The Daughter of Time (Inspector Alan Grant, #5) in Overdue Podcast

Jan 15, 2012 Tracey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history, mystery, hist-myst

Also posted on my blog, with a little more blather.

Edison single-handedly discovered electricity. Paul Revere made a midnight ride to warn village folk that the British were approaching. Of course, Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover America. Richard III had his two young nephews killed off in the Tower of London. These are some "the sky is blue, grass is green" basic truths of history.

Well, the sky does, often, appear blue, and grass is, under certain conditions, green. As ...more

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May 05, 2015 Tracey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, audio, historical

My review of the book in and of itself is here; I couldn't resist listening to the audiobook, read by Derek Jacobi. It would be hard to say it's even better in audio format, when it's one of my favorite books already, but ... Sir Derek Jacobi. Tremendous fun, and highly recommended. ...more

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May 01, 2025 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, history, mystery

When you think about it, taking this on was a brave endeavor. If you're working on the 5th installment in a detective series you might assume that your readers have certain expectations. But here there is no body in the library, no witnesses or suspects to question, no way to end it conclusively. Only a face that doesn't quite fit what the history books say. And yet, this is named "one of the best mysteries of all time". I can't disagree.

Tey's writing is emblematic of the time period and I love ...more

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Apr 20, 2015 Sophie Brookover rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, mystery, 2015, plantagenets-tudors

I know I read this in high school, but had forgotten basically everything except that it went a long way towards exonerating Richard III, making a solid case against the Tudor story that he'd been responsible for the deaths of his nephews. Tey strips our notions of what makes a detective story down to the studs: what is a detective story but a question puzzled over & over until a theory of the case develops? Does a detective have to zip about his service area himself, interviewing people of inte ...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Heather rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2012

It took me about 100 pages to get into this book. As a history lover, I wasn't too fond of the constant "historians are so misguided; you can't trust history books." But the piecing together of the evidence and the discussion of the ramifications of each piece was pretty interesting. ...more

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Feb 02, 2018 Samantha rated it liked it

I expected a mystery, and it isn't, really. It's more of a historical research book. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were more familiar with English history and the succession of the throne. I can barely keep Henry VIII's wives in my head, so this, even with a family tree in the front, just didn't work well for me (other than for putting me to sleep.) Still, if that is something you enjoy (history! research! kings!) I think you will like it. ...more

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Sep 05, 2007 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2013, 2016

Reread March 2008: A re-read of one of my favourite books. It always makes me happy, and angry, and sad. I still think someone could make this into a really good movie.

Reread May 2010. (After reading The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, I had to re-read this to get Alan Grant's opinion on the Woodvilles and the whole situation.)

Rereading February 2013, prompted by the discovery of Richard's bones.

Reread April 2016. ...more

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