December 1938, and storm clouds hover once again over Europe. Josephine Tey and Archie Penrose gather with friends for a Cornish Christmas, but two strange and brutal deaths on St Michael's Mount - and the unexpected arrival of a world famous film star, in need of sanctuary - interrupt the festivities. Cut off by the sea and a relentless blizzard, the hunt for a murderer begins.
Pivoting on a real moment in history, the ninth novel in the 'Josephine Tey' series draws on all the much-loved conventions of the Golden Age Christmas mystery, whilst giving them a thrilling contemporary twist.
A fitting homage to golden age Christmas mysteries
Nicola Upson's ninth instalment in her Josephine Tey series is a fitting homage to the golden age tradition of the Christmas mystery.
The Dead of Winter is set in December 1938, in a nervous Britain poised on the brink of World War 2. Josephine Tey and her partner Marta agree to join their good friend DCI Archie Penrose for Christmas at St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall. Archie's lifelong friend, the Hon. Hilaria St. Aubyn, is hosting Christmas at her castle home for a select group of guests, in order to raise much needed funds to assist in the evacuation of Jewish refugees from Europe. Archie's own role in the festivities is to accompany and provide personal security for the guest of honour, German-born actress Marlene Dietrich, who is sympathetic to the fundraising cause.
As the guests make their way to Cornwall, heavy snowfalls begin, eventually leaving the island and its inhabitants cut off from the mainland over Christmas - the perfect setting for a classic Christmas mystery!
Unbeknownst to Josephine and her fellow guests, a murder has already been committed on St. Michaels Mount as they arrive, shortly followed by the discovery of a dramatically posed body - one of the Christmas guests - on Christmas morning. Josephine and Marta, aided by their gracious host Hilaria and the unexpectedly practical Dietrich, support Archie in his efforts to identify and apprehend the murderer or murderers amongst them.
Upson's prose is beautifully crafted and evokes the style of the golden age (albeit with the occasional contextual f-bomb!), and her cast of characters intriguing and well-developed. St. Michael's Mount is a remarkable setting and Upson skilfully incorporates architectural and other detail into the story - the depth of her research for this novel is evident.
To use more than one person who actually lived as characters in a fictional work is not an exercise to be entered into lightly. Upson's portrayals of both Tey and Dietrich are thoughtful, sympathetic and, as far as I can tell, quite consistent with their real-life personae.
The Dead of Winter is another well-executed instalment in a delightful series. It was an absolute pleasure to read.
My thanks to the author, publisher Faber and Faber Ltd. and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title in advance of its publication on 5 November 2020.
Sarah, 10/11/2020
