From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

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

Josephine Tey

Start date: June 1, 2023

Finish date: June 30, 2023

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: This classic was joint winner of a group poll.
[close] This classic was joint winner of a group poll.

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Group reads

* Nominations for November 2025 group read
By Judy · 18 posts · 21 views

last updated Sep 05, 2025 03:20PM

* Sept 25: Lonesome Road (#3 Miss Silver Mysteries) by Patricia Wentworth
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last updated Sep 03, 2025 12:03PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 12, 2008 Nancy Oakes rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime-fiction-uk, crime-fiction, classic-mystery-fiction

I have an extra copy of this edition of this novel if someone in the US would like it. I'll be happy not only to give it to you, but to also pay postage. Just leave a comment here & it's yours.

**
What a delightful book! This is maybe the third time I've read it, but now with a better background in medieval history, and historical theory in general, it made a lot more sense. The standard view is that the young princes Edward and Richard, the sons of King Edward IV (brother of Richard III) were mu I have an extra copy of this edition of this novel if someone in the US would like it. I'll be happy not only to give it to you, but to also pay postage. Just leave a comment here & it's yours.

**
What a delightful book! This is maybe the third time I've read it, but now with a better background in medieval history, and historical theory in general, it made a lot more sense. The standard view is that the young princes Edward and Richard, the sons of King Edward IV (brother of Richard III) were murdered by their evil uncle. This is the story that went into the history books until revisionists took a closer look at the historical evidence & made a different claim, that it was actually Henry Tudor (the father of Henry VIII and the first Tudor king) who framed Richard III for the murder of the princes. This is the focus of Tey's novel. She introduces it by having her detective hero (Inspector Grant) being laid up in the hospital dying of boredom while he's there, giving himself the puzzle of who really killed the princes to work on during his stay. Tey points out that Tudor historians wrote the main and popular theory about Richard III, because they certainly wouldn't have been able to be objective under the Tudors. Based on the Tudor accounts, Wm. Shakespeare wrote his famous (and excellent) play, Richard III.

Grant has as a partner in his "investigation" a young researcher who is able to find answers to Grant's questions based on the non-Tudor historical narratives. While it sounds very boring, the author is able to turn Richard III into a human being and we, the readers, begin to question the time-honored theory of the princes' deaths. What I found most intriguing were other examples of what was supposed to be time-honored historical "fact" that was really manufactured for political reasons.

I would recommend this to someone who enjoys history, and especially the history of Lancaster & York (The Wars of the Roses). Otherwise , the reader might find it dull. Furthermore, I think that people who would gain the most from this particular book would be people who are willing to question long-standing historical views & even if you don't agree with the author, at least be willing to consider her point of view. Written in 1951, it still has the power to hold the reader's interest. ...more

19 likes · Like · see review

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

16 likes · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2009 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, library-book, tbr-with-gr-groups, currently-re-reading, kindle, reread

5/2023: I enjoyed this reread much more, thanks to finally learning more about the War of the Roses a couple years ago (read The Sunne in Splendour). Historical fiction, but well-researched, and allowed me to at least follow the discussions between Grant of Scotland Yard, and American Brent Carradine, a budding young historian who helps Tey’s series detective while away hospital time after an injury in the line of duty. They tackle the mystery of Richard III, and the murder of the two young neph ...more

12 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2009 Jan C rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-for-school

Hard to believe that I actually had to read this for school when I was in college.

It was recommended reading by my English History professor. Possibly she saw it as a way to do English history in writing that wasn't straight history.

History as mystery. And, when you think about it, history is a mystery. It can be like a detective story. You do research, you follow a trail andm hopefully, you find out what the real story is.

And, since then, I've been hooked on detective stories. Prior to that t ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

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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Jul 02, 2010 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018reviews, 2018goodrule-old, readin2013

I have been wanting to reread Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time for quite a while now. The more I read on Richard III, the more I want to read. I just find this time period to be oh-so-fascinating. And the more you read, the easier it is to keep track of who's who and who's loyal and who's not. In this Alan Grant mystery, a bed-ridden Grant turns to solving a historical mystery since he can't be working on any actual cases. A friend knowing of his boredom, of his whining, brings him a stack o I have been wanting to reread Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time for quite a while now. The more I read on Richard III, the more I want to read. I just find this time period to be oh-so-fascinating. And the more you read, the easier it is to keep track of who's who and who's loyal and who's not. In this Alan Grant mystery, a bed-ridden Grant turns to solving a historical mystery since he can't be working on any actual cases. A friend knowing of his boredom, of his whining, brings him a stack of portraits, hoping that one face will interest him more than the others perhaps. Grant chooses Richard III. He vaguely remembers his story, but, he wants to refresh his memory. So he begins by reading school books, then historical fiction, and then biography, etc. Grant becomes very opinionated on what he reads, judging that what passes as historical fact wouldn't be acceptable as evidence or proof in court. In other words, he finds the history books to be all gossip. For example, the biography that is supposedly so esteemed, the author would have been FIVE years old when Richard III was on the throne. Yet he writes as if he was an eyewitness to the dramatic events. Grant argues (mostly with himself and perhaps also with his two nurses) that at best the man's facts would be just stories he'd heard from others and written down. Since the biographer grew up and came into power during the Tudors--who had every reason in the world for hating and slandering Richard III--then the stories passed down to him would have bias to them. Who would make a hero out of Richard III when Henry VII or Henry VIII reigned?! He finds a kindred spirit in an American researcher named Brent Carradine. Since Grant is stuck in bed, Carradine is the man doing the hard work, digging into research. Together they discuss the facts as they see them, Grant arranges the facts seeing what he can piece together, seeing if he can make a narrative that works. He just can't believe that Richard III murdered his two nephews. Grant believes that Richard is the one with the least motive to want them dead. For their deaths do him no good whatsoever, just harm.

The Daughter of Time isn't your typical mystery novel. The detective essentially just stays in bed and reads one book after another after another. He also discusses Richard III with anyone who enters his hospital room. (His nurses don't find Richard III as fascinating as Grant does.) For readers who do enjoy history, historical fiction, this one can prove satisfying. There is a chance that mystery lovers may enjoy this one too, after all Grant himself HATES history or hates reading history, but, it may not be for everyone. ...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Laura Anne rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, british-isles, historical-fiction

3.5 stars Not long after I lay this book aside, I will probably forget most of the historical facts and speculations presented. However, I really enjoyed the 'voices' of the characters. They sprang from the page, and I longed to be in the hospital room debating with them. It made me really think about the power of stories and how much we understand and know history. ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Carol Evans rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery

The title refer to a quote from Francis Bacon: “Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority.” It’s the same idea as history is written by the victor. Not all “history” is strictly truth, it’s a version someone has told that has stuck. I wish I knew more about British history, particularly Richard III, or that I had read Shakespeare’s play. If I go back to read this again, I may do a little research first. That being said, it is truly an enjoyable book on its own.

Our detective, Alan Grant, is ...more

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May 31, 2010 Jenn Estepp rated it really liked it

Shelves: sleuths-and-gumshoes

i am not convinced that it is the greatest british mystery of all time, but it's pretty darn good. also, a quick and fascinating read. which, at first, made me feel a little dumb, because it seems i have forgotten almost everything i once knew about british history. but then it inspired me to read up on it again (although no telling if i'll follow through) and it's always nice when a fiction book inspires you to do a bit of learning.

that being said, as of right now i am totally in the "poor ric ...more

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