Book Review: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The Daughter of Time
Author: Josephine Tey
Series: Inspector Alan Grant Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Evergreen Publishers (January 28, 2023)

Description: Inspector 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.

My Thoughts: I'm still trying to figure out why a mystery with a man confined to a bed in hospital with a broken leg and concussed spine was so engaging. I couldn't put the book down!

The story opens with Inspector Alan Grant staring at the ceiling in his hospital room. A friend brings a variety of historical pictures to try to get him interested in solving historical mysteries while he is convalescing. The portrait of Richard III intrigues him and sets him on a quest to find out more about the man and his supposed evil deeds. 

He's assisted by a young American researcher who followed a girlfriend to London and is now studying in order to keep his father off his back. Brent Carradine acts as Grant's legs and soon comes to share his fascination with the mystery of Richard III.

I loved the historical detail and the way Grant uses his investigative skills to piece together the puzzle. 

I bought this one May 24. You can buy your copy here.