One of my favourite mysteries is The Daughter of Time written in 1951 by Josephine Tey, British writer and playwright. It combines two of my favourite things—mystery and history. Apparently it's not only my opinion. The Daughter of Time has consistently appeared on lists of best mysteries of all time.
In this story, Tey's Inspector Alan Grant is laid up in hospital with a broken leg. A friend looking to distract and amuse him brings some photos and a historical question. What really happened to the Princes in the tower? Most people think they know the answer—They were murdered by their uncle, Richard III. This opinion is not universally accepted and Richard has many modern day champions.
Richard has to be one of history's most intriguing monarchs. He polarizes opinion about him. On the one hand is the hunchbacked monster who killed and plundered to rid his path of anything that stood between him and the throne. This opinion was promoted in Shakespeare's play. However, we must remember Shakespeare wrote in Tudor times and he was a man who definitely knew on which side his bread was buttered. When Henry VII killed Richard on Bosworth field and seized the English throne, he wasn't the only one with a claim to the throne, and not even the one with the best claim. The Tudors sat uneasily on that seat and it was to their advantage that Richard III be demonized.
On the other side we have the Ricardians who believe Richard was unjustly maligned, that he was and would have been a great king, and that he was mourned by the people he had governed. They also believe Henry had much more reason to kill the Princes than Richard did.
In The Daughter of Time Insp. Grant follows a trail of clues to come to what he believed was a startling conclusion, only to discover a twist in the tale.
If you've never read this book, it's worth searching for, even if you aren't a history lover.
***
To visit my Amazon page for romance and mystery, click the image below.
To visit my Facebook Author page, click here.
In this story, Tey's Inspector Alan Grant is laid up in hospital with a broken leg. A friend looking to distract and amuse him brings some photos and a historical question. What really happened to the Princes in the tower? Most people think they know the answer—They were murdered by their uncle, Richard III. This opinion is not universally accepted and Richard has many modern day champions.
Richard has to be one of history's most intriguing monarchs. He polarizes opinion about him. On the one hand is the hunchbacked monster who killed and plundered to rid his path of anything that stood between him and the throne. This opinion was promoted in Shakespeare's play. However, we must remember Shakespeare wrote in Tudor times and he was a man who definitely knew on which side his bread was buttered. When Henry VII killed Richard on Bosworth field and seized the English throne, he wasn't the only one with a claim to the throne, and not even the one with the best claim. The Tudors sat uneasily on that seat and it was to their advantage that Richard III be demonized.
On the other side we have the Ricardians who believe Richard was unjustly maligned, that he was and would have been a great king, and that he was mourned by the people he had governed. They also believe Henry had much more reason to kill the Princes than Richard did.
In The Daughter of Time Insp. Grant follows a trail of clues to come to what he believed was a startling conclusion, only to discover a twist in the tale.
If you've never read this book, it's worth searching for, even if you aren't a history lover.
***
To visit my Amazon page for romance and mystery, click the image below.
To visit my Facebook Author page, click here.
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