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85th out of 136 books
—
54 voters
Angel with Two Faces (Josephine Tey #2)
by
Nicola Upson
Summer 1935: Inspector Archie Penrose has invited Josephine Tey to his family home in Cornwall, a struggling but beautiful country estate on a magnificent stretch of coastline. Still haunted by the dark events of the year before - depicted in 'An Expert In Murder' - and disillusioned with the London stage, Josephine is ready to begin work on her second mystery novel and fi...more
Paperback, 426 pages
Published
July 2nd 2009
by Faber and Faber
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Angel with Two Faces - Nicola Upson
3 stars
This is the second book by Nicola Upson featuring the author Josephine Tey as the protagonist in a murder mystery. It’s important to realize that the Miss Tey of this book is a completely fictional character, based loosely on the historical author. For the most part the story was compelling, had good atmosphere and a few plot twists that weren’t completely predictable. The story takes place in Cornwall, between the world wars. There are wonderful descrip...more
3 stars
This is the second book by Nicola Upson featuring the author Josephine Tey as the protagonist in a murder mystery. It’s important to realize that the Miss Tey of this book is a completely fictional character, based loosely on the historical author. For the most part the story was compelling, had good atmosphere and a few plot twists that weren’t completely predictable. The story takes place in Cornwall, between the world wars. There are wonderful descrip...more
The second in what is becoming one of my favorite mystery series. One of the main characters is real-life mystery author and playwright Josephine Tey. (See my review of the first entry, An Expert in Murder). This novel is set in Cornwall and is equally well-done: intricate plot, wonderful sense of place and very moving. In the acknowledgements at the end Upson notes that the estate the novel is set on, the Penrose Estate, is a real place that now belongs to the National Trust. Josephine Tey, und...more
Scotland Yard Inspector Archie Penrose, has returned on holiday to Cornwall, his childhood home, where he ends up attending the funeral of a young man drowned when his horse veered into the river. It appears to be an accident. However, Penrose has to question this conclusion when another young man is murdered and, this time, he is a witness. The story is inspired by classic English country house murder mysteries, although the inevitable family secrets are somewhat darker than would have been acc...more
The problem with ebooks is that it isn't as obvious when you are nearing the end of the book. When the book ends on a less than obvious note as well that can be somewhat of a disapointing experience. I enjoyed the book but feel the ending left me up in the air. It wasn't a cliff hanger but I felt that too many things were left less than totally resolved. I like series where each book has a definite ending and feels complete. You want to read the next one in the series because you are in love wit...more
Looking for peace and quiet to write her next thriller, Josephine Tey accepts an invitation from her friend, Scotland Yard detective Archie Penrose, and his two cousins, to visit their ancestral estate in Cornwall. She arrives in time for the funeral of a local man whose death has stirred passions, not only among his sisters, but among the whole local community, which is divided between those who mourn him and those who welcomed his death. This is a rather long book, but Upson gives enough twist...more
This story reminded me of the Maisie Dobbs books in many ways in that the storytelling is at a leisurely pace, more like someone telling the story as opposed to the reading of it, if you know what I mean, and the details are described so eloquently that you really feel you are there with the characters. If I am in the mood for that type of thing, then fine, I'll stick with it. However, at the moment, I felt this moved WAY too slow. I got everyone's inner thoughts about everything that happened a...more
I found this book on the giveaway shelf at work and was drawn in by the setting of the book - Cornwall, England. When I studied abroad in England back in 1999, I spent a weekend exploring the main towns & villages of Cornwall and fell in love with their charm & quaintness. I was hoping this book would capture that and transport me back to that weekend.
This book did describe the lovely landscape that is in Cornwall, but most of the action took place on a family estate. One of the reviews...more
This book did describe the lovely landscape that is in Cornwall, but most of the action took place on a family estate. One of the reviews...more
Former actress and successful author Josephine Tey accepts an invitation from her friend Inspector Archie Penrose to visit his family’s beautiful old estate in Cornwall. Josephine finds plenty to inspire her there, especially the legends about the lake, which is said to claim a life every seven years. In fact, she ends up spending her first day at Loe attending the funeral of its latest victim who supposedly rode his horse deliberately into the lake and drowned. But all is not as it seems. Angel...more
I enjoyed reading this, but I'm not sure that I'll remember it or want to re-read.
This is the second in a series of mysteries which feature Josephine Tey (real-life mystery author). It is set on a country estate in Cornwall where Tey has been invited to visit by her friend (and possible romantic interest police inspector Archie Penrose. The first book in the series was set in London with the focus on the theatre, since Tey was also a playwright. I found the first one to be more unique and it hel...more
This is the second in a series of mysteries which feature Josephine Tey (real-life mystery author). It is set on a country estate in Cornwall where Tey has been invited to visit by her friend (and possible romantic interest police inspector Archie Penrose. The first book in the series was set in London with the focus on the theatre, since Tey was also a playwright. I found the first one to be more unique and it hel...more
This and the previous book in the series are my new favorite mystery series. Or at least my favorite of the books I've recently read. This book is greater than the sum of its parts and I attribute that to the writing and the excellent characters. These aren't simple disposable mystery plots, but books that have some emotional weight and resonance. Although this book is filled with soap opera-y plot points, it somehow transcends those. Not to mention the mystery is really suspenseful and kept me...more
What a glorious meld of Elizabeth George, Ruth Rendell, P. D. James & Anne Perry, with a lovely touch of Agatha Christie, and a great uniqueness all her own, the author brought to life the intertwining tragedies of various residents of a small English village. The characters became so 'real' that the sorrow/heartbreak of their lives remained with me several days after I finished reading the book. Probing the death of a childhood friend, Detective Archie Penrose and mystery writer Josephine T...more
This was described as a mystery that featured the mystery writer, Josephine Tey, as the protagonist. I enjoyed the Tey mysteries that I had previously read and was excited about this one. Unfortunately, I found it to be just okay. The book moved at a steady pace with some twists, but the Tey character was not as involved in the main themes as much as I would have liked. This is the second book in a series, and I had not read the first. It seemed as if it could easily be a stand alone title, but...more
May 10, 2011
Bev Hankins
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mystery
Angel With Two Faces is the second book in Nicola Upson's mystery series starring Josephine Tey. I have found with mysteries (or just plain fiction) that stars real people in fictional circumstances that they are either very, very good or very, very bad. I am happy to say that this series is very, very good. Upson's first mystery, An Expert in Murder, was good. A strong opener to a very promising series. This book builds on that success and the recurring characters are even stronger and more wel...more
Apr 30, 2011
Zooey
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Mystery readers, who enjoy stories with 'a little extra'
This is Upson's second book in the Josephine Tey series, and I will start off by saying that I think this one is even better than the first one! Whereas the previous 'An Expert in Murder' took place in the professional world of theater, this book takes us further into the personal life of one of the main characters. The result: excellent character development and further unravelings of a personal past.
The book starts with Josephine Tey dealing with a writer's block. Her friend Archie Penrose inv...more
The book starts with Josephine Tey dealing with a writer's block. Her friend Archie Penrose inv...more
The Cornish coast of England is the setting for this very involved mystery involving family secrets that distort the actions of several familes of long standing roles in the community. The interweaving of the characters lives is done with finesse and the twists and turns are abundant as more than one person meets their demise at the hands of another. Sad and poignant; puts the reader much in mind of how hidden actions can still produce pain and suffering for others, long after the events occured...more
Excellent. Nicola Upson is a superb weaver of circumstance, emotion and mystery. The background set against Josephine Tey's own life is expertly woven between fact and fiction. The actual mystery itself is really secondary to the writing - indeed the actual premise for the story has been told in various ways by various authors in various locales but again the retelling of a taboo and horrifying tale by Upson has shone new light on it.
Well done
Well done
There were so many evil acts in this book that it was quite over the top. Too many similar acts by unrelated people implying that incest and murder are going on behind closed doors in almost every house. Having said that and despite the dark aspect of this book I did really enjoy it. The protagonist is good, she finds out secrets that have been kept for a long time and is sympathetic to a certain degree.
Worth reading another one.
Worth reading another one.
I like this book a lot. I didn't find it quite as gripping as the earlier Josephine Tey mystery, but I appreciated the Cornish setting. Archie and Josephine's relationship is moving by millimeters. I also appreciate that there have been gay characters in both the books, and that a character's sexual orientation has nothing to do with the crime. Looking forward to reading the next installment.
After an enjoyable first novel, the author has hidden heavy-handed moralizing behind a "Golden Era" mystery. However, there's nothing golden about this bleak and bizarre justification of incest and murder. The novel is at once depressing and aggressive, as if the author has an axe to grind and wants to make the reader pay. Incest and murder are both justified in the name of "love," which is sickening enough, but then incestuous rape, forced prostitution, and cruel violence are thrown in for good...more
A mystery set in a small English village where Josephine (the writer of Daughter of Time) has come at the invitation of her friends. She arrives after a funeral of a local golden boy and inadvertantly gets caught up in the intruge and secrets that have strained all the ties that bind the once closekint community together. Warning: not for the squeamish as one of the major storylines is, well, a bit on the creepy side, but a well written book.
Unfortunately this is the 'not so good' book in the series. It was OK but the conversations just dragged on & the reactions of people to unnatural behaviour didn't fit with the 1930s. Good ending though.
This book was set in the Penrose Estate in Cornwall which is now National Trust property:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penro...
Would like to read a book by the real Josephine Tey now
This book was set in the Penrose Estate in Cornwall which is now National Trust property:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penro...
Would like to read a book by the real Josephine Tey now
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I rather enjoyed this book. At first I thought it would be predictable, a young woman writer in Cornwall in the 1930's who helps the police solve a murder. Boy was I wrong. Every time I turned around there was a unique twist. I could never predict the actions. But then a book by Agatha Christie struck my mind, Ten Little Indians. Really entertaining read.
I read Nicola Upson's earlier book in this series, where she takes the detective author Josephine Tey and makes her a character in a murder mystery. It's a clever idea (and others have done it as well) and this story isn't written with a lot of sophistication, but the setting is Cornwall, which makes up for a lot.
It's all about family. And their secrets...so much tragedy, but strangely compelling to read. :-)
I don't know why I found this more readable than "The Little Stranger." The only reason I can come up with is that I can read genre books more easily than literature, and what does that say about me?
I don't know why I found this more readable than "The Little Stranger." The only reason I can come up with is that I can read genre books more easily than literature, and what does that say about me?
I liked this second book in the series even better than the first - the setting in Cornwall is gorgeous, there is real poignancy in the story and reference to lots of real people, places and events brings the period to life. Slowly the secrets and mysteries unfold in a very satisfying way.
Incest, a battered wife, more incest, murder, and lots and lots of secrets. Combine with two only partially drawn main characters, a host of even more sketchily drawn characters, and the result is less than great. I was interested enough to finish it, but not enough to care about the characters. I'll stick with the real Josephine Tey.
This was the second in the series and the author did a good job in totally relocating most of her charaters to a new and differend location out of the city of London. Quite a bit of heavy drama for post WWI England - incest, rape, wife beating, abortion, Suicide, child-knapping and the occational murder of course! Jeezzze! On the heels of my dicussion last weekend on historical fiction, I was totally facinated at the end of the book when the author revealed that her main charater Josephine Tey w...more
Grand story, compelling mystery, great protagonists and some of the nastiest situations I've read. I generally avoid mysteries that harp on the miseries of life and the tangles caused by sordid choices but this author is so good that I just cringe and carry on.
This book inveigles the reader into the post WW I world of Cornwall with the last conscious thoughts of a drowning man. Characters to love, hate, admire and fear for, a beautiful setting, the breathless feeling of peace threatened by another war, and the damage one can do by thinking one knows best for another. Upson weaves a good tale.
I keep thinking I am going to like these mysteries better than I do. Josephine Tey is one of my favorite mystery writers and these are based on her life so somewhat interesting for that reason. But I don't think I read others in the series.
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Nicola Upson was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. She has worked in theatre and as a freelance journalist, and is the author of two non-fiction works, and the recipient of an Escalator Award from Arts Council England. She lives with her partner and splits her time between Cambridge and Cornwall, where the next novel in the series is set.
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