London Rain

Narrator Wanda McCaddon switches effortlessly among Scottish, English, and Welsh accents, expertly coloring the intriguing subplots in Upson's sixth historical crime novel featuring a fictionalized version of mystery author Josephine Tey. It's 1937, and London is at a fever pitch of excitement over the coronation of King George VI. In the midst of the hysteria, a star BBC radio announcer is murdered. Josephine, who knows some of the people involved, is drawn into the case, while also trying to resolve her own personal love triangle. McCaddon's range of expression and pace greatly enrich the well-drawn novel, which is as much historical fiction as mystery. Her clear, crisp, and inviting narrative voice perfectly channels 1930s England, offering listeners a time warp that is hard to leave. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Starred review from January 4, 2016
The coronation of George VI in 1937 provides the backdrop for Upson’s psychologically complex and twisty sixth whodunit featuring real-life mystery writer Josephine Tey (after 2014’s The Death of Lucy Kyte). At BBC headquarters in London, where Josephine has come to view the rehearsals of a play of hers that has been adapted for radio and will air as part of the celebration, she happens to be present when Vivienne Beresford, a Radio Times editor, learns that her husband, Anthony, the BBC’s leading news announcer, is unfaithful. That revelation sets in motion a series of events that result in murder on the day of the coronation. That case, which is handled by Josephine’s close friend at Scotland Yard, Det. Chief Insp. Archie Penrose, seems to be open-and-shut, but that perception changes when a second corpse turns up. Upson adroitly confounds the reader’s expectations, and her subtle and emotionally intelligent exploration of Josephine’s relationship with her lover, Marta Hallard, adds depth. Agent: Gráinne Fox, Fletcher & Co.