey, Laurels are Poison, Miss Pym Disposes, P. D. James, Shroud for a Nightingale, The Secret History | 2 Comments

DEATH AMONG THE DONS Part 2 One of my favourite novels with an academic setting is Josephine Tey’s Miss Pym Disposes (1946), which is set in an female physical training college. Hers is in many ways an affectionate portrait. Tey had herself attended just such a college, Anstey Physical Training College in Birmingham, and had […]

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How long is too long?

Posted on Jan 28, 2014 in Agatha Christie, Ian Rankin, Martin Cruz Smith, P. D. James, Saints of the Shadow Bible, Sue Grafton | 2 Comments

It is a feature of crime fiction as a genre that a lot of writers are expected to produce a book a year, often featuring the same detective. It’s not surprising that some of these series get a little tired and even the sainted Agatha wasn’t exempt from this. I’ve just read one of her […]

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