This edition published 4th February 2021 by Faber Books. Originally published 2014.
Audio book narrated by Sandra Duncan.
From the cover of the book:
A house that can't restA crime that won't fade...
When Josephine inherited a remote Suffolk cottage from her godmother, it came full of secrets. Sorting through the artefacts of her godmother's life, Josephine is intrigued by an infamous murder committed near the cottage a century before. Yet this old crime - dubbed the Red barn murder - still seems to haunt the tight-knit village and its remote inhabitants.
As Josephine settles into the house, she knows that something dark has a tight hold on the heart of this small community. Is it just the ghosts of the Red Barn murder, or is there something very much alive that she needs to fear?
Trapped in this isolated community and surrounded by shadows of obsession, abuse and deceit, can Josephine untangle history from present danger and prevent a deadly cycle beginning once again?
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1936. Author Josephine Tey is astonished when she inherits a remote Suffolk cottage from the godmother she has not seen since she was a child. The bequest comes with some strange requests - one mentioning a mystery person called Lucy Kyte, who seems to be untraceable; and another that Josephine must be the one to sort through the possessions that music hall actress, Hester Larkspur, has left behind.
Josephine takes herself off to Polstead to begin her task. A village she learns was the setting for an infamous murder that took place in the barn that used to stand adjacent to her inheritance, Red Barn Cottage. There is a strange atmosphere of sadness in the ramshackle cottage that Josephine attributes to the fact that is it the place where Hester died, but as she sifts through her belongings, she realises that there are other influences at play. Polstead has never recovered from the historic murder, and there is a darkness that lingers in this small community, particularly in the cottage that overlooks the site of the crime - a crime that her godmother was clearly obsessed with beyond simply appearing in a play about Maria Marten, the woman that was murdered.
Is there a presence in this cottage that is looking for restitution, or is the danger much more tangible? Can Josephine untangle present and past to get to the bottom of the mystery of Red Barn Cottage?
Nicola Upson's fifth glorious mystery featuring Josephine Tey is based around the very real Red Barn Murder in 1827 - it is also unusual because this is a story where Josephine takes on a quest for the truth almost entirely single-handedly, as her pal Detective Archie Penrose only makes a fleeting appearance, albeit in a scene which rings with historical significance for Britain at the time.
Jospehine's inheritance brings with it many painful reflections about the death of her mother, who was best friends with Hester, and about her current situation as the person her father now relies on. As she tries to find answers to a whole mass of tangled question about Hester's demise, the identity of Lucy Kyte, and the lingering impact of the Red Barn Murder in Polstead, past and present blur in way that preys on Josephine's mind - and Upson uses this a story device to beautifully weave themes of family, friendship, the weight of unexpected (and unwanted) responsibilities, and guilt, throughout the whole novel.
This is the creepiest book so far in the series, rich with voices from the past that haunt the cottage and link the storylines together, and you are never quite sure how much is real or down to the influence of a supernatural hand. The mysteries lie thick and fast, and Upson keeps you guessing in her characteristic way, dropping her reveals when they will have the most impact psychologically and emotionally. Along the way she explores a host of subjects too, particularly around the mystique that comes with famous crimes, and how the victims get lost in the grisly obsession that develops around them. There is oodles of lovely stuff about a different side of the world of theatre that is normally touched upon in this series too, as Josephine's delving into Hester's past takes her on a voyage of discovery about music hall melodrama.
This is another one of my favourites from the series, because it reveals so much about Josephine's character, and I adore the slow-burn developments in the relationship between Josephine and her lover Marta. Sandra Duncan's dulcet tones in the excellent audio book kept me hanging on every single one of Upson's words, and I enjoyed this reread just as much as I did first time around.
Onwards to a revisit to book six, London Rain, next. Sheer Golden Age bliss!
The Death of Lucy Kyte is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.
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