Thanks Crooked Lane Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Love the laid back feel to Upson's novels. This one deals with hard issues, family secrets, and how far a friend should go for another friend.

I've read the other books in the Josephine Tey series, and they get better and better. Nicola Upson's writing is so easy to read, and she takes you back to London and Canbridge just prior to WWII. The plot is engaging and the characters are layered and compelling.

Archie Penrose, a Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector, is called to a gruesome murder in a London churchyard. When another man is killed, Archie finds a common thread between them that leads to Cambridge. Josephine Tey, one of Archie's oldest friends, and her lover Marta have recently taken a house there. Unfortunately, there have been a series of rapes that have the women of Cambridge terrorized.

Josephine, a writer whose plays are being turned into movies, has been involved in crime solving before. When Archie arrives trying to solve the mysterious murders, he asks for her help. She also wants to help catch the rapist, because she feels personally vulnerable after an incident that occur close to her home.

The two mysteries are intertwined and so well plotted. Archie's Cambridge connection is so cleverly done and the murderer was a total surprise to me. I can't say enough about this book, and highly recommend it.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously, seriously love this book. A strong story of men and women as well as a well though-out mystery.

The main mystery may seem a bit unlikely, with its ‘inspiration’ to M.R. James’s ghost stories, but its unfolding, how the inquest proceeds, the way clues are discovered are so realistic that it will convince you. The murders are gruesome and cruel – the outcome described in such details to be disturbing – and still you nearly understand the murderer once the reasons are explained. That’s how good this mystery is constructed.
A secondary thread intertwines with the main mystery, although only in the end we see the two are somewhat linked. It concerns attacks on women happening in the university city of Cambridge although, as the norms of decency dictated at the time, ‘rape’ could never be utter, nor acknowledge.
And finally a third thread centres on the personal life of Chief Detective Inspector Archie Penrose and a secret that goes back to the days of the war.

These characters became like real person to me. The choices they face are tough but they always act in a sensible way, they never become melodramatic. Although the series bears the name of Josephine Tey, this particular novel focuses on Archie Penrose, who I found a particularly likable character. His humanity and his understanding of the human nature makes him a great detective, but also a very nice human being. Although I appreciated Josephine’s assertiveness and her wisdom, Archie commanded my reader’s involvement.

This is the seventh novel in the Josephine Tey Mystery Series, which is particularly relevant for Archie Penrose’s thread, since what happens to him has its origin in previous books, but I never felt lost. The author gives info enough to navigate Archie’s current emotions and the very kinky situation he finds himself in, but never so much to feel too much. This thread, which might have been distracting if handled less skillfully, ended up complementing the overall theme: the past coming back to haunt the present.

The historical setting is truly remarkable. Late 1930s Cambridge comes to life, it is a place that I can nearly see, even if I’ve never been there. And I love the way past and present intermingle even in the time of the novel. This is a place stuck between two horrible wars and you can almost smell it in the pages.

This is a great mystery. But it is above all a very good story.

The latest title in the crime series featuring Josephine Tey & Archie Penrose... A tale of revenge down the decades, Archie is called in to investigate a murder when a body is found in a churchyard. The gruesome death is not the only one but as more bodies pile up and links to Cambridge and the horror stories of MR James challenge all Archie's skills and knowledge. Josephine has moved to Cambridge where fear is stalking the streets with a serial rapist making women afraid to be in their own homes.
This novel explores secrets and lies and the impact they can have down the years. There are also secrets closer to home for Archie and Josephine which could jeopardize their friendship.
The author has created a sense of pre-war Cambridge and there is a sense of a connection with the Golden Age of crime of the 30s. I like the depiction of the characters and the their eveolving relationships. The crimes are suitably convoluted and the link to the horror stories of MR James has whetted my appetite to try them!
Looking forward to the next title in the series!

Nicola Upson continues the tradition of her next book being worse than the last one. Another promising storyline that is dropped in favour or pontificating about Tey's non-existent and tedious Lesbian relationship. Different storylines improbably converge in the same direction in the same way as those 80's 'theme of the day' type tv drama's. The first few Upson novels were amazing but everyone I know who used to enjoy them has given up. This won't change their minds.

I've followed Nicola Upson's series about Josephine Tey from the beginning, so I was obviously keen to read this seventh instalment. As before, the action moves between Detective Inspector Archie Penrose of Scotland Yard and Josephine Tey herself as they work on aspects of the same mystery. In this instalment it is 1937 and the focus is on Cambridge where a serial rapist is on the loose.

I actually thought this was one of the better books in the series - I'll admit that I did not like occasional elements of the previous books where it got too angst-y and into the minutiae of relationships between the main characters. I'm really in this for the crime, and this time the plot is excellent! There is a really tightly constructed story which balances the involvement of the two protagonists, as well as throwing in a good number of twists and red herrings.

I'd recommend this to lovers of historical crime novels - if you are even remotely interested in or enjoy Golden Age detective fiction, then this series should be on your reading list. It would all make a lot more sense if you started with book one though...

This is the seventh book in the Josephine Tey mystery series. There’s probably going to be spoilers in this review for the previous books in the series.

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Detective Archie Penrose is called to the scene of a most unusual murder. A man has been found buried alive in a crypt in Hampstead Heath. The look of terror and the ravaged fingers of the dead man speak to hours, if not days, of torment trying to escape the crypt. Tracing a clue about the murder to Cambridge, where writer and friend Josephine Tey has recently taken up residence, Penrose finds the local constabulary overwhelmed trying to stop a series of increasingly violent rapes in the small town. When a second body is discovered, Penrose realizes that he is dealing with an incredibly intelligent, and unspeakably ruthless murderer, and his list of victims is only going to grow.

I have not read the previous books in the series, but fortunately, for the most part the book is able to stand on its own merits. There were a few instances where I felt like a reference was passing me by, or that I had missed some subtle reference, but all in all the back story is well explained without becoming laborious.

This is an interesting (and frankly creepy) mystery. The gothic elements of the main murder series, and the more visceral horror of the serial rapist combine to make the town of Cambridge feel distinctly unsettling. Upson deftly keeps the suspense high with atmospheric writing. Her portrayal of a idyllic small town in the grip of an unknown monster is well done.

The literary aspects of the mystery were especially intriguing. I had never read anything by M.R. James, but after his inclusion in the plot, I found myself a collection of his ghost stories and am looking forward to reading them now that autumn is at hand.

Fans of period mysteries (and, I’m presuming, fans of the series thus far) will find a lot to like in this book. I was surprised that a book in a series featuring a female protagonist is told mostly from the male detective’s point of view, I’m not sure if this is a departure from the regular tone of the series or not. Either way, Upson is able to craft a compelling mystery, one that will keep the reader on his or her toes.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Charles Todd, Jacqueline Winspear, or Josephine Tey herself are sure to adore Nicola Upson’s journey into 1930s England. The seventh novel in Upson’s Jacqueline Tey series, Nine Lessons brings the authoress to life in vivid, flawed fashion, adding an extra layer of interest to this historical mystery.

There's a serial rapist on the loose in Cambridge (we're talking inter-war period!)where Josephine Tey is taking care of her friend's house .
. Meanwhile a body (apparently burried alive)is discovered in a London churchyard and certain clues are left with this victim. But as more bodies are discovered they all seem to lead to Cambridge, more precisely to King's College and their famous choir.
Fact is,I never read anything by Josephine Tey,but I liked the idea of having a real(crime)author on the premises .
The interaction between Miss Tey and a very gallant(and still smitten )inspector is adorable(not corny,not sugary just from time to time awkward.)
The mystery(a serial KILLER on the loose is of a very sound quality.I,personally, enjoyed it. Who needs more.....

I have followed this series of novels by Nicola Upson, featuring Josephine Tey, since the start and can honestly say that this is the finest yet.

The Cambridge setting and the social and political atmosphere of England in 1937 are so well-captured. The interwoven plot lines of a rapist currently stalking the city and a series of murders with their roots in the past are skilfully handled.

There were so many aspects of this book which I found delightful: the links with the stories of M R James, the development of Josephine and Marta’s relationship, the revelations about Alec Penrose, all enhanced the underlying detective stories.

The characters, major and minor, are well-drawn. Although little is known about Josephine Tey. born Elizabeth MacKintosh, aka Gordon Daviot, she is far from shadowy in this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this book.

What a great reading experience this book was. I just want to rush out and get all six previous books in this series and lock myself in a room and read them. Naturally I will have perfectly cooked morsels of food delivered to my door. Seriously, though, how have I missed this mystery series?

It is obvious that this group of characters have a lot of past history but that was no impediment whatsoever to my enjoyment of this current novel. Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose and his sergeant, Bill Fallowfield, are in Hampstead to investigate a particularly gristly discovery in an old grave. The identity of the murdered man is known but why was this particularly cruel form of death inflicted on him? Perhaps a portion of a postcard found in the grave will provide the clue needed to get the investigation started.

There are two distinct plot threads happening simultaneously in this story, the murder under investigation by DCI Penrose and a series of rapes in Cambridge investigated by the local police. Penrose is often in Cambridge because his case takes him there and he becomes familiar with the investigation into the rape cases. Cambridge also has become the home of Bridget, Marta, and Josephine Tey who is housesitting for Marta while she goes off on a business trip to the U.S. So if you are familiar with the series you can see that all the characters are present in this one. The two threads weave in and out of each other with perfect justification and both are completed by the ending of the book. The atmosphere of 1937 England is very well described and the ghost stories from which the clues for the murders are taken is a real book. As fraught with tension as this story was, I don't see myself seeking that book out to read the ghostly entertainment anytime soon.

A very good mystery novel and highly recommended.

I've long loved Josephine Tey's novels and in more recent years I've also loved Nicola Upson's "Josephine Tey" series in which a fictionalised version of the writer is the main character.

It's an interesting and I feel somewhat audacious premise, given that the stories concern not just the investigation of crimes but also Josephine's personal and romantic life. Of course the real life Josephine wasn't Josephine at all; Josephine Tey was a pen name for Inverness-born Elizabeth Mackintosh. Nicola Upson's character however is clearly Josephine, not Elizabeth, and hence already a step removed from the real person, although she shares many biographical details, including her former career as a physical training instructor and her success as a playwright.

The latest instalment, set in 1937, finds Josephine staying in her lover Marta's new house in Cambridge while Marta is away in America. Josephine's dear friend, Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, is investigating an apparently linked series of unpleasant murders with a Cambridge connection; meanwhile, a serial rapist is terrorising the women of Cambridge.

This was a really excellent read, tightly plotted and with a genuinely surprising resolution which I certainly did not predict. There's an intriguing literary connection, too, via the acclaimed ghost story writer, scholar and former provost of King's College, Cambridge, M. R. James. He doesn't appear directly, having died in 1936, but nevertheless has a role to play.

As ever this is beautifully and intelligently written and evokes a genuine sense of place and time, both socially and politically. The shadow of the First World War still lingers, the second is not yet a reality, although there is a subtle sense of tensions growing in Europe; but the Duke and Duchess of Windsor can still be photographed taking tea with Hitler. (I looked up the picture in question; it's quite something.)

The rape storyline is sensitively handled and there is no glossing over either the lasting damage done or the attitude of many - the police included - who regard it as not, in itself, really that significant a crime.

There were a couple of phrases which jarred slightly: I'm not sure if people in the 1930s (even Marta) would have used the term "for fuck's sake". But maybe they would; I'm no expert on the matter.

The title had me puzzled for a while. But ultimately it makes perfect sense. And I do love the covers of these books.

Highly recommended.

Polite request: I'd love to read a future novel set in Josephine's native Inverness!

This was my first introduction to the Josephine Tey series. I read several other mystery series with strong female leads and was curious to try a new series.

Nine Lessons is the seventh segment in this series and although it did well as a stand alone book, I wish I had read the previous six books to understand the personal dynamics between the main characters. Although the series is called the "Josephine Tey" series, we are introduced to Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose, who really stands out as the main character in this novel. I really liked Archie's character, a man of strong moral values as well as a keen mind. He's trying to solve a horrendous murder and is beleaguered with clues that don't seem to make any sense.

The author deftly weaves two completely different storylines as well as other personal dramas into this story. If you are looking for a cozy mystery this series may not be for you as it deals with some pretty intense and graphic situations as well as moral issues. Let's just say, it's not for the faint of heart. Keeping this in mind, it was incredibly well written and kept me hooked until the end.

I was firstly intrigued by this book by the fact that one of the characters was names after one of my favourite author Josephine Tey. It certainly did not disappoint, a multi layered story with lots of meat.

4.5 stars

When this series first began, I read the early installments through book 3 and enjoyed them. I guess the series fell off my radar, and I missed the next few because I recently came across this one and realized I had missed several books. Nevertheless, I easily picked up the story line and found this novel to be completely engrossing. The story line was creative and realistic, and I absolutely loved the ending. I thought I had figured out the identity of the murderer and was delighted to be wrong. Too many novels written today are easy to decode, and I was thrilled that Upson managed to pull off a surprise at the end.

While Nine Lessons is billed as a Josephine Tey mystery, the main character in Nine Lessons is really Archie Penrose, a Detective Chief Inspector for Scotland Yard. On the trail of a murderer with a very specific agenda, Penrose finds himself in Cambridge attempting to solve the puzzle before the murderer has completed his rampage. Josephine Tey and Penrose’s old flame Bridget have both recently moved to Cambridge where a serial rapist has begun terrorizing single women. Penrose and Tey team up to try and solve the murders while Tey also assists the local police with tracking down the identity of the rapist. In the midst of the crime-solving, Archie, Josephine and Bridget must resolve personal issues that attempt to destroy their individual relationships. While the plot is complicated, it is highly creative and clever and a ton of fun to read.

The story takes place in 1930’s England. Upson focuses on the role of women in that era and the great price they paid when something like a horrific crime spree in their midst sends progress back in time by decades. I always find this topic incredibly fascinating and enjoy learning more about fashions, women’s role in society, and other issues faced by women in earlier eras. As a woman living in 2017, I marveled as I read at how different life would have been if I had been born 60-80 years earlier and send up my thanks to those brave women who paved the road for my girls and me.

Nine Lessons is an intelligently crafted tale that will be a hit with anyone who loves a good mystery and clever writing. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent thriller. Convince yourself who is resposible and the story twists deliciously and throws you off the scent. Loved this book from start to finish.

Very interesting and well written book. I highly recommend!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I wish I had read the series as think this would have had a 5 star rating. Brilliant book nonetheless.

Nicola Upson's NINE LESSONS captivated me from the first page to the last. This historical mystery was set just prior to WW2 but frequently takes the reader back to the aftermath of WW1. The British people experienced so many hardships and so much personal loss that there were few families not touched by the war in some way. Upson does a very good job in reminding (or educating) the reader of the depths of the sacrifice the British people made during the war and for many years following it.

Although this is billed as a Josephine Tey mystery, the principal character is not Tey, but a close friend of hers who is a Chief Inspector for Scotland Yard. Their relationship is complex and sometimes painful and that is an element that adds interest to the story and raises it from a typical British mystery story. The difficulty for a reader is that if this is the first book in the series that they have read, they will not be informed about the backstory that sometimes challenges the friendship. I've read one of the earlier Tey mysteries and still was a bit befuddled by their relationships.

That said, Upson has devised a very challenging puzzle that confounds Scotland Yard and it takes the reader to Cambridge and its surrounding area. The author's description of the University town and its inhabitants rings so true that the reader can easily imagine that they are part of the community. I was totally engaged by Upson's writing, her plot and her characters and found this one of the most interesting historical mysteries I've encountered.

Net galley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This started promisingly but did not keep attention for much past the first few pages.