The FRANCHISE AFFAIR by
Josephine Tey
One Of Her Best!
Though Josephine Tey is not, perhaps, as well known as Agatha Christie,
her contribution to the Golden Age of mysteries is unquestioned. In
contrast to Christie, Tey rejected formulas and long-running series in favor
of experimentation with new settings and odd conjunctions of character
and subject matter. Her historical tale The Daughter of Time is frequently
cited as one of the greatest mysteries of all time. The Franchise Affair
resembles some of the best work of Poe in its introduction of an
apparently inhuman evil in an otherwise sedate country setting. Robert
Blair, a lawyer who prides himself on his ability to avoid work of any
significance, is interrupted one evening by a phone call from Marion
Sharpe. Ms. Sharpe and her mother live in a run-down estate known as
the Franchise, and their lives drew little attention until Betty Kane charged
them with an unthinkable crime. Ms. Kane, having disappeared for a
month, now says that she was held captive in the attic of the Franchise
during her entire absence. While her story seems absurd, her recollection
of minute details about the interior of the house sway even Scotland

Yard. Blair--who Ms. Sharpe has chosen for her defense because, as she
says, he is someone of my own sort--must dust off his neurons and
undertake some serious sleuthing if his client is to beat these serious
charges. As with all fine mysteries, one has the sense of being in a sea of
clues with a solution just out of reach. The Franchise Affair is a classic
mystery, and also a superb record of country life in early twentieth century
England. --Patrick OKelley
Personal Review: The FRANCHISE AFFAIR by Josephine Tey
Oh, I really enjoyed this book. First, it's a mystery that lures you in without
resorting to the trite convention of a murder. Instead, there is the rumor of
violence and sordid doings. Could this all be happening behind the veneer
of propriety and genteel lace curtains? We must read on to see how the
story develops.
I love reading about England before and after WWII. When I was in high
school I read loads of Agatha Christie. But there is a big difference
between Tey and Christie, and Dorothy Sayers for that matter.
I was pleasantly surprised by a few things. First, "The Franchise Affair"
(like "Brat Farrar", and "A Daughter of Time") reads more like a novel and
less like a mystery. The development of the characters is at least as
important or more important than the "mystery".
Second, is that her main detective - Grant - is only peripherally involved in
the story and not at all one of the protagonists. I thought, what nerve, a
Grant mystery without Grant!
Tey's wit through the voices of her characters, and unfamiliar (to me)
idioms of 1940's England all blend to make for a charming and satisfying
read.
(FYI - gutta-percha is not slang for gutter-purchase but for the rubber used
in a brand of golfball of the time.)
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