A shilling for candles Book

4.5★ Can't make it 5★as the clues weren't there for the reader to solve themselves (although Tey did lead one up the garden path! I do love a good garden path wander!)

Mysterious and charismatic actress Christine Clay is found drowned. Initial evidence points a charming young wastrel that Clay recently befriended - but is Robin Tisdall the guilty party? Or is it someone from the past that Clay has been reinventing?

And she used to tell a different story each time. When someone pointed out that that wasn't what she had said last time, she said: 'But that's so dull! I've thought of a much better one.'

I'm glad I read this on my kindle as I was constantly looking up different words & expressions. I now know that rend-me-downs are the same as hand-me-downs. But I'm hoping someone from the Reading the Detectives group can explain the significance of a King's Writ!

This novel was also wittier than the other Tey's I have read;

And Hopkins, seeing that Tisdall was unaware of Grant's identity, rushed in with glad maliciousness. "That is Scotland Yard," he said. "Inspector Grant. Never had an unsolved crime to his name." "I hope you write my obituary," Grant said. "I hope I do!" the journalist said, with fervor.

Tey also seemed to be exploring the injustices of the class system and racism rather than condoning it.

At a scant 195 pages this was told at a brisk pace. I very much prefer this to some of the bloated modern mysteries.