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| | The Daughter of Time |  | Author: Josephine Tey
Publisher: Pocket Books
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  136 reviews
Sales Rank: 6395168
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
ISBN: 0685056724
EAN: 9780685056721
ASIN: 0685056724
Publication Date: December 1982
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Amazon.com Review
Josephine Tey is often referred to as the mystery writer for people who don't like mysteries. Her skills at character development and mood setting, and her tendency to focus on themes not usually touched upon by mystery writers, have earned her a vast and appreciative audience. In Daughter of Time, Tey focuses on the legend of Richard III, the evil hunchback of British history accused of murdering his young nephews. While at a London hospital recuperating from a fall, Inspector Alan Grant becomes fascinated by a portrait of King Richard. A student of human faces, Grant cannot believe that the man in the picture would kill his own nephews. With an American researcher's help, Grant delves into his country's history to discover just what kind of man Richard Plantagenet was and who really killed the little princes.
Product Description
Josephine Tey re-creates one of history's most famous -- and vicious -- crimes in her classic bestselling novel, a must read for connoisseurs of fiction, now with a new introduction by Robert BarnardInspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a broken leg, becomes fascinated with a contemporary portrait of Richard III that bears no resemblance to the Wicked Uncle of history. Could such a sensitive, noble face actually belong to one of the world's most heinous villains -- a venomous hunchback who may have killed his brother's children to make his crown secure? Or could Richard have been the victim, turned into a monster by the usurpers of England's throne? Grant determines to find out once and for all, with the help of the British Museum and an American scholar, what kind of man Richard Plantagenet really was and who killed the Little Princes in the Tower. The Daughter of Time is an ingeniously plotted, beautifully written, and suspenseful tale, a supreme achievement from one of mystery writing's most gifted masters.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 131 more reviews...
 Don't Get It, Don't Care October 6, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Almost one-half way through this so-called mystery, I had to put it down. Perhaps you had to be British to care about whether Richard III killed his nephews. There seems to be more engaging historical mysteries. And what about the use of research as a device to tell a mystery tale? It simply did not work. Perhaps she could have written a history book instead? I didn't get it. Also, I doubt if I will read anything else by Tey.
 A brilliant concept September 11, 2008
Josephine Tey obviously did a great deal of research for this brief mystery and the finished product is one of those literary gems that will always be one of my (our) favorites. A great mystery and truly great read.
Ed Wells
Witty, dynamic and uncomplicated August 21, 2008
Dynamic and uncomplicated story that keeps unraveling with the speed of an avalanche.
Set in an unexpected surroundings (a hospital), the story evolves around the investigation
and subsequent discovery of the true reason behind the murders of the Two Princes in 1483.
The writing style is engaging, full of interesting fact and witty comedic nuances that make one oblivious to the time it takes to finish the book. The author gets to the heart of matter without painting unnecessary surroundings. It's a well-written, entertaining book and I recommend it if you have an afternoon to kill.
by Simon Cleveland
WHAT IS TRUTH June 12, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Author Elizabeth MacKintosh, wrote under the pseudonym of Josephine Tey. She died in 1952 but her unique talent continues to entertain and enlighten her readers with her unusual mystery scenarios. With Daughter of Time she invites us to join the team of a 20th century Scotland Yard inspector Alan Grant and an American researcher currently on assignment at the British Museum as they utilized their powers of deductive reasoning (ala Sherlock Holmes) to ascertain the truth about with Richard III. Having been previously characterized by everyone from Shakespeare to Sir Thomas More as an evil hunchbacked usurper who murdered his two young nephews in the Tower of London in order to claim the throne; the Richard Plantagenet of this investigation is portrayed as an unusually trusting, loving and gentle man with no physical deformity.
As creatively and intellectually plotted as this novel is, its' true beauty lies in the fact that it encourages the reader to THINK. It obliquely tells us that one should never accept any recorded history without question since most history is written from the perspective of those in power at the time and is not necessarily factual. In addition it enhances knowledge and vocabulary and sent this reader scurrying to the computer to look up definitions of items such as Bill of Attainder, Titulus Regius, and Star Chamber (lo and behold....it is more than a movie with Michael Douglas).
Admittedly, this is a novel and the "Richard argument" presented by Tey's characters, although compelling, should not be viewed as incontrovertible fact. Her writing, however, deserves to be treasured and enjoyed like a fine wine that is rolled around on the tongue and savored before it is swallowed.
Boring! May 19, 2008
3 out of 10 found this review helpful
As much as I love history and historical fiction, I hated this book. The story-teller, Grant, is sarcastic and petty. He is negative and utterly uninteresting. The writing was weak and boring, the story, or mystery was lacking in mystery! Nothing special here, just a guy named Grant griping about his hospital stay. A disappointment.
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