Book #5 in the Inspector Alan Grant series.
"Truth is not always the same as the majority opinion."
The Daughter of Time, the fifth book in Josephine Tey's series of mid-twentieth century detective novels featuring Inspector Alan Grant, remains the author's most popular mystery and is widely regarded as a significant work within the genre, for both its innovative approach and the themes it explores.
Richard III reigned for only two years, and for centuries has been vilified as the hunch-backed murderer of his nephews, the Princes in the Tower. Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a broken leg, becomes fascinated with a contemporary portrait of Richard that bears no resemblance to the Wicked Uncle of history. Could such a sensitive, noble face actually belong to one of the world's most heinous villains – or was he the victim of one of the most insidious plots in history?
Set against the backdrop of historical events and infused with psychological insight, The Daughter of Time explores the way history is constructed and how certain version of events come to be widely accepted as truth, even when there's no evidence or logical plausibility to support it. Josephine Tey's masterful blend of mystery and intellectual inquiry invites a reconsideration of the legends of the past—proving that sometimes, the real mysteries lie not in the crime itself, but in the stories we tell about it.
Josephine Tey (1896-1952) was a renowned author and one of the most celebrated figures in detective fiction. Tey initially pursued a career in theatre, writing plays before shifting her focus to novels, and her writing is characterised by psychological depth, strong character development, and a subversion of traditional crime fiction norms. Her most notable works include The Daughter of Time, Brat Farrar, and The Franchise Affair, and despite her relatively small output, her influence is significant, inspiring future generations of mystery writers.
In 2015, Val McDermid argued that Tey "cracked open the door" for later writers such as Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell to explore the darker side of humanity, creating a bridge between the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and contemporary crime novels.
