The Voices of the Dead by Nicola Upson review: 'unexpected'
Though it isn’t graphic, this latest Josephene Tey novel doesn’t shy away from the violence of the world it exists in, writes Rachel Mackie
It’s the summer of 1941 and the National Gallery’s most famous and precious paintings are being stored in the slate mines of North Wales to protect them from the German bombs that are hitting London each night.
A roof fall in the mine uncovers the long hidden body of a woman, and our leading lady, Josephine Tey, her best friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, her lover Marta and a collection of friends are on the scene to do some digging. Long-hidden sins are uncovered and a dark and stormy past is explored.
The Voices of the Dead is the 12th book in Nicola Upson’s popular Josephine Tey series, in which a fictional version of the real-life Scottish author (real name Elizabeth MacKintosh) proves herself a very able sleuth. This is not my first time picking up one of her mysteries, though I haven’t read all of them, but this book would work as a standalone for those reading for the first time, with no clunky exposition to wade through.
This is not a completely conventional whodunnit, and it has an unexpected structure. We are made aware early on who is involved in the mystery, hearing early bites of the story from their perspectives - all of which had the effect of lulling this reader, at least, into a false sense of security. I was pretty sure I had a grip on what was happening and almost audibly gasped when the rug was pulled from under me towards the end.
The most surprising element of the book was the inclusion of the great actress Margaret Rutherford. I am a huge fan, and can honestly say that I was concerned when I saw she would be an active character in this story. However, I was wrong to be: the Rutherford plotline turned out to be the most compelling of the novel. The character, and the inclusion of the more distressing true elements of her life, is written sympathetically and with a gentle touch. There is a real warmth to Upson’s version of her, and her link with the more supernatural elements of the story works well.
Noel Coward also features - enough to raise a smile, but not so much that his presence feels in any way absurd - but despite these more playful nods to the era in which the story takes place, the war, and the pain and suffering it brings, is never taken lightly.
There can be a tendency to describe period mysteries such as this as “cosy”. It is a description I broadly resent in the murder mystery genre, and one that I would particularly warn against with this book. Though it is not graphic in terms of violence or language, it does not shy away from the violence of the world it exists in.
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